Seiko Prospex Diver Scuba LOWERCASE Special Edition
Seiko's diver's watch resonates with up-and-coming architects.
Seiko is proud of its diver's watch, the Prospex Diver Scuba. In 2016, a collection produced by LOWERCASE representative Yoshikage Kajiwara was introduced as a new page in the watch's history, and it quickly gained high acclaim in the fashion industry. We are pleased to have Kei Kaiho, an up-and-coming figure in the world of Japanese architecture, talk about the appeal of this collection just in time for the release of new colors this March.
. Born in 1982. Graduated from the Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokyo . . Completed a master's degree in architecture at the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Engineering. After working at Nishizawa Dairyo Architects, established Kei Kaiho Architects in 2010. He has received numerous awards, including the Fukushima Prefecture Architectural Culture Award for Excellence. kaihoh.com
A memorable watch that I fell in love with.
. What kind of watches do you usually wear?
maritime lawI've been wearing an antique one since my late 20's, a 90 year old hand-wound one . I loved it very much, but one day it just disappeared (laughs). Now I live my life without a watch.
Do you lose it often?
maritime lawNo, no, that's not true. ...Oh, but I lost my wallet about 3 times.
You lose it (laughs). So, what was it that you fell in love with?
maritime lawI asked someone to show me how to choose an antique watch. He said to me, "First of all, you have to wind the watch around your hand. He told me, "Wrap the watch around your hand first. Then you can see if it feels right. I did as he told me and wound each of the antique watches in the lineup one by one. And it really felt right. It was as if it had always been on my left hand.
Looking at the 90-year-old watch, I wondered where the identity of the watch lies. The movement has probably been overhauled and replaced, the glass cover is replaced when it chips, and the band has been changed three or four times. But I still wonder if it's the dial. The changes that had occurred over the 90 years of its life were clearly etched on it.
The old has depth , diversity.
Is there such a thing as an admiration for old things . . This office also appears to be quite old. Moreover, it is in East Tokyo, a place that creators of a decade ago would never have chosen.
maritime law. The size of your studio affects your work. When I was looking for a suitable space, I drifted along and ended up here (laughs).
But it is indeed an architect's space.
maritime lawThe landlord was amused and was able to make minimal alterations. . We have made it a straightforward arrangement that shows the origins of the building. . I believe that necessity is required in the creation of things.
So much of your work is renovation.
maritime law. there is a historical background, but it is interesting to be creative in the face of constraints. Intelligence is required because you have to interact with the existing building .
Some old buildings are interesting in their own right . Take this office, for example. For example, this office was almost an abandoned building that was renovated and turned into a work space. This gives depth and diversity to the building as a whole. All new buildings are zero years old. . It is inevitable that they are all uniform.
. This is a study model of the design phase of the lodging facility that Mr. Kaiho is currently working on to convey the charms of the region.
. This is a model of the site, which is used for designing based on the surrounding environment.
. This model is a study model of a house for an artist who wants to use the first floor as an art classroom open to the community.
There is a functional beauty backed by tradition.
I believe that "Seiko Prospex" will meet your expectations. Seiko was the first company in Japan to produce a diver's watch. It was released in 1965 , the year after the Tokyo Olympics. This series was released 10 years later, with a model equipped with an outer body protector that later became synonymous with "Seiko Divers," and was supervised by Mr. Kajiwara (Yoshikage Kajiwara, CEO of LOWERCASE) and arranged for town use. Mr. Kajiwara (representative of LOWERCASE) supervised this model and rearranged it for town use.
Highlights include the outer case protector, the crown at 4 o'clock, and the unidirectional rotating bezel, while maintaining the specifications of yesteryear, compact sizing, and a stoic color palette.
maritime lawWhat to change and what not to change. I sympathize with the moderation. And the things that are not changed are functional beauty.
. Where do you see the functional beauty?
maritime law, for example, the protector. By daring to expose the bolts, the durability against water pressure is directly reflected in the design.
The specification of the belt is also not to be overlooked. Considering that the belt is always wet with water, it is designed to minimize contact with the skin. The void space in the back of the belt allows water to drain out easily, and the raised texture of the material (silicon) seems to have been designed to prevent the belt from sticking to the hand, considering the surface tension of water. The bellows at the base of the belt will also contribute to the water pressure (the bellows structure was developed by Seiko for the first time in the world to accommodate wrists that change in thickness due to water pressure).
The design of the dial, which enhances legibility, is also beautiful. Since there is no need for 12 numbers underwater, the dial is composed of only geometry with different details and dimensions and the minimum required numbers, bringing them together in a single world view.
LOWERCASE's representative, Yoshikage Kajiwara, who also worked as the creative director of BEAMS, has given a modern twist to the iconic model created in 1975. While retaining the outer body protector structure that has become the watch's identity, the new model is thinner, lighter, and more compact, and while it is water resistant to 200 meters, it has a modern appearance that can be worn in the city.
. as one would expect from a man with such an eye for detail.
maritime lawThe first word that comes to mind when I hear the word "SEIKO" is "honest," and I was able to feel the company's corporate culture once again. And the fashionable elements are well integrated into it. I believe that these products are truly backed by technology and tradition.
Clocks are in the world of minutes and seconds. In contrast, architecture takes several years to produce output, and decades of living await beyond that. Although the time frames may seem different, Seiko's specifications were literally developed over decades. I am now more than ever aware of this fact.
. How did you feel about the "changed" part?
maritime law. It looks so sophisticated that it does not look like a diver's watch at first glance. . The size, the coloring, and so on. I think it will not look out of place with casual or dressy outfits. I think this is an exquisite update that does not compromise the Seiko philosophy.
He also works in the fashion industry and is highly sensitive in that area.
maritime lawNo, no, give me a break, that's embarrassing (laughs). What kind of clothes do I like? ...I like clothes that are naturally comfortable and pleasant to wear, but also have playful details. As a fellow creator, I sympathize with clothes that stoically pursue a language and physicality that has never been seen before, without resorting to eccentricity. I feel a hint of this in the "Honor Gathering" collection I am wearing today.
In other words, it is a stance of boldly challenging the new without forgetting to pay homage to tradition. This is a philosophy that can be seen in both your work and Seiko's. No wonder you look so good in the portrait wearing the Prospex (laughs).
Common specifications: solar charging function / reinforced plastic outer case protector / stainless steel case / silicon strap / water resistant to 200m air / Left: STBR025 ¥45,000+TAX Middle: STBR023 ¥45,000+TAX Right: STBR021 ¥40, 000+TAX ¥40, 000+TAX
