A watch can inherit a "story".
Mr. Tanijiri owns only three carefully selected watches. One of them has a passionate episode that is typical of him.
I once gave up a watch I had forced myself to buy when I was just starting out because I was strapped for cash. But I had a nagging feeling that I had to part with it. In the end, I bought it back when my child was born, even though the price was higher than it was then. I plan to give the watch to my child someday.
It is not the watch as a material object that he paid several times the price for.
I think the most important thing is not to buy something because it is expensive or cheap, but to pay for its "story. I think watches, in particular, are the best way to pass on the "story" to the next generation.
In an age when a smartphone is all you need to know the time, why wear a wristwatch? This is where Mr. Tanijiri's deep commitment to fashion is hidden.
Shoes, bags, and watches. I think it is in these details that a person's originality and sense of "connoisseurship" are most apparent. I think it is in these details that a person's originality and sense of "connoisseurship" are most apparent. Even if the clothes change with the mood of the day, I think the watch is the deciding factor in the final fashion statement.
The watch worn for this shoot was the OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean. This latest model pays homage to the history of divers' watches and boasts professional specs of water resistance to 600 meters.
When I surf, I don't wear the watch so that it doesn't interfere with my wetsuit, but I think it's a great watch for everyday use. I hear people say it's over-spec, but if I like it, I don't hesitate to use it as much as I want.
Mr. Tanijiri's criteria for selecting watches are also based on an architect's point of view. He says that he places importance on "design," but it is not limited to the design of the watch itself.
I choose a watch as a part of the total styling of my clothes, the space I am in, and the car I drive. I choose a watch as a part of the total styling that includes these elements. For example, just as many people think about the combination with pants when choosing a top piece of clothing, there is always the element of fashion and space next to the watch. It is not about the object itself, but about its I choose watches based on the balance with the "surroundings" rather than the object itself. So, when I wear a watch, I use different watches for different outfits and TPOs...but then I end up wearing the same watch all the time (laughs).
Incidentally, the first watch he admired when he was young was an Omega Speedmaster. Since then, he has always preferred black dials.
This "Planet Ocean" also has a nice size with a black dial. With a black rubber strap like today's, it can be sporty, and with a bracelet type, it can be more formal. It has an orthodox beauty that can become my 'standard' watch."
Toward the end of the interview, when I asked him about the "nature" he places around him, he gave me a surprising answer: "Stones.
Whenever I find a stone of good shape in my travels, I bring it home." Stones don't seem to have any worldly value, but they do. It's important that they have a story for me."
The beauty of stone formations carved by nature over many years. It is also the ideal that architects spend a lifetime pursuing.
There are not many opportunities to encounter architecture that is imbued with the beauty of nature. That is why I want to be moved by what I have created. I feel like I have been searching for the answer to that question for a long time.
