Some say the worthiest fashion investment; some call it obsolete. Mobile phones may rarely be too out of reach and perfectly functional for time-checking, but the wrist watch has stood the test of time. Whereas designer watches to date more often than not have allied with old school bling, a new wave of designers have emerged and ruthlessly stripped down the wrist timepiece to the bare minimum.
Freed from shiny metals, even numbers and hour marks, Nejicommu’s watch design is a case in point. Based in Paris and Tokyo, the Japanese-born label sports limited edition watches with strong attention to conscious detail. From sewing the straps to fitting hands with the movement, founder Sayuri Fujii makes the watches by hand in their entirety in-between her two studios.
Adding to the simple, energy-saving machinery Fujii operates, the vegetable-tanned leathers used for the straps are locally sourced in Japan and recyclable without the need for toxins or excessive energy. Possibly coloured by the thriving minimalist era for jewellery, we are happy to see watch brands like Nejicommu taking the considered route to keep up with the times.

Image borrowed from Nejicommu.

Brand to watch is our regular dispatch of standout upcoming labels merging ethics with aesthetics.