The Otsuka Lotec № 7.5, a Japanese Artisanal Watch in a Class of its Own

Jiro Katayama, a car designer turned self-taught, independent watchmaker from Japan, is quickly gaining popularity with his brand, Otsuka Lotec. Despite the brand’s limited distribution – exclusively within Japan – enthusiasts worldwide are drawn to Katayama’s craftsmanship and industrial-meets-steampunk watch aesthetic. Travelling to Japan to secure one of his coveted timepieces, be it the retrograde time display № 6 or the fish-eyed jumping hour № 7.5 – or for whatever other reason – should be an exciting idea and an adventure. With a small production capacity of just 200 watches per year, obtaining an Otsuka Lotec watch requires patience, luck and some logistical finesse. Prospective buyers (usually via a raffle) must secure a local address for delivery (achievable) and have a credit card issued by a Japanese bank (more challenging). Yet, these hurdles haven’t dissuaded Katayama’s fans.

While global distribution remains a plan, we were fortunate to obtain the almost unobtainable Otsuka Lotec Model № 7.5, and we’re excited to share our thoughts on this piece.

My fascination with Japanese culture runs deep, initially sparked in childhood by the anime world of the Super Robot Mazinger Z, made from the fictional Super Alloy Z. That early excitement (for reasons other than manga comics) has only grown over the years, fueled by visits to Japan and appreciation for the country’s approach to watchmaking. Although I haven’t met Jiro Katayama in person, I’ve developed an admiration for him and his work through interviews and stories that create an image of a charismatic, humble craftsman. He is the image of a proper artisan working on manually controlled machines in an atelier that’s more of a garage than a clinical Swiss manufacturer. I can even smell oil and heated metal when imagining being there, talking (or trying) to him. It might be a bit of a romanticised image, but that’s the feeling I have. 

Officially, the Otsuka Lotec Model № 7.5 design is inspired by vintage 3-lens turret 8mm cameras, yet it reminds me of a Halter Barnes Antiqua, which I consider one of the most significant watch designs of the last 30 years. In many ways, the № 7.5 feels like a tribute to this important piece, whether intentional or not – the camera connection feels more appropriate, maybe, just like the Model 6 was inspired by analogue gauges. Considering all the above, I have to say that I’m captivated by the Otsuka Lotec № 7.5, and I hope you will be too.

The Otsuka Lotec № 7.5 was first introduced in 2021, followed by the updated and improved version in 2023, and it is the latest one we have here. The new № 7.5 features a pleasantly rounded 40mm case, crafted from 316L stainless steel, with 20mm wire lugs and a distinctive knurled crown at 4 o’clock, which looks like the top of a precision screwdriver watchmakers are known to use. The case has a wide, circular-brushed sloping edge with its curve flowing inward to meet the display caseback. As an improvement of the earlier edition, which used mineral and acrylic glass, the new № 7.5 features sapphire crystal displays front and back. 

The case’s top – the dial-side surface – has a sandblasted finish, with the raised, spilt, liquid-like shaped, circular-brushed section framing the three camera lens-like windows. These lenses, an integral part of № 7.5 design, while certainly adding some thickness to the watch (the case without them is 11.2mm thick and 14.8mm when included), do not make it seem unproportionate or unwearable; quite the contrary, thanks to the rounded shapes.

Within this asymmetric layout, on the left, the aperture with the custom-made fisheye lens displays the jumping hour, and to the right, the largest of the three windows is used to read the minutes off the marked rotating disc via a cam-shaped indicator fixed with a screw. The lower lens, with the Otsuka Lotec engraved around it, shows a small part of the running seconds disc. Once you get used to it, the watch becomes as legible as any other with an unconventional time display – well, as long as you look at it straight and not from an angle. 

Turn the watch over to see the Miyota 82S5 automatic movement, operating at 21,600 vibrations/hour and with a 40-hour power reserve capability. The in-house developed (during six months) jumping hour module with the hour and minutes discs overlapping we cannot see, but the Otsuka Lotec website has a video to show how it works – and where you’ll be able to hear the very sharp and audible click of the mechanism (quite satisfying…). The module is produced by the watchmakers from Precision Watch Tokyo, a company owned by Hajime Asaoka alongside Kurono Tokyo and Takano, with Jiro Katayama’s oversight. The two had met in 2022 when one of Asaoka’s employees purchased an Otsuka Lotec timepiece, and Katayama cooperated with Asaoka, who lent equipment and watchmakers since then.

Now that Otsuka Lotec Model № 6 has been frequently showcased in industry news and the brand has got attention on dedicated websites (and has been selected by the GPHG), it is reasonable to expect that Jiro Katayama will speed up the process of setting up worldwide shipping, and agree to sell to non-Japanese customers, should production capacities allow an increase of output. I would rather he does not and keep things the way they are. A great part of an Otsuka Lotec timepiece allure is the feeling of Katayama’s hands-on, personal involvement that goes into each and every one of his watches, his dedication to improvements – and his low profile. Having had the chance to experience the watches, I believe Otsuka Lotec could thrive, remaining small and still be an interesting, if not great, watchmaking brand.

The Otsuka Lotec Model № 7.5 is available exclusively for Japanese residents and, as such, has this classic, appealing JDM factor to it. But that makes it hard for non-Japanese collectors to get it. If you manage to find your way around, it’ll cost you JPY 352,000, or about EUR 2,120 (at the time of publication). For more details, please visit otsuka-lotec.com.