Hands-On With The Eye-Catching Minase Uruga In Green And Blue

Minase is one of those special Japanese brands boasting outspoken designs and incredible craftsmanship. These things made me fall in love with the Minase’s Divido series. From the moment I laid eyes on the Divido’s remarkable design, I knew that Minase was doing something special. That feeling became even stronger when I had a chance to check out the watch up close and see for myself how the design and brilliant craftsmanship came together. In the summer of 2023, the brand added its newest model to the lineup. With the Uruga, Minase released another intriguing design. Will it be able to wow me as much as the Divido did? It’s time to find out.

When the Minase Uruga series debuted in July 2023, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. The design felt like I was transported back in time two decades, and I wasn’t sure that would be a step forward for the brand. But if you put the watch next to the other Minase models, the pieces of the puzzle start to fall into place. The Uruga is very much recognizable as a Minase. It has a visual link to the brand’s beautiful M-3 model. We had the pleasure of collaborating on that watch twice with the Japanese brand, first in 2022 with the M-3 “Veri Peri” and then last year with the M-3 “Nori.” These were two wonderful models with a classic case shape and stunning dials that fans loved.

The Minase Uruga as a reflection of beauty and elegance

The Uruga almost seems like the early 2000s evolution of the 1970s-inspired tonneau-cased M-3. So, how does the Uruga fit into the picture? Let’s start with the name. “Uruga” is a combination of the Japanese words uruwashii and (麗しい) and miyabi (雅, also read as ga), which mean “beautiful” and “elegance,” respectively. As Henry explained in his introduction article for the series, these meanings should be reflected in the design.

The Uruga is the brainchild of renowned Japanese designer Hirokuni Yamamoto. He created a design that is very on-brand for Minase. It’s a design you must let sink in, and it has some very distinct features.

This time, the standout elements are four prominent clamps on the case. Henry explained in the introduction article that the Uruga’s construction sandwiches the crystal between the bezel and mid-case, securing everything with these four clamps. The case was designed with the brand’s Minase Original Rebuilding Equation (MORE) principle in mind.

The idea behind this patented approach comes from traditional Japanese three-dimensional puzzles. The central thought is that Minase’s watchmakers can disassemble every single part of the case and replace it individually whenever necessary.

The nature-inspired dials of the Uruga

The Uruga has a 42mm stainless steel case with a 10.2mm thickness, 48mm lug-to-lug, and 50m water resistance rating. Like most Minase watches, it features a mix of deeply brushed and Sallaz-polished parts. The latter technique, also known as Zaratsu mirror polishing, is one of Minase’s standout features. It ensures that the visual details of the Uruga case are accentuated nicely.

And there is quite a bit going on. As I said, the case reminded me of designs from the early 2000s, and that’s not always a great thing. However, the more time I spent with the Uruga, the more it grew on me, and I began to understand what made it so special.

One of the special elements is the dial. We had the blue- and green-dial versions in for review, which both feature a pattern of interlacing lines. The brand states that the waves of the Minase River in Japan inspired the design. Both dials are fascinating to see up close and provide great detail to a simple layout. The polished, faceted, and applied hour markers contrast the dials nicely, and a date window at 3 o’clock features a polished frame to match the indices and razor-sharp hands.

The indices sit among the white minute markings on the dial’s periphery. These complete a dial that impresses through its intricate details rather than its overall design. The mix of finishes used for the hands, the dial pattern, and the font used for the date disc are nice little details that give the dials their character. With all these combined with the remarkable case design, you’ll have plenty to admire once you have the Uruga on your wrist.

The beautifully finished caliber

Most of you will know that Minase predominantly uses ETA-based calibers in its watches. For the Uruga, the brand uses the higher-end ETA 2892-A2 movement, which the watchmakers at Minase finish by hand. It features polished bevels, a decorated mainplate and bridges, hand-done perlage, blued screws, and a customized rotor. The movement is visible through the display case back and is a step up from your regular ETA 2892-A2.

Lastly, we received the green version on a leather strap and the blue model on the bracelet. That bracelet is something special. I expected nothing else because I thoroughly enjoyed wearing the Divido on its bracelet as well.

This bracelet features screws for sizing on the underside of the links, so you do not see any when you are wearing the watch. It’s a beautifully constructed bracelet that is flexible yet sturdy. It truly is a stunning piece of engineering that I greatly enjoyed.

Wearing the Minase Uruga

How does all this translate on the wrist? When putting the watch on, the Uruga instantly feels nice and slim. But what also immediately stands out is that, at 42mm wide, the watch is pretty big. I would have been more than okay with a smaller 39–40mm size. That would have had the perfect impact. As it is now, the watch will turn off many people because it may not fit people with smaller wrist sizes.

Even though I can pull off a 42mm watch just fine, this style of watch doesn’t need to be that big. It raises questions about why Minase decided to make a 42mm version. Although the Uruga feels right at home on my wrist, even at 42mm, I don’t want it to be that big.

In particular, the green-dial version with the brown leather strap seems too large. On the bracelet, the size doesn’t affect the impact of the case as much. More visible stainless steel simply leads to a more balanced appearance. Plus, of the two versions we had, I have to say that I greatly prefer the blue-dial model on the bracelet. The 2000s-like design has a very technical feel, and combined with the incredibly well-made bracelet, it works a lot better.

Final thoughts

Both watches are impressive when it comes to the incredible level of detail. Whether it’s due to the finishing of the case and bracelet or the special dials, the watches truly come to life on the wrist. It had been a while since I wore a Minase, and even though this Uruga might not be for me, I was immediately reminded of what makes Minase such an exceptional brand. The designs and the execution make any Minase watch special. This time, I was particularly impressed by the dials, the ingenious case construction, and the brilliant bracelet.

While the Minase Uruga might not go on my list of future wants, I am sure plenty of buyers will put it on theirs. The 42mm models are available for €4,850 on a leather strap and €6,150 on the bracelet. Both are a substantial amount of money, of course. But what you get in return is something distinct in its design, construction, and finishing. At this price point, it is hard to match the quality that Minase offers.

Ultimately, Minase is a brand that creates extraordinary watches that aren’t for everyone, and I love that. The Uruga fits the collection perfectly because it does indeed have all the typical Minase traits. It reminded me of how little attention I had paid to a brand that I dearly love and that will undoubtedly also make quite a few people happy with its Uruga.

For more information, please visit the official Minase website. Let us know in the comments section what you think of the Minase Uruga as well.

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