Kurono Tokyo

Fine mechanical watches designed by independent Japanese watchmaker Hajime Asaoka. GPHG 2020 Double Finalist.

KURONO creates highly coveted Japanese horological art designed by renowned independent Japanese watchmaker Hajime Asaoka. Our timepieces are an embodiment of the horological sentiment, aesthetic and technical finesse imbued in every artwork that characterize KURONO as whole. KURONO aims to deliver to watch collectors a more accessible timepiece that shares the design DNA of Hajime's exclusive handmade atelier watches, at affordable levels.

09/09/2026

Thank you onemorewatch.ae for this wonderful capture of the 2024 Anniversary Reiwa.

Released to mark Kurono Tokyo’s 5th anniversary, the 2024 Anniversary Reiwa carries a lapis-green metallic periphery around a deep black mirrored center, held on a single cylindrical dial. Hajime Asaoka has said that the source of a design is often simply the beauty of nature, whether the color of leaves, of water, or of a stone he happened to come across. Here it was a lake at dusk, and the striking contrast between dark woodland shadow and the green of the water surface. The Reiwa line was permanently retired after this final run.

Learn more at www.kuronotokyo.com

02/09/2026

Thank you MY Watches for this wonderful capture of the 2021 Anniversary TOKI ‘朱鷺’.

The radial sunburst dial shifts across a spectrum of metallic coral, from crimson through vermillion, with purple emerging under certain light. Hajime Asaoka drew the color from the Japanese crested ibis, a bird long regarded as a symbol of happiness and good fortune. The shade changed with the thickness of every layer applied, and only after countless samples did he settle on the gloss and hue he was after. The dial reads differently depending on the light, with cooler purplish-coral surfacing under white light and golden warmth coming through under yellow.

Learn more at www.kuronotokyo.com

28/08/2026

We’re thinking of holding a Kurono get-together in New York sometime in November with Hajime-sensei.

It’s our first time there so we’re just a little bit clueless as to where’s a good place to hold an informal event - should we book a nice bar in the East Side, or an izakaya in Brooklyn, or is there somewhere better? It’ll most likely be just before Thanksgiving so should we have a carved turkey or ham-flavored beer? 🤪

We’re not the types for formal sit-down events and sensei far prefers to just interact with and speak to collectors and fans (yup he’ll have a translator).

So if you’re in New York or live around the area, please drop us a few suggestions on how we can make this a really unforgettable event for you.

Thank you very much for your friendship and support!

24/08/2026

Working with natural malachite demands an exceptional level of patience and precision. Its delicate nature makes each dial particularly challenging to produce, with only 2 out of every 10 dials successfully making it through the process and reaching final selection by Hajime Asaoka himself. We are working diligently to complete each timepiece while upholding the standards expected of Kurono Tokyo, ensuring that every Malachite ‘孔雀石’ watch reaches its owner as soon as possible without compromising the quality of the finished watch.

Fulfillment of the Malachite ‘孔雀石’ has been progressing as scheduled since July, with each timepiece being completed and dispatched in batches. We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding.

Sign up for latest updates at kuronotokyo.com/account/register.

18/08/2026

“The way the dial dances in the light plus the intricate details you can only spot up close is just something else.” - MY Watches

Thank you for this wonderful capture. The Grand Hagane pays homage to Hajime Asaoka’s ancestors, who were swordsmiths, and to the tamahagane steel from which Japanese blades are forged. Its urushi dial pattern was designed to resemble tobiyaki, the scattered hardened spots that appear across the surface of a blade, applied in thin layers of roiro lacquer and polished so the pattern beneath shows through with a veil-like translucency. The dials are handcrafted piece by piece by craftswomen in Kyoto who inherited a lacquer technique passed down for over a thousand years, polished by fingertip alone.

Learn more at www.kuronotokyo.com

12/08/2026

Thank you David Truong for sharing the Reiwa, and to Sam’s Veblenian Obsession for the beautiful photography.

Released in 2019 as one of Kurono Tokyo’s earlier models, the Reiwa took its name from Japan’s new era, translating to “Beautiful Harmony,” and expressed it through a complex two-part cylindrical dial. The copper periphery carries a warm metallic sheen against a deep center, the two interplaying to bring out the quiet beauty the watch is named for. Each dial begins completely flat, with the fine grooves cut before the dial is curved, so that every line holds a uniform width across the finished surface.

Learn more at www.kuronotokyo.com

04/08/2026

Thank you Suguru H. Nishioka for this wonderful photo of the 34mm Persimmon.

The 2023 34mm series continued Hajime Asaoka’s affection for the vintage proportions he finds most desirable, sized to complement an outfit rather than stand apart from it. Following the warm reception of the first 34mm run, this second series arrived in more subtle tones, with the Persimmon carrying a soft warmth drawn from Japan’s traditional palette. Arabic numeral indexes and luminescent-finished hands complete a watch made for everyday wear.

Learn more at www.kuronotokyo.com

29/07/2026

Thank you way2wei for framing the Chronograph II White ‘SHIRO’ against such a stunning backdrop.

The ‘SHIRO’ is a watch Hajime Asaoka had wanted to make for years, a refined interpretation of the Chronograph II in white. The brilliance of the dial is much more than color alone: fine sandblasting followed by silvering, sealed beneath thick lacquer, gives it the appearance of bright white with remarkable depth. Recessed subdials with diamond-cut steel surrounds, crisp multi-layer printing, and high-polished domed hour markers complete a look of sophisticated simplicity, with the interplay of bright-white, heron-white, and red revealing itself up close.

Learn more at www.kuronotokyo.com

24/07/2026

Thank you Jordi | Watch Photography • Dad Life Chaos for giving the 2024 Anniversary Reiwa a starring role in your quiet evening.

Inspired by the beauty of ‘Ruri-Numa’ (瑠璃沼), the 2024 Anniversary Reiwa pairs a lapis-green metallic periphery with a deep black mirrored center across a single cylindrical dial. Hajime Asaoka visited the lake at dusk, where the shadows of tree trunks on the far bank formed a breathtaking contrast against the reflections of the water’s natural green hues, a moment he sought to capture on the dial. The contrast of the two colors on a single dial plate made this the most challenging Reiwa ever produced, and the line was permanently retired after this final run.

Learn more at www.kuronotokyo.com

17/07/2026

Thank you H.L for sharing this beautiful close-up photograph of the Grand Jubilee Calendar.

The Grand Jubilee Calendar draws inspiration from Hajime Asaoka’s memory of red autumn leaves viewed through delicate frost columns in a small Tokyo park during winter, translated into a rich seasonal palette. The vertical strakes reflect a design language he has refined since his very first tourbillon. Here, they reappear as a delicate vertical guilloché, creating a subtle yet intricate texture that brings quiet movement to the dial as it catches the light.

We truly appreciate everyone who takes the time to share their photographs with us. Seeing our timepieces through the eyes of those who wear them is always a privilege and one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.

Address

Dubai

Website

http://kuronotokyo.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Kurono Tokyo posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Kurono Tokyo:

Want your business to be the top-listed Jewelery/watch Store in Dubai?