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23 May 2020, 01:39 AM | #1 |
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Kurono Tokyo Watches
Anyone here own one of these? I would love to hear your opinion on these watches.
Their latest watch "Anniversary Green: Mori" went on sale today to commemorate their 1 year anniversary I believe. It was scheduled to be a 50 piece limited edition. The release had some hiccups and a lot of people were upset because their promise of a "5 minute" hold didn't actually work. So they decided to open up orders again and allow people to purchase it again. It ended up not being a 50 piece limited edition anymore, but they offered full refunds to those unhappy with the decision. I've been following a lot of these 'small batch' releases and there's always hiccups and unhappy customers, but I'm quite impressed by the way they handled the situation. I'm not a big fan of green, but I'm likely going to pick up whatever they offer next. The 'Mori' that just released: Their previous Chronograph: Link to the Instagram where the drama unfolded: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAfjsF1nr2o/ |
23 May 2020, 01:57 AM | #2 |
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I was following this sale. I was not in love with the green face enough to compete for it. I really rather just be able to buy a watch rather than compete for a limited edition.
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23 May 2020, 04:08 AM | #3 |
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I was following the upcoming sale as well but also wasn't in love with the green dial. Clearly others were since they sold out very quickly.
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23 May 2020, 05:59 AM | #4 |
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I got the copper Reiwa, love it. A ton of watch for the money.
Slightly more detailed thoughts and some pics in this incoming thread I started. https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=736712
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23 May 2020, 06:32 AM | #5 |
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I missed the previous release with copper dial. So jumped on the ship this time and glad I did. The green dial looks very vibrant and lively.
The way they handled the situation after they failed to fulfill their 5 mins hold period is very decisive and done swiftly. I was lucky and managed to get one out of the first 50 pieces release but also was happy to see them reopening the door for their unsatisfied customers. It made me appreciate the brand and know that they care about their clients. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
23 May 2020, 07:24 AM | #6 |
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It looked like they charged a lot more on the second round. 1700 vs. 2400, roughly. Am I correct?
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23 May 2020, 09:13 AM | #7 |
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Not the right dia color for me as well, but love the design. Congrats to those who scooped one!
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23 May 2020, 09:20 AM | #8 | ||
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Quote:
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I didn't know this, but it seems unlikely that they would do this. |
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23 May 2020, 10:53 AM | #9 |
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Correct. The first go around had a less complicated dial and therefore a slightly lower price.
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23 May 2020, 11:20 AM | #10 |
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I read carefully. I am a semi-retired lawyer.
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23 May 2020, 11:23 AM | #11 |
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Kurono Tokyo Watches
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23 May 2020, 11:26 AM | #12 | |
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I’ll - hopefully it will arrive sometime this June Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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23 May 2020, 11:46 AM | #13 |
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For those who obtained one, kudos on your victory! Enjoy the watch and let us know how you like it!
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23 May 2020, 03:40 PM | #14 |
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23 May 2020, 09:28 PM | #15 |
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delete
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23 May 2020, 10:53 PM | #16 | |
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In their defense regarding the 280 watches, after the debacle they did post saying that they would be opening orders again and there would be no limit on the number of pieces that could be ordered (except the limit of one per person). They also mentioned the total number of people that had expressed interest (it was in the 1000s), so I suspected at least 200-300 new orders. Maybe they weren't clear about this with folks that had ordered the first 50, but they did mention it all over their social media prior to the second wave of orders. They did offer full refunds (and a fifty on top for the trouble ) to those in the first 50 that were not happy with this situation, so I think they handled it as best as they could. I've seen plenty of other brands do much worse in similar situations. |
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23 May 2020, 11:04 PM | #17 | |
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I can see what they were trying to do by opening it up, but in the act of trying to make amends, they made an LE a non-LE and sort of diminished the overall product. Many will disagree with me, and that's fine, but part of what made these so special to me is the fact that very few were made. edit: I don't follow social media so had no idea they were detailing any of this. Please be aware I had written them after the 5 minute cart issue directly, and when they responded it was to my e-mail, and they used my name in the response. Therefore, I thought this was an e-mail to me and only me. I had no idea during all of this that a form letter was going out to everyone. So, I believed, based on this personalized e-mail response to my e-mail that they were suggesting they had held a few back, and were opening it up to me and select others who had been caught up in the checkout issue. I had zero idea in the moment that this was a form letter opening it up to everyone to just order away. So yeah, probably a bit of this was just unique circumstances, and all of this happened in an hour so there wasn't much time to digest. Not mad at the brand or anything, just an unfortunate set of circumstances, and maybe more specifically an unfortunate set of circumstances for me. So, I will mull it over this weekend and think about the watch, and if I still want it or not. Stuff like this happens, and I do agree they have tried to mitigate the issue, but in doing so they created another issue (no longer a real LE from a micro brand).
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23 May 2020, 11:11 PM | #18 |
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If a watch is purely for one’s enjoyment, i actually dont see a difference between LE and non LE.
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23 May 2020, 11:12 PM | #19 |
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Many won't.
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24 May 2020, 02:00 AM | #20 | ||
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I'm quoting their latest Instagram post below, and it appears that only the additionally released pieces will have the altered shipping dates. Unfortunate, but still reasonable in my opinion. Either way, I hope that if and when you do get your watch, you are still able to enjoy it, because it is a beautiful watch! Quote:
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24 May 2020, 02:37 AM | #21 |
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^ i agree. still limited. And congrats to the enthusiasts who successfully ordered.
Personally, am saddened that for the three launches of kurono, i only learned about them in watch fora. When sold out already. How do you guys know beforehand? Side note: “Irregardless” reminds me of a former colleague. Oh well, clearly English is not the brand’s first language. Unlike my former colleague. |
24 May 2020, 02:52 AM | #22 | |
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You can sign up for Kurono’s email list.
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24 May 2020, 03:00 AM | #23 | |
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This is how I feel, though I do enjoy the hunt, but only for pieces that I’m actually interested and trying to find the somewhere in the world. I don’t like the shimmery, opaque, potentially sophistic world of limited additions. These kind of things demonstrate to me that they’re just about trying to hype up value, there’s nothing really limited or special or unusual. Just a marketing ploy Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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24 May 2020, 03:52 AM | #24 | |
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While being "limited" does benefit most brands, I'm not convinced that it is always a marketing ploy. I've bought hand-made guitars before and often spent a year or two waiting for them to be made just because it takes that long to do things properly as a 1-2 man operation. Similarly, I do believe that some watches just cannot be made at a scale that will satisfy everybody. And from what I've read about brands like Kurono, Ming, etc, I think they're just no capable of making watches in the thousands right now. Are they benefiting heavily from the hype? Absolutely. Was that their intention? Unclear. |
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24 May 2020, 04:36 AM | #25 | |
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That’s well said. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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24 May 2020, 10:54 AM | #26 |
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I was among the lucky ones who got the order through on the first batch and I totally support them on the decisions they have made. I don’t understand why watch enthusiasts are complaining about a limited edition not being anymore limited edition when in fact it’s below 2k watch?
If exclusivity is your taste reach out to Kari, akrivia or even vacheron for a unique piece. |
24 May 2020, 11:09 AM | #27 | |
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Congrats on getting one!
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24 May 2020, 11:44 AM | #28 | |
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Well I think it’s deeply embedded in their Japanese culture to honor their word no matter what. They promised 5mins hold period at checkout but the system failed them so they went against their market strategy and “fall on the sword” to keep clients happy. For me that raised my appreciation for the brand Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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24 May 2020, 12:25 PM | #29 | |
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This is the most ethical handling of an unfortunate circumstance I've ever seen by a watch brand. After spending 6 months trying to acquire a Rolex and having to navigate the absolute nightmare of a situation (and arguably unethical) that they have created, this kind of honesty is incredibly refreshing. Enough so that I'm certain I'll be adding a Kurono to my collection this year. I've been on the list for 3-5 micro brand releases in the last 6-8 months and more than one of them had "bugs" or "unavoidable/ unfortunate circumstances" that made a significant fraction of the potential customers unable to get what they thought they would. And each time the end results was "We're sorry for the inconvenience, but we will be restocking again in X more months". Basically a nice way of saying "Too bad". And from what I can see on Instagram / Facebook, it looks like they navigated this situation to arrive at a point where they have more happy customers than unhappy ones. So if that is the case, I think they've done well for themselves. |
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24 May 2020, 01:51 PM | #30 | |
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Further research showed me to Hajime Asaoka. And of course Kurono. Although the Tsunami somehow appeals to me, none of the three Kurono releases have sung to me. The closest that i like was the Chronograph. Anyway, to each his own and again congrats to those who were able to get one. Maybe the next would be for me. |
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asaoka , hajime , japan , kurono , tokyo |
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