Hajime Asaoka is a relatively new yet revered name in the market, gaining notoriety with his superbly crafted timepieces that are quite difficult to obtain. His early career as a product designer put him in contact with watchmaking enthusiasts. Inspired, Asaoka purchased a copy of George Daniels’ “Watchmaking,” which lead to the creation of his prototype Tourbillon Number 1, in 2009. This prototype allowed him to be accepted as a member of the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), a Swiss-based organization dedicated to preserving the art of fine handmade watchmaking and independent makers. By 2011, Asaoka was manufacturing a small collection of timepieces – all designed, manufactured, and assembled by himself, resulting in an extremely low annual production of no more than a few pieces.

In 2012, Hajime Asaoka released his Tsunami wristwatch with a completely in-house, manual wind movement. The wristwatch was a classic time-only piece in stainless steel with a 37mm diameter case and a highly attractive two-tone dial with a “zen garden” design to the subsidiary dial. The case has a well-defined sleek look with perfect proportions to suit any size wrist. The extremely well-finished movement is seen through the sapphire caseback and displays incredible attention to detail and masterful technical skills. Designed for maximum timekeeping precision, one can’t help but be impressed with the oversized, 15mm stainless steel balance wheel and the gold “tako wheel” found beneath the balance.

The present watch, number 7, is offered complete with its warranty. The watch is in near-new condition and was probably worn less than a handful of times.