It's not a Seiko, but it's definitely interesting...
It's rare that I stray away from Seiko, but I'll make an exception for Lotec
The Precursor
It’s hard to beat around the bush: I’m selling a Lotec No. 6 this week. It might be one of the most interesting small studio releases in recent watch history. If you’re not familiar with this watch, then let me explain why you should be. I’m excited, so it’s going to be a long one!
Otsuka Lotec “No. 6”
A beautiful example of auteurial design, made by a man with unparalleled drive. For many years, Jiro Katayama worked in the automotive industry designing cars. After purchasing a metalworking lathe and practising with it by shaping circular watch cases, he became fascinated with the idea of building a watch from scratch. The next step; off to Switzerland for some formal training? Not quite. Instead, he opted to spend the next four years teaching himself (via YouTube and Google) how to fabricate the various parts needed to build a watch using nothing but his trusty lathe. This low technology approach eventually gave rise to the company name; Lotec.
The Lotec 1, 2, 3 and 4 never made it into full production, but in 2012 Katayama deemed the Lotec 5 ready for the public. The watch found success in Japan and his company was officially born. Initially, production output was very limited - after all, it was still just Katayama working on each part by himself in his Otsuka workshop. Fortunately, Hajime Asaoka (yes, the Hajime Asaoka of Kurono Tokyo fame) let Katayama borrow three of his employees, allowing production to increase to from little over a dozen per year to nearly 80. Nevertheless, acquiring one remains no small feat…
A lottery takes place every few months and is only open to people with a Japanese credit card and Japanese address, with the lucky winners getting to buy one of his watches. While not a flawless system, it’s arguably preferable to hounding Rolex ADs for the chance to smell a Submariner box.
The results are spectacular though. The double retrograde hour and minute hand complication finds itself on a rhodium-plated “speedometer” dial that was clearly inspired by Katayama’s automotive background. A “small seconds” disc slowly turns at the bottom of the dial, and dial feet have been discarded in lieu of dial screws. Combined with the screw-in case and fully brushed finish, one immediately grasps Katayama’s vision of “low-technology” design. This 30 second video beautifully demonstrates the retrograde hand complication. The watch will be sold as brand-new, unworn, and with the full box and papers.
Seiko SBCJ019 “Alpinist HAQ”
The classic Seiko Alpinist gets an accuracy upgrade. The SCVF005 Black “Red” Alpinist has the Automatic 4S15 inside - it’s a movement I’ve talked about before in previous newsletters so I won’t bore you with the details. However, this model, the SBCJ019, represents its High Accuracy Quartz counterpart. Just how accurate is it? 20 seconds per year; approaching the levels seen in Grand Seiko’s 9F movements - a remarkable feat for a neo-vintage piece from the late 1990s!
The case and bracelet are pure titanium making this the perfect lightweight, but strong, sports watch. It was just serviced by Seiko in Japan, and has a new battery (5-10 years battery life).
Seiko 6R21-00Y0 “Cotton Club”
This uniquely colourful watch is the result of a collaboration between Seiko and a jazz club in Tokyo. The Cotton Club is one of Tokyo’s best known live music/jazz bars, and was named after the legendary 1920s New York jazz club by the same name.
Only 500 were made and it was only ever sold in Japan, so it isn’t a watch I’ve seen many times, but it’s definitely not a watch design you forget once you’ve seen it! Featuring 12 rubies marking the hours and a plum-purple sunburst dial with the distinctive 12 o’clock hour marker in the Cotton Club’s font, it also includes a Power Reserve Indicator and a circular day-date display.
Seiko SARY159 “Honeycomb”
The Seiko Honeycomb is a watch I sold recently, but here’s an opportunity to buy one at a discounted price. While I won’t delve into the watch itself, as many of you have likely seen it in my recent newsletter, I am offering this one without its original box and papers. Despite this, the watch remains in excellent condition and includes the original strap. Due to the missing box and papers, it’s priced $125 less than usual—a great opportunity for those focused solely on wearing the watch rather than hoarding boxes.
Don’t forget to follow my Instagram to see all of the watches above in full cinematic glory.