The Sleeker, More Compact and More Accessible Minase Mastercraft J3 Collection

Minase is a Japanese microbrand specialising in complex watch cases with superlative handmade finishing. Based in Akita, Minase was founded in 2005 as a spin-off of Kyowa, a specialist manufacturer of watchmaking tools. Its portfolio of complex, multi-faceted, three-dimensional cases, featured in the Divido, Horizon and Windows collections, has attracted attention and appreciation beyond Japan’s borders. In a radical departure from the dramatic avant-garde profiles, profusion of sapphire crystal and large dimensions that characterise the brand, Minase adopts the time-honoured Japanese trait of minimalism. Scaled down and pared back, Minase introduces the Mastercraft J3, a compact 37mm model in a streamlined case. In a coherent move for a thoroughbred Japanese brand, Minase – for the first time in its history – equips its watch with a Japanese movement.

Although the Mastercraft J3 might be considered a “new” model, it is, in fact, a return to the brand’s roots, which began with the M1 in 2005. Designed around the concept of “ultimate simplicity”, the M1 was an integrated, ultra-thin 37mm steel model that showcased the brand’s refined case-manufacturing skills – but it was powered by quartz. Following the hybrid M2 and mechanical M3 editions, which were sold exclusively in Japan, editors at Fratello teamed up with Minase to produce the M3 “Very Peri”, “Nori” and “Shiro” editions, introducing the model to an international audience. Inspired by the tonneau-shaped case of the M3, Minase’s Mastercraft J3 refines the design further by reducing the case from 38.8mm to 37mm and the thickness from 10.8mm to 9.9 mm.

A Minase watch would never be a Minase if it didn’t bear the meticulous hand-finished touches the brand is famous for.  Although the brand calls it a cushion-shaped case, it’s closer to a helmet- or bullhead-style case with a subtle 1970s aura. The case’s swooping lines feature a brushed top and gleaming Sallaz or mirror-polished bevels. Anyone familiar with the brand knows that Sallaz polishing is an in-house speciality, achieving distortion-free mirror surfaces and sharply defined edges. The round bezel is also mirror-polished to dramatic effect. However, unlike the larger, 100m water-resistant M3, the J3’s depth rating has been reduced to 50m.

The three watches share sand-textured dials and come in white, black or beige. Once again, Minase’s mastery of metal shines through in the stepped and polished indices and hands, highlighted with luminescent inserts that glow blue in the dark. The peripheral precision track is raised and features cutout areas to accommodate the rectangular indices.