Minase Divido Deep Blue Urushi Silver Maki-e dial
The Minase Divido Deep Blue Urushi Silver Maki-e dial is housed in a 40.5mm stainless steel case, embellished using the brand’s sallaz polishing technique. The watch features a Swiss automatic movement, however, the highlight is unquestionably the model’s special deep blue urushi silver maki-e dial, employing traditional artisanal techniques.
Japan is known for its artisanal crafts. The making of kimonos, katana samurai swords and shoji, paper screen doors, requires the expertise of time-served craftspeople. Traditional know-how is often passed from one generation to the next.
Minase has just unveiled a new version of its popular Divido model which eschews the usual blue lacquered dial of the standard series in favour of a special artisanal dial enlivened with Urushi lacquer and Maki-e.
The sap of an Urushi tree is repeatedly filtered until it becomes clear, creating the highly prized lacquer. Thereafter, the slow-drying lacquer is applied to a copper dial blank. Maki-e is a traditional technique which involves sprinkling metal powder onto the lacquer. Finally, a further application of Urushi is applied to the surface and placed in sunlight to achieve an eye-catching hue and a supremely durable surface.
Minase has engaged the Kyoto studio of Megumi Shimamoto, a master of traditional Urushi. Here many hours have been expended handcrafting the dial, culminating a glorious aesthetic.
Prices:
- CHF 5,350 (excluding tax – RRP as at 15.12.2020) supplied on a rubber strap
- CHF 6,470 (excluding tax – RRP as at 15.12.2020) supplied on a stainless steel bracelet
The brand’s press release (December 2020)
Urushi and Maki-e
Urushi is a special lacquer fabricated from the sap of the Urushi tree, which is native to Japan, China, and Korea. Lacquer sap (which happens to have some pretty nasty toxic qualities in its “raw” state) is frequently used as a lacquer in Japan because of its very resistant properties. Indeed, it contains a resin that becomes very hard, durable, and plastic-like when exposed to moisture and air. Owing to its potential toxicity, it is not the easiest or most forgiving substance to work with. Maki-e is a dial painting technique, that literally means “sprinkled picture”. A painted lacquer base is sprinkled with metal powder, silver in the case of Divido.
Basic technique
After blending and straining the Urushi, the copper base dial is painted with a first layer of lacquer. Then, the silver powder is applied, or sprinkled over it with the use of a special wooden tool. Owing to the strong adhesiveness of lacquer when it dries, the powder will remain and harden. Another layer of lacquer, a mixture of blue pigments and transparent Urushi is then applied acting as a seal. The process is repeated twice. After drying, the dials are polished several times enabling the silver powder to shine out. Thereafter, the dials are exposed to sunlight in order to bring out the colour to its final shade. Lastly, the Minase logo will is printed.
Minase Swiss automatic movement with black and “or” rotor
This new model is powered. By Minase regular Swiss automatic movement in high end execution with hand-finished surfaces and perlage. Treated in black and “or”, Minase uses its new customized rotor, decorated with tiny versions of the Minase logo – a drill head paying tribute to the brand’s parent-company Kyowa.
Further reading