Hajime Asaoka Introduces the Kurono Tokyo Special Projects Malachite ‘孔雀石’

While self-taught watchmaker Hajime Asaoka’s handmade timepieces command six figures at auction, collectors take comfort in knowing that the AHCI member also produces comparatively accessible four-figure watches under Kurono Tokyo.

Though Kurono employs industrially produced Japanese movements, its elaborately layered dials and finely executed cases are meticulously crafted, all bearing Asaoka’s unmistakable Art Deco design language.

Today, the brand unveiled the Kurono Tokyo Special Projects Malachite ‘孔雀石’: a 37mm steel dress watch measuring just 7mm thick, powered by a Miyota 90S5 calibre with a 40-hour power reserve. Yet, in quintessential Kurono fashion, the specifications are secondary to the dial itself—a convex verdant composition that immediately commands attention.

“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,” says Asaoka.

Turning 61 in June, Asaoka celebrates his birthday every year by debuting a new creation. This year, that honor goes to the Kurono Tokyo Special Projects Malachite ‘孔雀石’.

“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.”

Known in Japan as kujaku-ishi (“peacock stone”), malachite has long been associated with wisdom and safe journeys. Its hypnotic layers of green are effectively geological recordings of mineral concentration and subterranean water flow formed over tens of thousands of years.

These layers converge into nodular formations that must first be identified via X-ray before the stones are sliced apart. Only two out of every ten malachite stones survive the process without fracturing. Of those that make it, only the wafers meeting Asaoka’s standards receive his personal vermillion seal.

Asaoka pairs the malachite center with a brass peripheral ring coated in hand-mixed rokusho (verdigris) pigment—a historic copper-derived green associated with traditional Japanese painting and Renaissance art alike.

“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, 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.”

The dial is further accented by Etō (Kanji Zodiac) numerals—historically used to denote both time and cardinal direction—alongside 20mm lugs, a domed crown, and a calf leather strap.

On May 28^th, 2026, the Kurono Tokyo Special Projects Malachite ‘孔雀石’ will go on sale in two online windows at 11am and 11pm Japan time. Prospective buyers, however, should be prepared for fierce competition: previous Kurono releases sold out almost instantaneously upon launch.

In-store previews and pre-orders will also begin on May 20^th, at the Kurono Tokyo salons in Aoyama and Shanghai, with both domestic and international customers eligible.

Priced at US$1,850, the Kurono Tokyo Special Projects Malachite ‘孔雀石’ remains aligned with the brand’s broader pricing strategy and is strictly limited to one watch per customer. Deliveries are expected to commence around the end of June 2026.