Entirely handcrafted by Japanese artist Towa Takaya with natural pigments, each dial captures subtle variations of colour, depth and light inspired by the natural world. Yusai dials evolve continuously, revealing new reflections and nuances with every movement of the wrist.
Framed by Minase’s signature Sallaz-polished cases, these exceptional creations embody Minase’s vision: bringing together Japanese craftsmanship and contemporary watchmaking.
The name Yusai combines two Japanese characters : “Yu”, the gentle flow of time, and “Sai”, the rich, ever-changing nature of colour. Together, they express the essence of the Yusai collection: dials that come alive with light, transforming as their surroundings change.
Born in Tokyo, Towa Takaya is recognised for creating artworks that reveal the hidden colours of nature. Her creative process begins long before the painting itself. Natural materials are carefully collected and transformed into pigments. With Yusai dials, Towa Takaya aims at translating Japan’s landscapes and seasons into miniature works of art designed to accompany the passing of time.
Inspired by the harmony of Japanese gardens. In Japan, windows are not only a practical way to bring light inside a room, they often offer a view on something beautiful outside like a garden, a mountain or a tree. This collection is a poetic aperture between the inner and outer world, where craftsmanship and nature flows as one.
Mother-of-pearl enhanced by an intricate layering of pigments. The surface shifts depending on the light, at times suggesting the soft radiance of a nebula (clouds of gas and dust in outer space) and at others, the serenity of a snowy landscape reflecting sunlights. A refined composition that invites contemplation.
Layers of blue pigments designed to evoke a feeling of suspension and weightlessness. The Seven Windows was the perfect model for this design with its ingenious case-in-case structure and three-dimensional indexes. Indeed, the dial seems to hover in space within the case.
Yusai dials are not created with industrial pigments but with natural materials gathered during the artis Takaya’s travels, including soil, plants and other organic elements. Layer after layer, these pigments are applied by hand to create delicate gradations, remarkable depth and living surfaces that cannot be reproduced mechanically. Each dial is therefore unique, carrying the subtle variations that only handcrafted work can achieve.
