DIVIDO Rubber Model [VM14-RBKGBL-SSD]

The gradated blue DIVIDO dial is a smoky blue-gray that fades toward its center, and on black rubber it sheds the formality the steel bracelet gives it. MINASE made a watch that can be read two ways. This is the second way.

MINASE’s exterior engineering borrows from kumiki-zaiku, the interlocking joinery of traditional Japanese woodwork. The system is called MORE, for MINASE Original Rebuilding Equation, and it means the case and its lugs come apart into their component pieces, can be re-polished or replaced, and go back together again. It is why the company can promise service with no expiry date.

Reference VM14-RBKGBL-SSD carries the smoky blue dial on a black rubber strap at roughly 91 g. The DIVIDO case-in-case is 40.6 mm wide by 40.6 mm tall and 11 mm thick with the sapphire crystal counted, and the movement is the self-winding caliber KT7002 with date, a Swiss ETA 2892 / Sellita SW300 base finished in the Akita workshop. Rated 5 atm, which covers rain and splashes but not swimming.

A good travel watch: light, self-winding, and interesting enough to study on a long flight.

Perfect for: smoky blue dial watches, rubber strap luxury watches, travel-friendly automatics.