Why is “Uma” (the Horse) at the Top of the Dial? More Than Just Japanese Style—A True “Love for History” Found Only in the Authentic

The “Zodiac Watch” that Captivated an Ultra-Luxury Swiss Brand. Our “Ultimate Japanese Modern” and “Love for Edo Culture” Poured into the Dial.

Are you familiar with the legendary Swiss luxury watch brand, BOVET?
Founded in 1822 and beloved by emperors of the Qing Dynasty and European nobility, it is a brand that elevated watchmaking to the realm of art.

In 2014, BOVET released a Japan-exclusive watch featuring “Kanji Zodiac indices,” which became a massive topic of conversation among watch enthusiasts.
The price was an astonishing 1.5 million yen (limited to 30 pieces). This fact tells us that the Japanese concept of “expressing time using the Zodiac (the 12 earthly branches)” possesses a “universal and artistic value” capable of captivating a top Swiss brand with centuries of history.

However, past ultra-luxury Zodiac watches and inexpensive souvenir watches aimed at overseas markets had two major flaws.

First, “excessive decoration.” With dragon engravings and overly flashy dials, they were difficult to pair with modern business attire or mature fashion.
Second, a “lack of cultural understanding.” Most were nothing more than superficial “Japanese-style cosplay,” merely replacing the numbers “1, 2…” with the Zodiac characters “Ne (Rat), Ushi (Ox)…” in sequential order.

NextIdea’s Japanese Zodiac Watch fundamentally overturns both of these issues.

First, we applied the traditional Japanese “aesthetics of subtraction” to the design.
Beautiful Zodiac typography stretches elegantly across pure white and jet-black dials. We utilized sapphire glass, a hallmark of luxury watches, for the crystal, and solid stainless steel (SUS316) for the case. This minimalist form, stripped of all unnecessary elements, blends perfectly with a suit.

Above all, our greatest dedication was to a “deep love and respect for Japanese history.”
To revive the concept of the futeiji-ho (temporal hour system) actually used by people in the Edo period, we meticulously placed “Uma” (the Horse) at the very top of the dial (the 12 o’clock position). Just as the Japanese word for noon, “Shogo,” literally means “the middle of the hour of the Horse,” identifying the time when the sun is highest in the sky as “Uma” reflects authentic Japanese history.

There is an overwhelming difference in “love” and “proof of authenticity” between a watch that merely replaces numbers with Kanji, and one that recreates the very concept of Edo time on your wrist.

So that anyone can enjoy the “leisurely flow of Edo time” in their daily life without spending millions of yen, we set the price at an accessible range of around 20,000 yen.

An overwhelmingly sophisticated design and story that blends into a mature lifestyle—something neither a 1.5 million yen ultra-luxury watch nor an ordinary smartwatch can imitate. We invite you to experience this “ultimate Japanese modern” on your own wrist.

For details and to purchase the Japanese Zodiac Watch, click here:
https://www.makuake.com/project/japanesezodiacwatch/