Founded by a Japanese transplant to Switzerland, Aigaki is making its debut with the impressive Direct-Impulse Tourbillon. Though relatively youthful, brand founder Takahiko Aigaki is a watchmaker of the old school who developed the watch and then makes almost all of it by hand.
Produced almost entirely in Takahiko Aigaki’s own home-workshop with hand-operated tools, the Tourbillon is characterised by its hand-engraved silver dial and a finely-finished movement combining unique architecture with a proprietary escapement.
Initial thoughts
I’ve been following Aigaki on Instagram for several months, having become intrigued by the unusual in-line architecture of the movement, and its symmetrical direct-impulse escapement. Initially, only the movement components were shown, but even this sneak peak was enough to pique my interest. Now that the watch has been unveiled, I feel like it was worth the wait.
The Tourbillon is a compact, 37 mm timepiece with a clean aesthetic and domed crystal that lends it something of a vintage feel. On its face, the appearance is simple, but the watch instantly conveys the sensation of a finely-crafted object, especially when you turn it over.
But even on the front, the details of the dial give away the fact that it is hand-made. Interestingly, there is no ink or paint used on the dial. All of the dial markings and elements are hand-engraved using traditional tools; the brand name is engraved with a hand-operated pantograph.
The Tourbillon is very much a “sleeper” in that the real magic is on the inside. Despite the small case, the movement architecture is open and airy, with much of the gear train concealed underneath the dial.
This leaves ample space for a large tourbillon carriage and a jewelled mainspring barrel with an integrated, grand sonnerie-style winding click. As a result, the movement has a novel appearance on the back, with the moving parts arranged in an elevated position over a base plate that is almost entirely flat.
But it is not just the construction that is unusual. The large tourbillon carriage contains double escape wheels, underlining the technical accomplishment within the movement.
A closer look at the movement also reveals its artisanal nature. All of the parts of the movement, from the slender arms of the tourbillon cock to the springs of the winding click, possess a refined, elegant form that is typically only possible with manual production and hand finishing.
Pricing has not been disclosed, but the unique hand-made nature of the watch makes comparative judgements largely irrelevant. That said, the aesthetic and technical charm of the movement alone are likely to resonate with enough collectors to absorb Aigaki’s limited capacity.
The tourbillon on its maker’s wrist
Hand made
Born in Kumamoto, Japan, Mr. Aigaki began working for Richemont’s Japanese service centre in 2007 after graduating from a local watchmaking school. In 2013, he moved to Switzerland to work for Voutilainen, where he gained experience with the nuances of the brand’s direct-impulse escapement.
In 2023, he set up his own workshop, located in the apartment he shares with his wife outside Geneva, and began the process of making watches under his own name, with the first delivery slated for early 2025.
The 42-year-old Mr. Aigaki in his workshop. Image – Aigaki
Mr. Aigaki rigorously adheres to traditional watchmaking, and relies on hand-operated tools for almost the entire watch. This includes manual milling, filing, and a pantograph to engrave the dial.
In fact, his wife mentioned that he has to perform some watchmaking tasks in the kitchen, because the workshop doesn’t have enough space.
Gear cutting. Image – Aigaki
Milling. Image – Aigaki
Filing the balance wheel. Image – Aigaki
Engraving the dial. Image – Aigaki
The movement
Mr. Aigaki is passionate about old-school chronometry, which is immediately apparent when viewing his direct-impulse tourbillon movement. Visually, the movement is defined by a large barrel and a 15 mm tourbillon cage housing a balance beating at a traditional 18,000 bph, just like the great chronometers of the mid-twentieth century; Mr. Aigaki cites the legendary Zenith cal. 135 as a particular inspiration.
Naturally, the movement diameter is 30 mm, the maximum diameter allowed for the wristwatch category at the historical Geneva and Neuchâtel observatory competitions. This respect for the past also explains the palette of materials, which are eminently traditional, including frosted German silver for the movement plates and bridges.
The origins of the movement can be traced back to Mr. Aigaki’s time working for Voutilainen, where he was tasked with adjusting the cal. 28 for chronometer certification. The cal. 28 features Voutilainen’s own variation of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s ill-fated échappement naturel, with two escape wheels geared together, providing direct impulse to the balance in both directions.
The adjustment of this escapement proved to be quite different from the process of adjusting a traditional lever escapement, but Mr. Aigaki developed a process for getting good results. Based on this experience, he developed his own twist on the design, with a symmetrical layout within a tourbillon.
In theory, this layout reduces the inertia of the escapement. Instead of being geared together, each escape wheel is independently driven by concentric, fixed rings that together constitute the fourth wheel.
Visually, the movement is light and airy, despite the massive tourbillon. This was achieved, in part, by concealing most of the going train between the mainplate and the dial, a trick no doubt inspired by the hidden driving wheels of the Voutilainen cal. 28.
The large mainspring barrel features an integrated grand sonnerie-style winding click, mounted co-axially atop the barrel. This adds to the complex appearance of the movement, despite the relatively minimalist construction.
The steelwork of the winding click, along with the slender steel bridge for the tourbillon, are exceptionally well finished, with crisp internal angles and gleaming anglage. The fineness of the steelwork also illustrates the hand-made nature of the parts.
The presentation
The Tourbillon features a compact 37 mm steel case, made in-house and simple in form. It features a stepped bezel and domed crystal, along with a flat case middle. Together these elements bring to mind 1950s and 1960s chronometer wristwatches, which was Mr. Aigaki’s intention.
The multi-part dial is made of silver, with steel hands and applied indices. Like the case, the dial has a vintage feel with a sector-like design and crosshairs. But compared to the movement, the dial is arguably too plain. The brand name engraved under 12 o’clock also feels out of place against the mid-century aesthetic with its contemporary font.
That said, there’s no arguing with the craftsmanship, which is exemplary. The dial is made of frosted silver, and does without any kind of ink or paint. Instead, the minute track and crosshairs, and even the logo itself, are engraved using manually operated tools.
Even the simplest elements of the dial are made by hand and finished to a high level. The facetted dial markers are made of black polished carbon steel, as are the hands which are further heat-blued.
The small seconds dial is a separate disk, decorated with guilloche executed by hand with a straight-line engine. This is the only aspect of the dial that is highly decorative, but it still complements the simple overall aesthetic.
These design choices give the watch a stark monochrome appearance, with only the blued hands providing contrast. Legibility is thus excellent, but at first glance the dial feels too simple.
But the dial comes alive when viewed at an angle, since the multi-part construction of the dial provides surprising depth, while the frosting gives it a noticeable texture.
Closing thoughts
Though unassuming in appearance, the Aigaki Direct-Impulse Tourbillon is an impressive debut that vaults the fledgling brand into rarified company. Few watchmakers have both the technical ability to devise a proprietary escapement, and the artisanship to bring it to life. Mr. Aigaki has managed to pull it off. He will only make a handful of these, but his future work will certainly be worth paying attention to.
Key facts and price
Aigaki Direct-Impulse Tourbillon
Diameter: 37 mm
Height: Not disclosed
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: Not disclosed
Movement: Direct-Impulse Tourbillon
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and tourbillon
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 48 hours
Strap: Leather strap with pin buckle
Limited edition: Three pieces
Availability: Direct from Aigaki, with delivery starting in spring 2025
Price: Upon request
For more, visit Aigaki on Instagram.
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