Rarity: TAKUMiSM Shinshu TEC0100W – No. 145 of 150 – built by Japanese master watchmakers – practically unobtainable in Europe

There are watches that cannot be bought in Europe because they were never sold here. TAKUMiSM is one such case – and this is, as far as we can tell, one of the very few that has ever made it to Germany.

The watch is limited to 150 pieces. It bears its number on the case back: 145/150. And it doesn't come from a brand, but from a guild of craftsmen: TAKUMiSM was designed, built, and each piece individually hand-regulated by Japanese master watchmakers.

What TAKUMiSM is

In June 2004, under then-Governor Yasuo Tanaka, Nagano Prefecture established its own examination for watchmakers: the Shinshū Takumi no Tokei Shūriishi, the "Master Watchmaker of Shinshu". The training course started at the Seiko-Epson factory in Shiojiri – right in the heart of Japan's watchmaking region. In sixteen years, around 280 people acquired the qualification. It is divided into three levels; only the first level qualifies for what hardly anyone in the modern watch industry still fully masters: dismantling, reassembling, and regulating from a single source.

TAKUMiSM emerged from this community. Watchmakers, who otherwise repair, designed a watch themselves – expressly as a device that can be serviced and passed down through generations. The movement comes from Seiko Instruments Inc.; each watch is individually tested for its rate values by a first-level master.

The result is a watch rarely seen in Europe. TAKUMiSM is distributed in small, numbered series and largely regionally; the models of the Shinshu series are released in editions of 100 to 200 pieces.

This specimen

Reference TEC0100W, number 145 of 150. The case back bears, in addition to the signature, the mountain silhouette that represents the series – Shinshu is the historical name of the region where the Japanese Alps are located – as well as the designation SHINSHU JAPAN MADE.

The dial features a fine, continuous champagne checkered structure, on which applied, polished stick indices are placed. At 12 o'clock is the signature, below it the designation as an automatic; the date window is at 6 o'clock. The structure catches the light in two axes and makes the dial shimmer between light and deep – significantly more elaborate than what is usually produced on this scale.

Technically, the watch is modernly equipped: sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, solid stainless steel case with polished and brushed alternation, plus the original stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp. With a diameter of 40.5 mm, 47 mm lug-to-lug, and a height of 11.2 mm, it has a full-fledged, contemporary presence; 141 grams give it the weight expected of a steel watch with a solid bracelet.

Why this watch is not available here

TAKUMiSM is not exported. Sales are handled through Japanese specialist stores, often regionally limited, in numbered editions of 100 to 200 pieces per series. There is no European dealer, no importer, no website with shipping to Germany. If you want one, you have to find it in Japan – and compete there with Japanese collectors who know the brand.

In Japan, these models of this brand sometimes cost well over 1,000 Euros and are almost impossible to find used, and if so, not with too much of a discount from the original price. Added to this are local procurement, export, import sales tax, and the complete overhaul that we had carried out before the sale. What you see here is the result of this chain – and to our knowledge, one of the very few examples in Europe at all.

For collectors, this means two things. First: The probability of encountering this watch a second time at a European collector's meeting is close to zero. Second: Anyone who misses it now may have to wait a long time before the next offer comes along.

Overhauled

The watch was fully and professionally overhauled in Japan at the beginning of 2026 – disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and newly regulated. It will therefore arrive ready to wear and not as a project.

Condition

Small signs of wear on the case and band, as expected with a used watch. Sapphire crystal and dial are flawless. 

Technical Data

• Brand: TAKUMiSM
• Model: Shinshu, Ref. TEC0100W
• Limitation: No. 145 of 150
• Movement: Automatic
• Glass: Sapphire crystal
• Crown: screw-down
• Case material: Stainless steel
• Diameter without crown: 40.5 mm
• Lug-to-Lug: 47 mm
• Height: 11.2 mm
• Lug width: 18 mm
• Weight incl. bracelet: 141 g
• Service: complete overhaul in Japan, early 2026
• Bracelet: original stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp
• Origin: Shinshu (Nagano), Japan

For whom?

For collectors who look beyond the big brands and want a watch that no one else in Europe has on their wrist. For all who appreciate numbered small series and know the difference between a limited edition and artificial scarcity – here, the number of watchmakers limits, not the marketing. And for buyers looking for a modern, robust automatic in 40.5 mm with a story that can be told in one sentence.

Warranty (used)

This is a used item. The statute of limitations for claims for defects (statutory warranty) is 12 months from delivery.

Note

Since this is a used watch, no water resistance can be guaranteed despite the screw-down crown. To protect the movement, the watch should not come into contact with water or moisture.