Of Time, Elegant Restraint, And Harmonious Integration with Nature: The Japanese Way of Hitori

Amid the hustle and bustle of our world constantly in a flux, the Japanese remind us of the elegance found in purposeful silence. Indeed, there is something irresistible about the way this nation regards nature, craft, and beauty. Without garishly demanding attention, Japanese aesthetics embody a unique combination of simple elegance and asymmetric imperfection to espouse the transient nature of time and the understated poetry of life. 

It is within this allure of Japanese aesthetics that Hitori watchmaking finds its raison d’etre—a brand committed to fashioning timepieces with painstaking craftsmanship, purposeful designs, as well as the allure of impermanence. Indeed, each Hitori oeuvre d'artwatch beckons horological aficionados to embrace subtle beauty on the wrist and invites them to contemplate the inevitable passage of time. 

What then, lies at the crux of Hitori watchmaking?

Within the serenity of a vacant tatami room, where bespoke shoji screens scatter rays of sunlight into varying hues, one comes to realize that beauty, according to the Japanese, need not lie in garish profusion, but in the muted dignity of restraint. In short, beauty is measured, balanced, and perennial. This principle, which informs the rhythmic meters of Japanese haiku poetry to the banal black ink and meticulously coiffured white spaces of sumi-e (ink painting), is also the heartbeat of Hitori’s horological craftsmanship. 

With accurate layouts, shipshape dials, and intentional finishes. Hitori watches emanate confidence without overbearance and assertiveness without excess, making wearers never weary of them in the long haul. Each Hitori timepiece reminds its owner that beauty can reside in restrained exquisiteness instead of flamboyant ostentation. 

If restraint is one column of Japanese beauty aesthetics, imperfection, or “wabi-sabi”, is another.

“Wabi-sabi” maintains that  beauty also resides in flawed, transient, or incomplete objects. For instance, a crack in a tea bowl inundated with golden lacquer (“kintsugi”) does not blemish it, but instead harbors the conception of resilience and overcoming adversity. Likewise, the jagged edge of a handmade sheet of paper and the weathering of timber are not tarnished items, but idiosyncratic gems in their own right. 

Interestingly, watch enthusiasts and collectors can use the lens of  “wabi-sabi” to appreciate fabulous timepieces. Every watch lover is fully aware that the wholesome character of a watch simply grows with time. An erstwhile glossy watch case could see its former luster fade, while simultaneously garnering marks and nicks from regular use. Likewise, a hitherto tight watch strap could soften and crease over  time as it endears itself to its wearer’s wrist, making the timepiece more intimate and irreplaceable. 

In this light, the “wabi-sabi” spirit powers how Hitori timepieces are crafted, with their gleaming exteriors and poised mechanisms maturing gracefully as they age. Minor discolorations and dents do not lower the values of Hitori watches, but blend in with their stories, making each watch less of an ornamental asset but more of a lifelong confidant and an active companion in its owner’s life.  

Additionally, to speak of the Japanese approach towards beauty is also to speak about nature itself, for this aesthetics cannot be separated from the pulses of seasons, time, and earth.  

To the Japanese mind, nature is not something to overcome, but to live alongside with. For example, Japanese-inspired architectural designs tend towards paper screens and sliding panels to seamlessly combine exteriors with interiors. Also, a garden is not a curated design enforced on a piece of land, but a harmonious cooperation with it. The Japanese spring custom of “hanami”, or flower-viewing, when people congregate to appreciate the fleeting nature of cherry blossoms signalling the end of winter and the beginning of spring, also exemplifies this aesthetical philosophy. 

On the same note, an elegantly crafted Hitori watch attempts to achieve a delicate balance between clockwork precision and the inexorable passage of time. Royal ocean blues, verdant forest greens, and earthy retro blacks are some of the tints that breathe color into Hitori watch dials. Furthermore, every shimmer of light awakens the textures of each Hitori watch dial, mirroring how the natural elements of the earth unravel themselves amid the ephemeral theater of light, rain, and wind.  Strap selections ignite a special sort of intimacy between the wearer and the timepiece, connecting ticking time to human touch. Hitori watch wearers thus feel closely linked to  patterns and cycles beyond themselves, such as when they are gently reminded of the soft pitter-patter of falling water upon listening to the calm and reliable ticking of second-hands. 

Admittedly, Hitori’s assortment of watches, though limited in range, is replete with cultural significance, epitomizing the Japanese notion of  chōwa (harmony). 

With every dial and design emblazoned by muted sophistication, Hitori invites us to have a deeper glimpse of how one can appreciate both its handmade timepieces and the wider Japanese concept of beauty itself.

In view of Hitori’s embodiment of key elements of Japanese aesthetics, its appeal to watch collectors, the latter who are already inclined towards connoisseurship, heritage, and timeless craftsmanship, is not surprising. 

With its exquisite presence and profound depth, Hitori is a watch brand that does not simply help collectors and buyers tell the time, but fully savor the charm of time well-lived.  __

Field Notes No. 01