In a zeitgeist where vintage proportions and daily-wear dress watch styles are at the peak of popularity, there is a huge amount to love about the Kuoe Kyoto Royal Smith 90-006. The latest, colourful collection from the Japanese brand, which was founded by Kenji Uchimura after experiencing the joy of London’s myriad vintage watch shops as a student in Britain. It’s that experience that informs the 1940s-1970s styling of their collections, including the Royal Smith.
The recent revamp of the collection introduced six new colours to the range for this gorgeously svelte 35mm x 10mm steel watch. Those colours are Dusty Pink, Pink, Blue, Green, Black and Ivory. In front of me I have a selection of three of those, the Pink, Blue and Ivory. Of the trio, the blue immediately captures my attention.
It’s a lovely sky blue tone with a matte finish that makes it feel gentler and a touch more muted compared to vibrant ice blue trend of three-four years ago. The matte finish comes as part and parcel of the waffle texture with its cross-hatched texture. Up close you can admire its rigid and precise linework but at a distance it blends together somewhat to create a faux-linen dial impression that is also quite attractive. In fact, it makes me really want to see an authentic linen version.
Quickly touching on the other two versions I have here: the pink is an interesting colour as it too has quite a muted matte tone. It’s a lot subtler than the hot pink you might picture when you think of the colour, instead reminding me much more of a nude lipstick or nail gloss. It’s a shade that doesn’t see a whole lot of use in the watch industry but that works particularly well as a ladies’ watch. Third is the Ivory which is the most traditional dress watch style and as part of that is equipped with gold coloured numerals.
The numerals themselves are actually one of the key updates for this new Royal Smith 90-006, swapping from facetted indices to Breguet Arabic numerals. Breguet numerals were developed by Louis Breguet specifically for use on watch displays. The curvy, round shapes are intentionally shaped to make them easy and pleasant to read in a circular motion of the eyes. Whereas most typography is linear, designed to be read on a single line as you are reading right now. The hour markers are paired with a minute track around the peripheral edge.
Unbuckling the clasp of the three-link steel bracelet and turning the watch over reveals an exhibition caseback. It displays the inner workings of the Miyota Cal. 9039 automatic movement with Kuoe branded rotor. It’s a classic Japanese workhorse calibre that’s reputed for its slim proportions, which is what enables the 10mm thickness of the case. It features a standard 42-hour power reserve rating.
Priced at £720, the Kuoe Kyoto Royal Smith 90-006 offers a sleek, vintage inspired dress watch at a solid value that means you can be confident in wearing them every day. While at such a petite size, they likely won’t be for everyone, they’re perfectly aligned with the current zeitgeist. Almost like a Japanese alternative to the popular Baltic MR01 series.
Price and Specs:
More details at KUOE.
