Introducing: The Kurono Tokyo Réserve De Marche “Sensu N.O.S.” — A Bold Guilloché Move

It might still be a niche brand in numbers and worldwide sales, but Kurono has built a strong following for its colorful wares. Hajime Asaoka’s accessible brand seems to have come at the right time for the small-case trend, but for Sensei, this is nothing new. But by introducing the Kurono Tokyo Réserve de Marche “Sensu N.O.S.,” he opens up a new leaf in his book of dial designs.

Asaoka-san designed his first watch with a 37mm case. With its enigmatic 15mm balance wheel and big barrel, the Tsunami ushered in the Art Deco style he is known for, which has carried over to the accessible Kurono Tokyo range. With deep urushi (lacquer) dials plus a balance of minimalist three-handers and multicolored chronographs, the brand has a particular signature. This is why the two new versions of the Réserve de Marche “Sensu N.O.S.” come as a big surprise, debuting a guilloché dial design.

The Kurono Tokyo Réserve de Marche “Sensu N.O.S.”

I will admit to being an avid follower of Hajime Asaoka. While I don’t think I will ever afford one of his Haute Horlogerie creations, I already have two watches by Kurono Tokyo. More than five years ago, Asaoka’s move to establish a separate and accessible brand was wise. Kurono has certainly captured the hearts of a smaller faction of watch enthusiasts who appreciate small and dressy wristwear. Today, with the resurgence of Cartier and celebs swapping 44mm wrist beasts for 34–38mm elegance, more people get it. And there’s no escaping how comfortable a 37mm watch with a smooth case is compared to an angular tool watch. So, how is the Sensu N.O.S. different?

For one thing, yes, the “N.O.S.” stands for “New Old Stock,” but what qualifies? Well, this is the first departure for the brand as the movement powering this model is the discontinued Miyota 9134. Hajime Asaoka purchased the entire remaining stock from Citizen in 2022 and has rebadged them as the 9134PWT (Precision Watch Tokyo, no doubt). This reflects the removal of the calendar mechanism and in-house tweaks to enhance the timekeeping accuracy of this 40-hour caliber. Due to this, the Réserve De Marche “Sensu N.O.S.” is featured as a Special Projects watch by Kurono, and the 9134PWT caliber will be discontinued after this production run. This comes in addition to Kurono’s first-ever guilloché dial design.

Two stylistic takes on a complex dial

The dials of the two Sensu N.O.S. versions challenged Asaoka-san with more than three years of prototyping. The brand’s typical dial shape was the main reason as it required the guilloché patterns to be engraved on a convex surface rather than a flat one. Furthermore, the dial base is quite thick and molded in one piece. This includes the deep fan-shaped recess of the power-reserve indicator between 9 and 10 o’clock as well as the sub-dial at 6. According to Asaoka, “Achieving sharpness in these areas posed a significant technical challenge.” The central area is imbued with the tiny pyramids of a Clous de Paris guilloché, also present in the deep recess of the 24-hour display. What surprises me is the deep-cut pattern of a Japanese folding fan, or sensu (扇子), giving the watch its nickname.

This dramatic fan-shaped sub-dial is the indicator for the power reserve, but instead of having a reserved look (sorry), it commands attention on the dial. This will surely be a divisive detail, but I love the audacity of its design and the 9:30 placement. This is next to a calligraphy-style logo just under 12, which we have seen on Kurono’s 34mm watches. The dial’s outer rim has a delicate guilloché railroad track and minute markings, while radially positioned slim Arabic numerals occupy an inner sector. At the normal position of a sub-seconds register sits a 24-hour display, which is not very useful unless you’re stuck somewhere with no daylight. It is beautifully executed, though, and dictated by the new-old-stock movement.

Dressy details with a blue Japanese twist

There is also Asaoka-san’s recognizable Art Deco touch of polished pearls for the hours. The scene is contrasted by blued, curved hands, with all details dressily bereft of lume. I love the cream dial’s crisp contrast with its blued steel touch. But if I weren’t at a sell-first watch stop, I would surely try to secure the blue-dial version. The difference is much more than a color change, starting with the logo. There is no cursive script under 12 o’clock. Instead, at 3 o’clock, there is an asymmetrically charming katakana logo plaque. In addition, the radially printed Arabic hour numerals have been replaced by silver kanji characters, imbuing this version with a deeper sense of its origin. For me, the choice of kanji markings adds to the strength of the quirky classicism in the blue dial while creating two different personalities.

One of the best cases in the small-brand business

The case of the Réserve de Marche “Sensu N.O.S” is the same as we have come to expect from Kurono Tokyo. And I can wholeheartedly say that it’s a good thing. Some might think Hajime Asaoka’s plain but delicately textured black calfskin strap is too restrained. I beg to differ. This calm-looking strap makes the dial the star of the show. Also, the thin and soft leather accentuates the exemplary Calatrava-like case design. Both versions of this, Kurono’s first power-reserve watch, have a 38mm case with a slim 11.2mm thickness. Yes, that includes the box-style sapphire crystal. The case also boasts a sweet 45.6mm lug-to-lug, and that is close to perfect for my 17.5–18cm wrist. The soft 20mm strap adds to the classic look and tapers to 16mm at the buckle.

Wise words from Asaoka-san

I will conclude this story with a quote from Hajime Asaoka. It is a very different view of the fan-shaped power-reserve indicator of the Sensu N.O.S.

Asaoka says, “When I wear this watch on a walk, I can see the power-reserve indicator going up quickly. An automatic watch stealthily takes a small portion of the energy generated by the user’s daily life and converts it into power for the watch. And I can clearly see how this is happening. After a while, this indicator became like a pedometer for me. I don’t know exactly how many kilometers I’ve walked, but when I can see that the power reserve has been fully replenished, that is proof of the amount of exercise I’ve done, and it feels good.” With this poetic view on exercise, who needs a smartwatch?

The Réserve de Marche “Sensu N.O.S.” will be available directly from Kurono Tokyo as of tomorrow, October 10th, at 15:00 CEST / 09:00 EDT. The retail price is US$2,150, excluding taxes and import duties.

Did this Japanese take on guilloché surprise you, Fratelli? In the comments, let me know your thoughts and whether you’re creamy, calm, or feeling the blues.