Urushi Series SHIBO-URUSHI “DIVIDO ~Scarlet Illusion” Rubber Model [VM14-RBKKA1-SSD]

Scarlet on a black rubber strap reads as intent rather than decoration. The MINASE Urushi Series shibo-urushi dial “DIVIDO ~Scarlet Illusion” hides red under layers of lacquer and grinds only part of it back, so the color surfaces in patches instead of across the whole face.

Shibo-urushi is the technique MINASE reaches for when it wants a landscape rather than a subject. Lacquer thickened with egg white sets in a deliberately irregular relief; color and nacre are applied over it; the surface is then ground level, leaving the topography visible through it. Because the grinding decides what appears, MINASE points out that no two dials come out the same.

This is the lighter of the two Scarlet Illusion references, about 91 g on its black rubber strap against 134 g on steel. The DIVIDO case is stainless steel, 40.6 mm square and 11 mm thick including the sapphire, built case-in-case so the inner structure shows at the edges of the dial, and finished throughout with MINASE's Sallaz hand polishing. Inside is the self-winding KT7002, a Swiss ETA 2892-A2 / Sellita SW300 base finished in Akita, with a date. 5 atm.

Made to order and made by hand, and light enough to actually live with.

Perfect for: scarlet lacquer dials, lighter-wearing square watches, first hand-decorated dial purchases.