Asaoka expands brand portfolio.

Hajime Asaoka is one of the biggest names on Japan's independent watchmaking scene. And this watchmaker appears to have very serious ambitions to build his own empire, while meeting Japanese standards of modesty and refinement.

From June 1, the portfolio of the watchmaker's company Precision Watch Tokyo welcomed Takano. It joined three other brands: Asaoka's namesake brand, Kurono Tokyo, and Otsuka Lotec.

Each has its own distinct target market and face while exhibiting the watchmaker's recognizable signature. Asaoka's company signed its latest license agreement with Takano's current trademark-holder, RICOH Corporation, although the watch brand ceased all operations back in 1962.

The factory, which had manufactured wristwatches since February 1957, was destroyed by a typhoon. Founded in Nagoya as Takano Clock Manufacturing, the company initially made wall clocks.

In 1913, a separate Takano Metal Manufacturing division was set up, which specialized in table clocks. In 1924, the son of the company's founder merged the two companies and focused on completing orders for the Japanese military. Watch production was discontinued in 1936.

Then in 1956, the watchmakers at Takano turned their attention to wristwatches. The first models were sold to buyers in September 1957. Takano didn't continue manufacturing watches equipped with manually wound German Laco movements for long.

But they manufactured their watches long enough to build the DNA of the revived Takano brand led by Asaoka. The watch that laid the foundation was the Chateau Deluxe model from 1959 with a meticulously finished movement.

That was the same year when a watch called the Chateau Nouvelle appeared, which lends its name to the first model by the recently revived Takano brand. Asaoka, creator of Japan's first wristwatch with an in-house tourbillon movement, had a winning card from the outset. 

The Takano brand is releasing a revival Chateau Nouvelle Chronometer model — the first Japanese-made timepiece to receive chronometer certification from the French Besançon Astronomical Observatory.

Two versions of the watch have been released with different colored dials: classic black and white compositions were chosen for the restart. Both versions are housed in 37-mm steel cases with the Zaratsu polishing that fans of Japanese watches love.

The transparent caseback reveals a view of the automatic 90T movement with a 42-hour power reserve and a message about the chronometer status inscribed on the rotor.