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Kurono Tokyo is pleased to announce the release of its 2026 anniversary timepiece, the Special Projects Malachite ‘孔雀石’. This release is a personal study by Hajime Asaoka, exploring the expressive beauty of natural stone within the Kurono Tokyo design language. Special Projects Malachite ‘孔雀石’ will be available worldwide on the official website on Thursday, May 28, 2026, over two sessions starting at 11:00 AM and 11:00 PM JST.
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"The idea of using natural stones for watch dials has a long history. While its beauty is a pure reflection of nature itself, when crafting this watch, I did not want to simply use a raw fragment as is. Instead, I wanted to imbue it with my own perspective as a watchmaker. In short, my goal with this timepiece was to draw out the innate beauty of the natural stone even further while simultaneously adding the distinct character of Kurono Tokyo.” ~ Hajime Asaoka.
The Architecture of the Dial
To achieve Kurono’s signature convex (bombe) dial, Hajime Asaoka combined a natural malachite center with a brass outer section. This periphery is finished with a hand-mixed rokusho (verdigris) green pigment. Sharing the same material roots as the stone, the pigment creates a perfect aesthetic harmony.
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"The design features malachite in the center, surrounded by a brass outer section to form a convex dial. I believe there is almost no precedent for this technique, likely due to its extreme technical difficulty. Now, malachite is a type of copper ore, and its rich green color is the result of copper oxidation. As a green pigment derived from copper oxide, verdigris (rokusho) has been known since antiquity. It has been cherished as a pigment in traditional Japanese painting for over a thousand years, and I always keep a supply of it on hand in my atelier.
In particular, copper oxide dissolved in oil is known as copper resinate; it possesses a deep, translucent green hue and has been used as a pigment in oil painting since the Renaissance.
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When creating the prototype this time, I produced copper resinate from verdigris to determine the exact color of the dial's outer periphery. Because it shares the exact same material roots as the green of the malachite, it resulted in the perfect harmony I had envisioned.
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Every piece of malachite possesses its own unique pattern. Because some individual stones are not necessarily attractive, I personally inspect every single piece and select only the finest ones. The mark stamped on the dial serves as proof of this rigorous selection.”
Ordering Details
An online general sale will be held in two windows—starting at 11:00 AM and 11:00 PM (JST) on May 28th—and because this is an anniversary watch all orders placed within each time window will be accepted. Ahead of the online launch, in-store previews and preorders will be available starting May 20th at the Kurono Tokyo salons in Aoyama and Shanghai, open to both domestic and international customers.
A Masterclass in Patient Production
Turning malachite into a watch dial is a feat of extreme technical difficulty. Unlike most stone dials cut from massive slabs, malachite is cut from nodular clusters that must be X-rayed to find the 'eye' before a single cut is made. Because the stone is prone to fracturing, only 2 out of 10 dials survive the slicing process to make it to final selection.
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Beyond the technical challenge, Hajime Asaoka personally inspects every piece to ensure only the most attractive patterns are used. Dials meeting his rigorous standards bear his personal vermillion seal—a mark of his final approval.
Kujaku-ishi: 孔雀石
Malachite—known in Japan as Kujaku-ishi (Peacock Stone)—is named for its resemblance to the peacock’s eye-like plumage. Traditionally worn to sharpen insight and guard one's journey, the stone exhibits a silken chatoyancy, shifting between deep forest shadows and vibrant emerald light.
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Malachite serves as a 'lithic recording'; each band on the dial represents a specific period of seismic water flow and mineral concentration across tens of thousands of years.
Kanji Zodiac Indices
The indices feature the Etō (the twelve signs of the Kanji Zodiac), traditionally used in East Asia to denote both time and cardinal direction.
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By integrating this ancient temporal system into a modern timepiece, the watch achieves a distinctive legibility and aesthetic that diverges from conventional Arabic or baton markers.
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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Model 2026 Special Projects 37mm Malachite '孔雀石'
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Reference: CM026B
Case
Material: Stainless steel (316L, high-polished)
Diameter: 37mm
Thickness: 7mm (including crystal: 11.5 mm)
Glass: Sapphire box crystal
Water-resistant to 30 meters
Dial
Malachite dial
Hand-drawn Breguet hour markers
Hajime’s own seal in red at 6 o'clock
Movement
MIYOTA 90S5
Automatic movement
Number of jewels: 24
Frequency: 4 Hz, 28,800 vph
Power reserve of approx. 40 hours
Functions
Hours, minutes, seconds
Strap
Calf leather strap
Lug width: 20 mm (16 mm at buckle)
🔰Limited Strictly ✅1 watch per customer. Limited production and will not be repeated.
Wednesday, May 20 - Thursday, May 28, 2026
🇯🇵Made in Japan
🔴 Price USD 1'850 excluding VAT/Duties 💰
Price without taxes - baseline tariffs of 15% for US exports
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Press Release - 2026
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