We recently took a look at the Kuoe Kyoto Old Smith 90-002, a Japanese take on classical field watch design. Another watch in the same family is the Old Smith 90-007, which takes some of the same concepts but presents it in a softer, civilian design with a small seconds display. It’s a fun and accessible daily wear dress watch.
The refined features of the 90-007 begin with the case. The lugs are a lot thinner and delicate and the crown has been moved from 3 to 4 o’clock, so it’s much less prominent in the silhouette. It’s also only available at 35mm, the same size as the petite edition of the 90-002. As I mentioned in that original article, 35mm is very small even with the modern revival of vintage proportions.
However, I find it much more appealing on this dress watch interpretation as the delicacy enhances the overall appearance of the piece. Plus, the shape of the case is bit different to the 35mm 90-002 as it has a polished bezel that looks much more elegant than the exposed glass of the military model.
The real luxe element that sells the dress watch vibe though is the dial. It’s sunray brushed in emerald green with silver Breguet numerals and a golden coloured railway minute track. There’s also a snailed small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. The overall impression is decidedly Art Deco, like a jewel worn by a 1920s flapper. The delicate feuille hands help to sell that impression too.
Undoing the calf leather strap to turn the watch over reveals an exhibition caseback. Through it you can see the Miyota Cal.82S5, which has a 42-hour power reserve. It’s actually Miyota’s open heart calibre but Kuoe have opted to keep a closed dial – the benefit of using it being that it has a higher level of finishing as it’s meant to be seen. Meaning that through the caseback window you can see the combination of striped and brushed finishing as well as a frosted edge to the skeletonised rotor.
My personal style leans more heavily in favour of the 90-002 but the Kuoe Kyoto Old Smith 90-007 is a handsome watch in its own right. The dressy style makes it feel very distinct despite being part of the same family of watches. At £530, there’s a lot to like about it, especially that intense green colour.
Price and Specs:
Model:
Kuoe
Old Smith 90-007
Ref:
90-007
Case:
35mm
diameter x 12mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial:
Classic
leaf hands, small seconds subdial, vintage-style layout
Water resistance:
50m
(5 bar)
Movement:
Miyota
calibre 82S5, automatic
Frequency:
21,600
vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve:
42h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds
Strap:
Leather
Price:
£535
More details at Kuoe.
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