The Kiwame Tokyo Kubo Momiji Brings Japanese Autumn To Your Wrist
Honestly, I only recently went hands-on with the Kiwame Tokyo Kubo Sakura. We have a team of editors, each with different interests and preferences, and Kiwame Tokyo simply wasn’t on my radar. I was pleasantly surprised when I wore it, though, so I am curious to see how watch fans will receive this new Kubo Momiji, with its deep-red lacquered dial and raised maple-leaf (momiji) motif on the recessed small-seconds dial.
Keys to success for the Kiwame Tokyo Kubo Momiji
Let’s start with the price of this watch — US$630 (excluding taxes). The perceived quality of the pink-dial Kubo Sakura I’ve been wearing recently was much higher, so I expected the price to be too. The lacquered dial is beautifully executed, and the applied Breguet numerals, cathedral hands, and recessed sub-dial make it feel very classy. It punches above its weight, so to speak. Add the lovely, elegant 37 × 9.3mm case (10.7mm with its domed sapphire crystal), and you have all the necessary ingredients for success. This is, of course, an oversimplification, as it takes a lot of effort to achieve something like this.
Make your autumn attire pop
Will this Kubo Momiji be as successful as its predecessors? Not everyone loves a deep red dial, but in the press images we received, it looks pretty cool. And it’s perfect for the season here in the Northern Hemisphere, you could say. But do you buy a watch for the season? It’s not a bad idea, to be honest, and it would add a contrasting pop to your green wax jacket and dark beige corduroy pants.
It’s (all) in the details
The case design is quite generic, but Kiwame Tokyo gave it a bit more identity by applying vertical brushing to the bezel’s flat surface. This matches the vertically brushed finish on the Breguet numerals. There are more details to discover, like the sub-seconds hand’s counterweight inspired by the roofline of the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate). This iconic location is close to Kiwame Tokyo’s home base in Asakusa. The brand also ensured the watch stays legible in low light with diamond-shaped lume plots at all 12 hour markers and lume-filled syringe hands.
Inside is Miyota’s 82S5 self-winding movement. With its 21,600vph frequency and 42-hour power reserve, this pedestrian but reliable caliber helps keep the price down.
Pre-orders start on November 17th
Kiwame Tokyo will start accepting pre-orders for the new Kubo Momiji on November 17th at 09:00 JST. This also applies to renewed pre-orders for the previous collection (Sakura, Tetsukon, and Usuki). Delivery is expected in January 2027. To manage its success, Kiwame Tokyo is allowing only one watch per person.
You can find all specifications listed below and visit the official Kiwame Tokyo website here.
What do you think of this new Kiwame Tokyo Kubo Momiji and its deep red lacquered dial? Let me know in the comments.
