Kurono Tokyo announces the 2023 34mm Special Projects
Kurono Tokyo continues with the 34mm Special Projects by releasing four new colours. Compared to the first collection, the second set comes with a more subtle colour palette and a new dial layout.
The inspiration for the new collection is fashion-inspired. Hajime-sensei has noticed that social media users were enjoying mixing the previous 34mm with their clothes. For those unaware, the 2022 34mm Special Projects comes with a more colourful palette, but none of them were dark. Since the watch sold well and had a more favourable response, Hajime sensei decided to continue the model.
The new collection comes in 4 colours as follows:
- Darkmist
- Smoke
- Midnight
- Persimmon
From the online discussions I’ve seen, the Persimmon seems to be the favourite, followed by Midnight then the remaining two.
However, this release for me, in my opinion, is very similar to last year. It lacks the finesse I expect from Hajime Sensei. If you compare the webpage of the previous and current 34mm to the Grand or Classic series, the page is barer. No pictures of the case back can be found nor an explanation for the new dial layout. Though the watches are beautiful, I don’t expect this to be as big of a hit as the Toki.
These are the specs.
| Size | 34mm |
| Water resistance | 50m (5 bar) |
| Case | Stainless steel |
| Base movement | Miyota 90s5 |
| Strap | Calf leather |
| Lug width | 18mm |
| Thickness | 9.6mm |
| Power reserve | 40 hours |
| Quantity | 150 per dial variant |
The 2023 34mm will be available for purchase on Friday 10th March 2023 at 11 PM Japan Standard Time.
(GMT) London: Friday, March 10 – 2:00 pm
(EST) New York: Friday, March 10 – 9:00 am
(GST) Dubai: Friday, March 10 – 6:00 pm
(AEDT) Sydney: Saturday, March 11, 1:00 am
The watch is priced at JPY150,000 (US$1,080) excluding tax and shipping, and shipment will start at the end of March 2023. The watches will not be sold at Kurono Aoyama Salon. However, in-person registration to participate in the domestic allocation raffle is possible.
For those who are Kurono Contributors, Hajime has already set aside a number of pieces and has already emailed the expression of interest.
