Most high-end watchmakers train for years. Jiro Katayama? He just Googled it.
No, really. He was designing cars and appliances when he randomly bought a lathe and decided to make watch parts. Then he just kept going. Five years later, he sold his first watch. Now his brand, Otsuka Lotec, is making some of the most unique timepieces in Japan.
Why we love this brand:
* It’s like wearing a piece of industrial art. The designs look like vintage machinery - old cine cameras, steam gauges, and mechanical dials.
* It reinvents how time is displayed. No boring round dials here. Think jumping hours, retrograde hands, and rotating satellites.
* It’s rare. Only 180-200 pieces a year, and only sold in Japan. Finding one outside is like tracking down an early Bitcoin wallet.
Jiro’s passion for mechanics is next-level, and he talks about it in this great video: YOUTUBE LINK
Best,
Ben
P.S. If you ever come across one of these in the wild, just know - you’re more likely to see a unicorn than someone else wearing one.