The Want List / 006
Naoya Hida& Co.
A hundred a year. I'm not getting one — but I want one.
How I got here
A Tokyo brand founded in 2018 by a man who isn't a watchmaker.
Naoya Hida launched F.P. Journe in Japan, then ran Ralph Lauren's watch business there.
Then he started making his own. Three people, about a hundred watches a year.
Three people.
Why this one
The dials are solid German silver, bead-blasted and satin finished.
The numerals aren't printed, and they aren't applied. They are cut into the metal by hand, then filled with lacquer.
Which is why no two are identical.
The Type 8A is nominated at this year's GPHG, in the Time Only category.
Cut, not printed.
The part worth knowing
The movement is a Valjoux 7750 — the workhorse chronograph in half the watches at your local dealer.
They take the chronograph off. They take the automatic winding off. Then they add a three-quarter plate, a new balance bridge and a new click.
The least glamorous base in Switzerland, rebuilt into one of the most admired watches in Japan.
A 7750. Really.
Which one I want
The Type 3B. Lapis moon disc, gold moon face, and a gold bezel if I am dreaming properly.
The one everyone else will be talking about this November is the Type 8A — 31mm, time only, and Naoya Hida's entry at the GPHG. The ceremony is on 7 November in Geneva.
The watch
| Founded | 2018 · Tokyo |
|---|---|
| Dial | German silver · hand-cut numerals |
| Case | 37 mm · 904L steel or 18k gold |
| Movement | Cal. 3021LU · Valjoux 7750 base · hand-wound |
Where it sits
| My favourite | The Type 3B |
|---|---|
| GPHG 2026 | Type 8A, Time Only |
| Price from | ~$20,000 |
| Realistically | No |
Applying in May anyway.
- Images.
- Photography — various sources.