Revolutionising Wristwear Design: Enter Kurono’s Diver’s Watch with its Unique Dual-Case Approach

Hajime Asaoka’s Kurono has disrupted traditional watch design with the launch of a diving watch featuring an innovative dual-case mechanism. Modeling inspiration from the Omega Speedmaster Alaska Project, the Kurono Diver’s watch utilises an interior traditional case and a detachable outer one to elevate its water resistance capability.

Unlike the Omega model which uses the dual-case system for thermal protection, Kurono’s design highlights the removable outer case’s role in preventing water from seeping into the watch. A close-up reveals that the interior case offers water resistance of up to 50 meters. Once encased in the protective exterior cover, though, this rating leaps to an impressive 100 meters.

The automatic Miyota caliber 90S5 movement, featuring 24 jewels and a 40-hour power reserve, powers the timepiece. Although not a chronometer level, it is reliable and suits its purpose as a professional tool.

Aside from its impressive water resistance features, the timepiece also boasts a first for Kurono - a 35 x 35mm cushion-shaped case. Upon installation of the exterior case, the watch’s dimensions increase to 46mm in diameter, 13.5mm thick, and 56.7mm lug-to-lug, making it the largest case created by Kurono so far.

This timepiece stands out further with its blued steel hands designed in a rare cathedral style. The bezel functions as a rotating lid, which can be effortlessly unscrewed counter-clockwise using a dedicated opener and offers a unidirectional rotation mechanism for tracking elapsed time.

Crafted from Extra Super Duralumin, the bezel is coated with a deep red hue, optimized for contrast against white-engraved indices in underwater conditions. The Kurono Diver’s watch cases are made of stainless steel, produced entirely in Japan, and retails at $3,105 in the US.