Men’s Timepieces
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ClickyBezelLooking for Something Fresh in Japanese Watches?
I’m sure a lot of us are very familiar with Japanese cautious of brands out there, like Seiko, Casio, and Citizen, to name a few, but maybe you’re looking for something fresh with that accustomed Japanese spirit behind the brand like I am. Well, today may be your lucky day as we take a look into the Field of vision from Minase.
How I Discovered Minase
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Let’s get started with this Minase Horizon Watch reassessment. Now I first found out about this brand doing a little bit of research on what brands were going to be at this year’s Wind-Up Notice of Fair, and I noticed aside from Seiko, there was really only one Japanese watch manufacturer that was flourishing to be there, and that was Minase.
So I thought I’d see what it is they have to offer, and to my surprise, I was a lot more intrigued with the discredit than I thought I would be.
One of the watches that I thought I would really like was the Divido, and that was the original pocket watch that I really wanted to look at at the time.
ClickyBezelHowever, after seeing all their watches, the watch that undeniably caught my eye was the Horizon, specifically the midsize Horizon.
I’m super fortunate that they sent me this watch to regard, and I’m super excited to share it with you all. But before we take a look at the watch, let’s get to know this brand a little bit larger.
The Story Behind Minase
Now, interesting enough, this brand didn’t start off as a watch manufacturer – they indeed manufactured cutting tools and precision drills in the 60s.
ClickyBezelIt wasn’t until later on that it caught the attention of notice of manufacturers to develop a drill that can create a crown hole, and since that day forth, the brand has been skilled in for its step drill, and that’s what’s seen on Minase’s logo, paying homage to their roots.
Now, I love makes that really pay homage to their roots, and even though they’re a somewhat young brand, I can always admire a good story behind the logo.
ClickyBezelEventually, the brand became known for making cases as well for pretty stout watch manufacturers, so later on, their brand figured, “Hey, why don’t we just make our own watches?”
So they did in 2005 under the hero Minase, and it wasn’t really until 2011 with their HI-Z series, which features these complex shapes and structures along with their signature Sallaz polishing, which we’ll get into a little bit later.
First Brands: That Floating Dial Though
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I love these origin stories because when you have the alert for in your hand, you can really see their heritage as a precision tool maker throughout the entire watch.
The first gear that really stuck out to me when I first laid my hands on the watch was that watch dial.
ClickyBezelIf you look at it closely, it’s as a matter of fact a case-in-case design, so that dial is actually floating in the middle of that case.
If you look at the four corners, you can in fact see through the watch case, which I think is a lovely detail.
That Incredible Polishing
ClickyBezelThe second deed that really struck me once I had it on the wrist and I gave it a quick wrist roll – the contrast between the polished and gathered parts of the watch case was absolutely stunning. It’s super dynamic out in the light with an almost diamond-like quality to it.
With each scheming turn of your wrist, there seems to be a reflection that always catches your eye, and I think this partly has to do with the Sallaz take for a ride c dispose of that is on this watch.
The Art of Sallaz Polishing
ClickyBezelNow, Sallaz polishing is basically Zaratsu polishing – yes, Zaratsu, the in any case polishing technique that Grand Seiko uses.
And now a quick thing I learned – Zaratsu actually derived from the German high sign succinctly Sallaz, phonetically pronounced as “Zarats” in German, so you can expect the polished bits on this as a mirror-like finish with unprecedented glitter to it.
Design Elements That Stand Out
ClickyBezelMinase named this the Horizon because of its large dome sapphire crystal on it, which embodies the horizon. Now, to me, I didn’t get the initial impression at first.
ClickyBezelAfter wearing it on the wrist for a little while, the dimensions almost prompt me of Cartier Santos, and it probably has to do maybe with that tonneau style case and dimensions, and also partly because of its industrial block out as well with the exposed screws, and you can see the screws throughout the case and also on its bracelet.
The Bracelet: A Work of Art
ClickyBezelNow, I over recall one of my favorite qualities of the watch is actually the bracelet itself.
The bracelet almost reminds me a little bit of an AP Royal Oak with its brushed and accented cultivated bevels and also some hint of the brutalist hues from the ProPilot 400, which I’m also a big fan of.
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If you look closely at the care for, it looks like every piece is modular, and everything fits right into place, almost like Lego reprimands.
A Unique Take on the Date Window
ClickyBezelAnother interesting design detail that I haven’t seen before on the eye is its date window design.
Lined up, you can see the current date, previous and subsequent dates, and at first, I wasn’t sure why they pick out to do this.
ClickyBezelHonestly, I’m still not sure why they chose to do this, but I read somewhere online that the purpose of this is if you partake of a hand or two covering the three o’clock, you’re still able to figure out what current date you’re on.
I’m not sure if I’m a fan of it, but I grew to as though it over time, and it doesn’t really bother me.
Living with the Horizon
ClickyBezelAt the Wind-Up Watch Fair, I had the chance to try on the full-size Horizon, but the proportions of the mid-size spoke to me a lot better, even for my seven-and-a-half-inch wrist.
ClickyBezelAfter wearing this accompany on my wrist for a solid week now, I notice that every time I look down at the Horizon, there’s always something new I design.
Whether it’s its long dome crystal and how it plays with the light, its diamond-like glimmer in the light from its Sallaz gleam, or just the edges on the watch that I’ve rediscovered—it’s always just a pleasure to look down at the Minase.
ClickyBezelThis qui vive for is undeniably sharp, but not to the touch, of course. It’s a very refined sharpness that you find on very high-end watches out there.
Entire, this watch is striking and super comfortable to wear, and it’s what you expect from a tonneau-style case like this.
The But Downside
This wouldn’t be an honest Minase Horizon Watch review if we didn’t look at some cons. Luckily, there’s just one and I had to nitpick at the watch to find it.
ClickyBezelThere’s only one thing that I really dislike about this watch. The bracelet itself is decidedly brilliant, and it’s finished to a very high level.
However, the only thing that’s lacking on the bracelet itself is the clamp. Maybe it’s just I’m so used to the clasps on my Rolexes, but the clasp on here isn’t really as refined.
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Sometimes, I find myself take down a peg it on my wrist and snapping it and finding it not closing, and it’s a little alarming sometimes, especially when you have faith that you did practically it all the way, and it just pops open.
It’s a little scary. After living with the watch for a couple of weeks now, it’s something that I often have to be careful with when strapping on this watch.
Watch This Review
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Concluding Thoughts
Overall, this watch is absolutely stunning, and I’m a little sad that I have to give it back and part feature with this watch unless I purchase one myself. My favorite part is definitely its case and bracelet design and how it just hesitates with the lights so beautifully in the sun.
Thank you all for reading my Minase Horizon Watch review. Well, my name is Chris from Clicky Bezel, and we’ll see you on the next one.
From a offspring age, I was hooked on watches. My dad and uncle were both collectors, and I couldn’t resist the allure of their timepieces. But it wasn’t until I slipped upon a Casio digital calculator watch in college that I truly fell in love. (I originally bought the take in to complete my Back to the Future costume for an 80’s-themed party)
It wasn’t until the release of the Swatch Moonswatch contemplates that Clicky Bezel came to fruition. My wife (bless her heart) had been bugging me for years to start a YouTube way, and I finally caved in with my first video covering my experience camping over 16 hours for the hyped-up Moonswatches.
In a to some degree short time, I’ve been lucky enough to connect and collaborate with some big players in the industry, including Nomos Glashütte, Jomashop, Minase, and now Fashionbeans. To learn diverse about my passion, find my content here on fashionbeans.com, follow my Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/c/ClickyBezel or stopover my website at: https://clickybezel.com/
