It seems like more and more, we’re uncovering new gems from the land of the Rising Sun. There seems to be a real surge in exciting independent watchmaking with an eye for tradition, craftsmanship and creativity in Japan, and we are loving it! Brands like Otsuka Lotec, Kurono Tokyo and Quiet Club are just a few examples. Individuals like Norifume Seki, Gaku Okada and others are reshaping the perspective of Japanese artisanal watchmaking watch by watch. And yet, we find new names regularly, including today’s topic: Masa & Co. But we learn this is not some freshly graduated student brimming with ideas and creativity, but rather a very seasoned watch repair and restoration atelier that has developed its own mechanical movement and puts it in watches produced in low volumes. Here’s the story of Masa & Co., a name to be remembered.
The Masa & Co Nagi
Robin, MONOCHROME Watches – Nakajima-San, you have been working in watches for many years now. How did you get into watches and watchmaking?
In the early to mid-1980s, I worked as a professional scuba diver in the Philippines, Indonesia, and ultimately on the U.S. West Coast. During that time, I met a Japanese vintage‑watch buyer, which sparked my interest in antique timepieces. When I returned to Japan in 1990, I founded what eventually became Masa’s Pastime, initially under the name “Masa’s Junkyard.” At first, the store carried antique goods, including watches, but over time, the number of watch customers increased, and it gradually shifted to become a speciality shop for antique watches.
The Masa & Co Shokoku
The Masa & Co Shike
Back then, the watches I acquired—mostly from the U.S.—were sent to a local, older watchmaker for repair. However, many of the timepieces wouldn’t be properly fixed, and I found myself dealing with a mounting pile of customer complaints and returns. Frustrated and almost out of desperation, I began doing repairs myself around 1995, and I never looked back.
You do a lot within your company, from buying, restoring and selling vintage watches to making bespoke new watches with in-house movements. Can you explain to us the various activities within the company?
Actually, we do not make fully bespoke watches with our in-house movement MP1 at this very moment. Our original series watches featuring the MP1, however, are limited to three models: Nagi, Shike, and Sohkoku.
Until around 2000, our main business centred on the sale and repair of vintage and antique watches. After that period, we began creating custom wrist watches using antique pocket watch movements, and we made a lot of bespoke pieces. However, regarding these custom watches, we ceased accepting new orders approximately two years ago when we launched our original watches equipped with our own MP1 calibre.
In 2013, you started with the dream of producing your own movement. What made you pursue this dream?
“A person dies twice. Once when the body perishes, and again when no one speaks their name anymore.” I heard this once from one of my clients. “If you make your own watch, with your name engraved on it, even after you’re gone, people will still speak your name.” That idea resonated heavily with me and has stayed with me ever since. It’s why I do what I do.
What were the biggest challenges to overcome?
Focusing the entire operation on producing an original movement would have disrupted our income from watch repairs and sales. Whenever our funds run low, we must halt production and return to our regular business operations. Then, as soon as a modest financial cushion is available, we resume manufacturing. Thus, progress was slow and often frustrating.
It became a reality in 2024 when you launched the MP1. Can you tell us about the watch and its design inspiration?
From decades of experience restoring antique watches, I believe that the MP1’s movement design naturally follows the classic form of vintage Swiss calibres, almost unconsciously echoing their essential structure. In restoring countless movements, we absorbed their design language deeply.
However, motivated by my own conceptual preference, I intentionally diverged in one aesthetic element: rather than having the back plate evenly cover the remaining main plate space, I desired a deliberately unbalanced negative space. To achieve this, I worked closely with our design engineers, presenting my hand‑drawn sketches that emphasised this tension, and refined the layout collaboratively through multiple iterations.
Can you share some details about the movement and its finishing?
The barrel has a ‘Stop-work’ device that regulates the watch to run for approximately 32 hours. All the back plates are hand bevelled, and all the steel parts, including screw heads, are mirror polished. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th wheels are ‘gold train’ made of 10 carat gold, all hand bevelled, while the escape wheel and the pallet are made of hardened and tempered steel, also bevelled and hand polished.
The balance is made of beryllium copper with 6 timing screws and 3 K18 mass lots, and the free-sprung overcoiled hairspring is of palladium alloy. All the components are exclusively made at our workshop except for the mainspring, hairspring material, and rubies, which are imported from Switzerland and Germany. It would make little financial sense for us to do those in-house, too.
The movement is now used in the Nagi, Shike and Sohkoku watches. What can you tell us about that?
The in‑house calibre MP1 is used across all models in Masa & Co.’s MP series and is expected to continue serving as the movement of choice over the long term. However, the finishing of the movement varies slightly by model. For example, both Nagi and Shike feature Côtes de Genève striped finishing, while Sohkoku is distinguished by a frosted (matte) finish with hand‑engraved hemp‑leaf motifs on the balance cock.
Browsing the website, I also see the name of Nayuta Shinohara. As I understand it, he works for you but also makes watches under his own brand?
Within our brand, Masa & Co., we operate two entirely separate watch lineups: The MP Series, which is directly overseen and produced by me. The Nayuta lineup was designed under the supervision of our watchmaker, Nayuta Shinohara, and collaboratively manufactured with other members of our team. These two collections are completely independent—they share no parts whatsoever, and each embodies its distinct design philosophy and craftsmanship.
What can we expect from you looking towards the future? Any ideas you’re working on at the moment?
Our two watch lineups—the MP Series and the Nayuta models—will continue to be manufactured in their current form for the foreseeable future. However, we are making gradual progress on new models featuring entirely different movements. We anticipate unveiling these designs sometime next year, so that’s something to look forward to.
If people want to get in touch or discuss a potential bespoke watch, how can they connect?
Unfortunately, we are not currently accepting new orders for fully bespoke (custom-made) watches. For any future updates or inquiries, people can use the contact form on our official website to get in touch and ask questions, where we will provide the latest information and availability.
People can also check out our Instagram account or our website, MasaPastime.com.
https://monochrome-watches.com/portrait-masa-and-co-nagi-shike-sohkoku-mp1-masa-nakajima-independent-watchmaking-tokyo-japan/
AloJapan.com