Do Any Brands Sell Watches Made in Japan? (The Short Answer)
After several hours of research on Japanese made watches I found a couple. The companies that manufacture watches in Japan are Kuoe, Hajime Asaoka, and Minase.
Japanese Watch Brands (7 That Make Their Watches in Japan)
Now that we know which brands manufacture watches in Japan let’s look at each one in a little more detail.
Kuoe
Kuoe is a new company having only been founded back in 2020, but it has already made quite an impression on watch collectors out there. The company’s philosophy is quite simple, offer high-quality watches that are designed and made in Japan for the entire world to enjoy.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much information regarding its manufacturing facilities other than it being located in Kyoto, Japan. That said, some of its products make use of Italian leather straps. Unsurprisingly, these straps are manufactured in Italy. But as for the clock part of the watches, they are made in Japan.
For those who are interested in taking a look at what Kuoe has to offer, here are a few of its Japanese-made watches for you to check out.
- Old Smith 90-007 Automatic Cordovan Leather
- Holborn 90-003 Silver Case With Arabic Numeral Indexes Women’s
- OLD SMITH 90-002 Automatic Navy
Hajime Asaoka
Hajime Asaoka was established in 1992. Fast forward to today and it is a well-known luxurious watch manufacturer. Details weren’t all that easy to come by regarding where it manufactures its products. But after some digging, it looks like the company conducts its manufacturing in Tokyo, Japan.
Initially, I could only find out information regarding its manufacturing from third-party sources. But after looking at a few of the company’s products on its website, on the back of each of its watches it has the phrase Hajime Asaoka Tokyo, Japan. This gives a little more credence to the various third-party sources.
Here’s a link to the company’s product page for those wanting to take a closer look.
Minase
Minase is a luxury Japanese watch manufacturer. The company was founded a little more than 15 years ago and it has developed a reputation over the years for being one of the finest watchmakers in the whole of Japan.
The company conducts its manufacturing at a facility in Akita Prefecture, Japan. And according to its company website, it produces less than 500 timepieces each year. Its watches are handmade and each one embodies the values, traditions, and typical crafts of Japan.
With it only manufacturing under 500 products each year, it can be difficult to get your hands on a Minase timepiece. Here’s a link to the company’s Online Store for those wanting to take a look.
Honorable Mentions
I came across a couple of companies that didn’t quite make it onto the list above due to either lack of manufacturing information or the fact that some core components aren’t actually made in Japan. Here’s what I found.
Kikuchi Nakagawa
Kikuchi Nakagawa is a fairly new company. It was founded in 2018 by business partners Yusuke Kikuchi and Tomonari Nakagawa. It’s pretty easy to see where the company got its name from!
After doing some digging, it turns out that the company does conduct some of its manufacturing overseas. The dials and movements seem to come from Switzerland. The cases, hands, and straps are all made in Japan. The testing and final assembly are also carried out in Japan. But since the dials and movements are core components of a watch, it just feels right that the company gets an honorable mention.
For those wanting to take a look at some of the company’s watches for themselves, here’s a link to its watch product page.
Naoya Hida & Co
Naoya Hida & Co was founded in March 2018. It focuses on manufacturing small batches of high-quality luxurious watches to be sold to people worldwide. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that easy to get your hands on a Naoya Hida & Co watch as they have proven to be quite popular.
Since the company manufactures its watches in small batches, it’s a case of waiting and trying to be the first in line when a new line of watches comes out. The company seems to conduct its manufacturing in Tokyo although details are scarce. That’s why it gets an honorable mention. If there are any readers out there who know more about the company’s manufacturing location then leave a comment below.
Here’s a link to the company’s product page for those wanting to do a little digging of their own.
A Company That People Confuse as Being a Japanese Manufacturer
I came across one very well-known company that people seem to confuse as being a Japanese manufacturer. Here’s what I found.
Casio
Casio is one of the largest and most well-known watch manufacturers on the planet. Most people at some point in time would have owned at least one Casio watch. Affordable, reliable, and fashionable, it’s easy to see why they are so popular.
Unfortunately, while it is a Japanese-founded company, the majority of its manufacturing is actually carried out in China and Thailand. The company does manufacture some of its watches in Japan. But even then, it looks like lots of its Japanese-made watch components are imported from other countries.
A Question For The Readers
If there are any readers out there who know of any companies that belong on this list then please leave a comment below. Your comments help us to keep our articles up-to-date and accurate which is something that we work very hard to do.
