Kuronogate: Can Limited Edition Watches Really Be Accessible?

Let me start off by saying I am a big fan of the Kurono Brand and Hajime Asoaka design language. I am thrilled to have been one of the first 50 Mori buyers and am eager to keep this beautiful watch in my collection. I am also happy those who wanted the watch, and had missed out initially, had a 2nd opportunity to buy it which increased the run of the “anniversary limited edition” by almost six times the quantity of the original plan. This is bittersweet though because although I am happy for everyone who got the watch in the 2nd batch, there have never been 2nd batches before and what was initially an exciting hunt with an intimate victory became a tad spoiled.

When Apple releases a new device each year, consumers everywhere set their alarms or stay awake for the exact moment one is able to start buying the latest and greatest. Even though these devices are by no means limited editions (unless U2 & Apple team up to take over the world’s headphones again) people still rush to be in the first batch. There is something about the hunt, the anticipation to be able to engage with a product one is passionate about. Being the early adopter. Like steel sports Rolex, AirPods once upon a time sold for 2x retail on eBay as Apple had to wait on their manufacturer to supply more. Where a company like Apple differs from a watch company like Rolex is that when demand exceeds supply, Apple will rush to meet that demand. As long as one has the money to afford the device, they will eventually get it. It is effectively accessible luxury technology.

The Mori would be my first go at trying to secure one of Kurono’s coveted limited pieces. The second they asked us to create an account to purchase, I did so weeks before the release. On the day before the release, I set my alarm 40 minutes before the Mori’s launch. I opted to use my phone, over LTE because when on Wi-Fi I have an adblocker running that Kurono claimed could interfere with the checkout process. When the time came to order I did not hesitate. I believe it had said 7 or 27 had been sold by the time I got to the page, I was moving that quickly, so I didn’t stop to analyze. My order confirm was in my inbox by 9:30 (within a minute of orders opening with hundreds or thousands doing the same thing). Apple and Google pay gives the edge end of story. Even Kurono states it is the best way to pay. I Literally completed it in less than a minute. That’s what it takes. A rush of excitement came over me, I finally had a Kurono watch and in a dial colour I desperately wanted for my collection: green. It was the perfect blend of accessible collectable. I went to Instagram to share my victory to find Kurono’s Instagram facing an onslaught of angry commenters voicing their dissatisfaction with the five-minute cart reservation system. Kurono had pledged certain technologies to ensure all watches went to deserving owners.

  1. Customers must have a valid account to purchase
  2. They will actively monitor resale and auction platforms. They reserve the right to invalidate and refund successful orders by known traders, or any account with suspicious behaviour.
  3. Each customer can only checkout 1 item. The system will only reserve the watch during the checkout process (for 5 minutes after you click checkout to allow time to fill in information). Just leaving the item in your cart, or leaving the checkout screen will not trigger this reservation time. If your transaction (e.g. card processing) takes longer than 5 minutes, the reservation will be released, and the timer reset. Ad-blockers, cookie blockers, and some VPN configurations may disrupt the checkout reservation function.

Kurono, being very transparent, owned up to the technology failure and introduced the 2nd batch as a remedy for this issue. I knew at that moment regardless of the final quantity I had zero intention to part with the watch, but I do try to buy watches that hold their value in case I ever needed to part with them. With Kurono watches being rare, they certainly have had their value hold and I believe even in a larger quantity the Mori will be no different.

Listen to the Scottish Watches Podcast here

Again, I’m happy more people get to experience the watch as well, but in the long run what does it ultimately rectify. The checkout cart glitch is a scapegoat for the larger issue. Kurono in these quantities is only accessible in price, making these creations even riper for flipping (which in their defence they try to prevent). If hundreds or thousands of people get rejected each run there will always be complaints or threats to disavow the brand, and the watches themselves will never truly be accessible. The harsh truth is Kurono’s consumers love that fact. This can be seen in an email sent from Kurono themselves. “Based on a recent survey we conducted with you, many of you have indicated a preference to keep production numbers low, with 82.5% preferring numbers below 300 examples, out of which half (40%) are asking for numbers not more than 100.” This showcases a consumer desire for a rare and limited watch which is anything but accessible. The only thing the cart reservation system functionality may have changed is which 50 people ended up with the watch. It by no means makes it more accessible. It seems to create a hypocritical consumer in that we want numbers to be low so long as one ends up in our hands. The other odd reality in the name of accessibility, is that the Kurono team agrees with this sentiment. The email continues, “Your wishes are in line with Kurono. There is a real physical limit as to how many pieces we can produce – especially so in Japan – because quite a lot of handwork and man-hours still go into making a Kurono even at this price point. More importantly, there is a balance between quantity and quality, and we cannot compromise on quality.” While I appreciate the sentiment of maintaining the highest quality at the lowest price point, it does seem a tad ironic that these accessibly priced watches are harder to own than most steel sports watches today.

To be clear, I understand larger runs require larger financing, but within minutes the Mori lineup was increased by practically six times the original plan so there is clearly a runway to work with. The brand has stated this will delay future releases but is this such a bad thing? As an accessible watch brand, whose mission is everyone being able to have a timepiece with Hajime Asoaka’s DNA, should it not dedicate its time to fulfilling that demand before moving onto the next creation. It seems the current system is designed more to meet the needs of the designer’s creative outlet rather than the accessibility of the product. The brand itself has in part a foundation built on rarity at the end of the day it will one day need to shed. Kurono at least owns up to this fact, looking to replace the current “first come – first serve” policy currently in effect. I would argue based on Kurono’s belief of accessibility, that the Mori was arguably the first watch release done the right way. A window of subscription. There needs to be some self-awareness that one’s brand is not accessible if only 50 are produced and are effectively harder to get than a 114060 ultimately making it ripe for the grey market. At least with Ming, when a run sells out there is the potential for more batches. The harsh reality is if the 50 piece runs stay but anniversary pieces are ten-minute window runs, the most produced model is effectively only accessible ten minutes a year with the rest being a race to click submit that will always offend those who have to take the loss in getting the watch. If anything, the releases up until the anniversary edition should have been ten-minute (or longer) window pieces, with the Mori as an anniversary piece in limited quantities. The last important thing to note is that when offered a full refund + $50, very few people seized the opportunity hopefully signalling the majority of buyers are not running to chrono24 upon receipt of the watch in June.

Ultimately the question remains, can something be truly accessible in limited quantities?

By Zach Blass – @w3tchtow3r

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *