Crossroads of numerous different timelines TOKYO TIME

Unique moments in photographs from the heart of contemporary Tokyo

Photographed by Josh Olins

Crossroads of numerous different timelines

SHINJUKU/SBGA211

일본의 미적 감각과 장인 정신
전통과 혁신의 미학은 오늘날 전 세계에서 시간이 흐름에 따라 여전히 이어지고 있습니다.

일본의 전문성과 미적 감각을 상징하는 걸작 건축물들,
도쿄의 감성적인 도시 풍경은 사람들의 삶과 다양한 감정을 투영합니다.

미니멀리즘과 기능적인 아름다움. 감동과 우아함.
옛날부터 미래까지, 도쿄의 시간을 새겨갑니다.

그랜드세이코의 미학과 공명을 이루는 세계적인 사진작가 조쉬 올린스는 현대 도쿄의 이미지를 담아냅니다.

*****

차가운 바람이 불고 건조한 공기가 완연한 눈 덮인 산의 표면을 지나며 만들어진 섬세한 무늬
SBGA211은 바로 그 눈 덮인 표면을 떠올리게 합니다.
화려한 유흥가로 유명한 신주쿠.
서로 다른 제각각의 시간선이 교차하는 지점인 신주쿠에서, SBGA211의 섬세한 반짝임은 우아하면서도 자연스럽습니다.

LOCATION

Shinjuku Skyscrapers & the Golden-Gai Area

  • the Golden-Gai Area

    The Kabuki-cho district on the east side of Shinjuku Station contains alleyways rich in images preserved through the years.This area is known as the Shinjuku Golden-Gai District. Packed into this narrow passage, with tall buildings standing on either side, are some 280 small bars, projecting iconic images of the unique Shinjuku ambiance.

    Golden-Gai, retaining the nostalgic air of the Showa Era, comprises a series of wooden row-houses extending along a narrow stretch. The district emerged as a black market after the end of World War II. In later years, writers, actors of the screen and stage, and other cultural figures gathered here at drinking establishments to imbibe and discuss the world until the wee hours of morning, with this underground scene steadily coming to earn interest and attention.

    Today, Golden-Gai attracts overseas tourists entranced by images of the district taken by famed photographer Daido Moriyama and other sources. They are joined by long-standing regulars who continue to loyally patronize their favorite bars and taverns from years back.

  • Shinjuku Skyscrapers

    The skyscraper district on the west side of Shinjuku Station calls to mind the film Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola. This movie tells the tale of the encounter and parting of middle-aged Hollywood actor Bob and young American woman Charlotte, who has accompanied her photographer husband on a business trip to Tokyo. Among the areas appearing in the scenes is West Shinjuku, featuring images of the skyscraper district with buildings towering some 200 meters overhead. The impersonal, inorganic sensation of the area, heightened by a palpable absence of large numbers of office workers and others inside the buildings, stands in sharp contrast with the rich human touches that characterize the Golden-Gai neighborhood of the Kabuki-cho quarter.This difference also provides a certain touch that distinguishes the uniqueness of Shinjuku from other urban areas.

    The Heritage Collection SBGA211 has a dial that conveys the image of delicate snow. The fusion of cutting-edge technology and craftsmanship in this watch’s Spring Drive movement reflects a connection between seemingly contrasting elements, just like Shinjuku.

    Text by Taka Kawachi

The SBGA211 is assembled in the Shinshu Watch Studio in Nagano Prefecture. This location basks in a spectacular view of the Hotaka mountain range, known for being blanketed with snow several months each year. The snowy surface, typically bathed in cool, dry breezes, emerges with delicate patterns generated by the wind. At the studio, exceptional craftsmanship is mobilized to fashion beautiful watch dials through the creation of silver plating that conveys the fine essence of the wind patterns generated on the nearby snow surface. The blued steel seconds hand, standing out on the pure white dial, glides with the original Spring Drive sweep motion, powerfully evoking the clear image of the unbroken flow of time.

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