DESCRIPTION
Ōtsuka Lōtec
Ōtsuka Lōtec is an independent Japanese watch brand founded in Tokyo by designer and watchmaker Jiro Katayama. Inspired by analogue instruments and industrial machinery, its watches combine sculptural steel cases with unconventional displays and a distinctly mechanical character.
Before entering watchmaking, Katayama worked in automotive and product design. His journey into watches began around 2008, after purchasing a small bench lathe at an online auction. What started as an experiment in metalworking gradually developed into a watchmaking practice, with his first pieces offered for sale in 2012.
Katayama finds inspiration in the construction, textures and movements of everyday objects. Exposed screws, rotating discs and instrument-style scales give his watches a tactile quality, reflecting his appreciation for objects shaped by their function.
Each model pairs a Japanese Miyota automatic movement with a proprietary display module developed by Ōtsuka Lōtec. These modules define the collection, bringing jumping hours, double retrograde indications and satellite time displays to life.
For collectors, Ōtsuka Lōtec offers a distinctive expression of independent Japanese watchmaking: inventive mechanics, a coherent design language and the unmistakable personality of its creator.
Ōtsuka Lōtec № 6
The Ōtsuka Lōtec № 6 translates the appearance of an analogue measuring instrument into a distinctive mechanical wristwatch. Its fan-shaped display, coaxial hands and exposed screws give it the purposeful character of a precision industrial gauge.
Hours and minutes are indicated by a double retrograde mechanism. Both hands travel along an arc before instantly returning to the beginning of their respective scales. The minute hand completes this movement every hour, while the hour hand returns every twelve hours. A rotating seconds disc occupies the centre of the display, with a date indication positioned to its right.
This unconventional layout is driven by Ōtsuka Lōtec’s proprietary retrograde module, fitted to a Miyota 9015 automatic movement. With approximately 40 hours of power reserve, it combines an established Japanese base calibre with Jiro Katayama’s individual approach to mechanical display.
The straight-grained 316L stainless steel case measures 42.6 mm in diameter and 11.8 mm thick. A fan-shaped sapphire crystal follows the outline of the display, reinforcing the instrument-inspired design, while a transparent caseback reveals the automatic movement.
Awarded the Challenge Watch Prize at the 2024 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the № 6 captures the distinctive appeal of Ōtsuka Lōtec: expressive engineering, engaging mechanics and an immediately recognisable identity.
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