• Men's Watches

Minase Horizon Watch Review: From Drill Bits to Diamond-Like Polish

Looking for Something Fresh in Japanese Watches?

I’m sure a lot of us are very familiar with Japanese watch brands out there, like Seiko, Casio, and Citizen, to name a few, but maybe you’re looking for something fresh with that traditional Japanese spirit behind the brand like I am. Well, today may be your lucky day as we take a look into the Horizon from Minase.

 

How I Discovered Minase

Let’s get started with this Minase Horizon Watch review. Now I first found out about this brand doing a little bit of research on what brands were going to be at this year’s Wind-Up Watch Fair, and I noticed aside from Seiko, there was really only one Japanese watch manufacturer that was going to be there, and that was Minase.

So I thought I’d see what it is they have to offer, and to my surprise, I was a lot more intrigued with the brand than I thought I would be.

One of the watches that I thought I would really like was the Divido, and that was the original watch that I really wanted to look at at the time.

However, after seeing all their watches, the watch that really caught my eye was the Horizon, specifically the midsize Horizon.

I’m super fortunate that they sent me this watch to review, and I’m super excited to share it with you all. But before we take a look at the watch, let’s get to know this brand a little bit better.

The Story Behind Minase

Now, interesting enough, this brand didn’t start off as a watch manufacturer – they actually manufactured cutting tools and precision drills in the 60s.

It wasn’t until later on that it caught the attention of watch manufacturers to develop a drill that can create a crown hole, and since that day forth, the brand has been known for its step drill, and that’s what’s seen on Minase’s logo, paying homage to their roots.

Now, I love brands that really pay homage to their roots, and even though they’re a somewhat young brand, I can always appreciate a good story behind the logo.

From Tool Maker to Watch Manufacturer

Eventually, the brand became known for making cases as well for pretty large watch manufacturers, so later on, their brand figured, “Hey, why don’t we just make our own watches?”

So they did in 2005 under the name Minase, and it wasn’t really until 2011 with their HI-Z series, which features these complex designs and structures along with their signature Sallaz polishing, which we’ll get into a little bit later.

First Impressions: That Floating Dial Though

I love these origin stories because when you have the watch in your hand, you can really see their heritage as a precision tool maker throughout the entire watch.

The first thing that really stuck out to me when I first laid my hands on the watch was that watch dial.

If you look at it closely, it’s actually a case-in-case design, so that dial is actually floating in the middle of that case.

If you look at the four corners, you can actually see through the watch case, which I think is a lovely detail.

That Incredible Polishing

The second thing that really struck me once I had it on the wrist and I gave it a quick wrist roll – the contrast between the polished and brushed parts of the watch case was absolutely stunning. It’s super dynamic out in the light with an almost diamond-like quality to it.

With each subtle turn of your wrist, there seems to be a reflection that always catches your eye, and I think this partly has to do with the Sallaz polishing that is on this watch.

The Art of Sallaz Polishing

Now, Sallaz polishing is basically Zaratsu polishing – yes, Zaratsu, the same polishing technique that Grand Seiko uses.

And now a quick thing I learned – Zaratsu actually derived from the German word Sallaz, phonetically pronounced as “Zarats” in German, so you can expect the polished bits on this as a mirror-like finish with unprecedented shine to it.

Design Elements That Stand Out

Minase named this the Horizon because of its large dome sapphire crystal on it, which represents the horizon. Now, to me, I didn’t get the initial impression at first.

After wearing it on the wrist for a little while, the dimensions almost remind me of Cartier Santos, and it probably has to do maybe with that tonneau style case and dimensions, and also partly because of its industrial design as well with the exposed screws, and you can see the screws throughout the case and also on its bracelet.

The Bracelet: A Work of Art

Now, I think one of my favorite qualities of the watch is actually the bracelet itself.

The bracelet almost reminds me a little bit of an AP Royal Oak with its brushed and accented polished bevels and also some hint of the brutalist hues from the ProPilot 400, which I’m also a big fan of.

If you look closely at the watch, it looks like every piece is modular, and everything fits right into place, almost like Lego pieces.

A Unique Take on the Date Window

Another interesting design detail that I haven’t seen before on the watch is its date window design.

Lined up, you can see the current date, previous and subsequent dates, and at first, I wasn’t sure why they chose to do this.

Honestly, I’m still not sure why they chose to do this, but I read somewhere online that the purpose of this is if you have a hand or two covering the three o’clock, you’re still able to figure out what current date you’re on.

I’m not sure if I’m a fan of it, but I grew to like it over time, and it doesn’t really bother me.

Living with the Horizon

At the Wind-Up Watch Fair, I had the opportunity to try on the full-size Horizon, but the proportions of the mid-size spoke to me a lot better, even for my seven-and-a-half-inch wrist.

After wearing this watch on my wrist for a solid week now, I notice that every time I look down at the Horizon, there’s always something new I discover.

Whether it’s its long dome crystal and how it plays with the light, its diamond-like glimmer in the light from its Sallaz polishing, or just the edges on the watch that I’ve rediscovered—it’s always just a pleasure to look down at the Minase.

This watch is undeniably sharp, but not to the touch, of course. It’s a very refined sharpness that you find on very high-end watches out there.

Overall, this watch is striking and super comfortable to wear, and it’s what you expect from a tonneau-style case like this.

The Only Downside

This wouldn’t be an honest Minase Horizon Watch review if we didn’t look at some cons. Luckily, there’s only one and I had to nitpick at the watch to find it.

There’s only one thing that I really dislike about this watch. The bracelet itself is absolutely brilliant, and it’s finished to a very high level.

However, the only thing that’s lacking on the bracelet itself is the clasp. Maybe it’s just I’m so used to the clasps on my Rolexes, but the clasp on here isn’t really as refined.

Sometimes, I find myself putting it on my wrist and snapping it and finding it not closing, and it’s a little alarming sometimes, especially when you have faith that you did close it all the way, and it just pops open.

It’s a little scary. After living with the watch for a couple of weeks now, it’s something that I always have to be careful with when strapping on this watch.

Watch This Review

Final Thoughts

Overall, this watch is absolutely stunning, and I’m a little sad that I have to give it back and part ways with this watch unless I purchase one myself. My favorite part is definitely its case and bracelet design and how it just plays with the lights so beautifully in the sun.

Thank you all for reading my Minase Horizon Watch review. Well, my name is Chris from Clicky Bezel, and we’ll see you on the next one.