VIVIAN MORELLI

August 10, 2022

His Goal? ‘The Most Beautiful Watch Straps in the World’

Kunitaka Kojima of Tokyo has been creating straps by hand for almost 10 years. TOKYO — Nineteen years ago, when he began working at a factory […]
March 27, 2022

At 83, a Japanese Master Still Makes Martial Arts Gear by Hand

Kiichiro Ito spends his days creating uniforms for kendo, an ancient form of fencing. TOKYO — When my 6-year-old son recently joined a local kendo club, […]
March 24, 2022

5 Women at the Heart of the Jewelry World

“I tell women they’ve got to have thick skin in order to exist in some worlds,” one of them said. It may seem logical that an […]
December 10, 2021

A Japanese Star Broadens His Taste in Watches

Lately, Ryuichi Kawamura has been using design, not price, as a guide to expanding his collection. TOKYO — Ryuichi Kawamura is not only famous as the […]
April 6, 2021

In Japan, a Watch Collection May Include an Alias

TOKYO — A De Bethune DB27 Titan Hawk V2 wristwatch alongside a plate of fried gyoza. A Kari Voutilainen 28SC flanked by a serving of tonkatsu […]
January 14, 2019

A Visit to Seiko’s Mountain Retreat

All the company’s mechanical watches, including the Grand Seiko, are made in the small Japanese town of Shizukuishi.
November 15, 2017

In South Korea, Weddings and Watches

SEOUL, South Korea — When young South Koreans are engaged, their thoughts often turn to wedding venues, guest lists — and Swiss watches. “In Korea, there […]