Introducing: The Minase 7 Windows Steel 2.0
Back in 2019, I reviewed a purple-dialed Minase Divido. The watch was, and still is, different from anything I’ve ever worn. The insane level of case finishing blew me away. The bracelet construction was just as impressive with its intricate links. So perhaps it’s only appropriate, with my evolving appreciation for vintage rectangular watches, to cover an update to the brand’s decidedly different take on the form — the 7 Windows Steel 2.0.
Yes, the original Divido wowed me like few other watches have. If it weren’t for the slightly large case size, I can almost guarantee that one would be in my collection. Minase makes such boldly different watches compared to other brands, and I’m impressed that the company sticks with designs showcasing its history of metal finishing. After all, Minase has its foundations in watch components and tool making. Today’s 7 Windows Steel 2.0 models exhibit this craftsmanship along with new dials.
The updated Minase 7 Windows Steel 2.0
It’s been a while since we’ve covered a 7 Windows model, so it’s worth running through the specifications. The 316L stainless steel cases have a 38mm diameter, 47mm length, and 13mm thickness. As an aside, 18K yellow or rose gold is available by special request. In addition to the complex, compound-curved sapphire crystal on top of the watch, five sapphire crystals inhabit the case sides. These provide clear views, or “windows,” to the automatic movement. It’s an avant-garde design within a traditional rectangular case, and somehow, it works! Also, in light of all the crystals, the watch still manages a 50m water resistance rating. A large, boldly fashioned crown complements the design perfectly.
New dials are the big news
Previously, the Minase 7 Windows featured steel dials with PVD coatings. The new 2.0 models follow in the footsteps of the Divido with electroformed copper dials. In this application, though, Minase uses a hammering technique to create a yukihira (snowflake-like) pattern that glistens in the light. Furthermore, the dials are lacquered in blue, green, white, or ice blue (I’d love to see purple!) and set into a steel frame. This frame contains the indexes and exhibits a screw at each corner that fastens the assembly into the case.
Minase applies Super-LumiNova to the finely sculpted central hour and minute hands while giving the sweeping seconds hand a thin and elegant needle shape. Perhaps the most dramatic characteristic of the dials, aside from the new surface, is the date wheel. It lies within a lower dial layer and displays an intriguing black-on-white to white-on-black pattern. It’s disharmonious yet oddly pleasing!
A Swiss movement in a Japanese case
As always, Minase uses Swiss movements for its watches. It seems that the brand has squirreled away an unknown quantity of ETA 2892-A2 calibers. While some may express dismay over the use of a relatively mundane movement in the 7 Windows, Minase goes to great lengths to differentiate it from an off-the-shelf ébauche. Each 2892 is manually finished with perlage, diamond-polished anglage, blued screws, and black coating on the mainplate. Also, Minase attaches a custom oscillating rotor and employs ceramic bearings. All of these features are visible via a sapphire-equipped display case back. Performance is as expected, with approximately 50 hours of power reserve and a frequency of 28,800vph.
The 7 Windows is offered with a bracelet or strap
Minase offers the 7 Windows Steel 2.0 on an in-house-made leather strap or a stainless bracelet. I won’t kid you; with a price of €6,250, the bracelet models are expensive. The strap models cost significantly less at €4,900. However, if there were ever a case to spend €1,350 more for a bracelet, one from Minase is possibly the best example. The Sallaz polishing and the construction are second to none, which aids the comfort of these bracelets. Even the push-button clasp is slim and hugs the wrist nicely. As an aside, I don’t typically look forward to deconstructing a bracelet, but I did this on the Divido, and the precision of each component will stick with me forever.
Final thoughts
There’s no doubt that Minase watches are expensive. However, they continue to inhabit a unique position in the marketplace, and that’s fairly exceptional considering their lengthy production runs. Of course, it helps that a watch like the new 7 Windows is incredibly rare. After all, Minase produces fewer than 500 watches per year. I’m on board with these, and the dials are more in keeping with the company’s style. No, a Minase watch is not a typical choice, but it’s most definitely a cool one.
