大塚ローテック

TOPICS
近江時計学校講演

MODELS

Index

Inspiration

私が作る大塚ローテックの腕時計は、さまざまなモノが持つ雰囲気、フォルム、ディテール、質感からインスピレーションが沸きあがり、そのモノを触ったり見たり対話するなかで色々なデザインのヒントを得ています。

樹脂で一体成型されたモノより、鉄板や鋳物を加工してネジで組み立てられたモノの存在感。タッチパネル上の操作より、グリグリとツマミを回しレバーを倒して操作するようなアナログ感。金属の持つ無骨で強靭な重量感がヒトの道具や用途のために必然的にできあがる単純であたたかいフォルム感。
そんな感覚が自分のものづくりの源泉になっているように思います。

私という人間は、スマートで最先端なものよりも、少し昔のモノの出で立ちの懐かしさや、ひとりのエンジニアが手掛けた作り手の個性や人柄がにじみ出る設計やデザインに惹かれてしまうようです。

そしてなによりも、私はそんな自分自身が欲しい腕時計をデザインしています。

片山次朗
“The atmosphere, form, details, and textures of various” objects:モノ(mono), which I touch, gaze at, and interact with, serve as the inspiration for my Otsuka Lotec watch.I get various design hints from touching, looking at, and interacting with this モノ.

The presence of モノ that has been processed from a steel plate or cast metal and assembled with screws, rather than Mono, which is integrally molded from resin. An analog sensation rather than cutting-edge activity on a touch panel, like twisting a knob or pulling down a lever.The simple and warm structure that metal’s robust weight inevitably imparts to human tools and purposes.

These senses make up the foundation of my craftsmanship. As a human being, I seem to be more drawn to the nostalgic charm of somewhat antiquated objects and the designs that are the work of a single engineer and embody the personality and character of the designer rather than cutting-edge high-end objects.

Above all, I design watches that I would like to wear and own.”

- Jiro Katayama

About Jiro KATAYAMA

カッコいいクルマに憧れ、デザイン学校を卒業後は自動車デザインの仕事に就く。その後プロダクトデザイナーとして独立し、乗り物やヘルメット、家電製品などのデザインに携わる。

そんな中、たまたまネットオークションで卓上旋盤を手に入れ、見様見真似で金属加工を始める。思いのほか楽しくなってきたが、自宅台所に置いてある旋盤でクルマは作れない。
「そうだ、腕時計のケースを作ってみようかな。」と、時計作りを始めたのが2008年頃、30代半ばであった。

時計は道具でありながらも身に着けて使う事ができることが楽しく、置いてあるだけでも嬉しいことを発見。
このころから自然と腕時計にもクルマと同じような魅力を感じるようになっていった。

日々プロダクトデザイナーという本業をこなす傍ら、黙々と機械加工の本を読み始める。
そして世界の独立時計師の素晴らしい作品を見つけては、その部品、機構、工具、手法などを独自に調べ真似し始め、いくつかの腕時計を完成させる。

2012年にはその販売を始めるまでになり、今に至る。
Katayama started working in the automotive industry after graduating from design school, and since then he has always enjoyed and admired cool cars. Later, he established himself as a freelance product designer and created cars, helmets, and household devices.

One day, he happened to purchase a bench lathe machine through an online auction and immediately began working with metal to see what could be accomplished.
As he grew into the process and started to enjoy it, he soon came to the conclusion that he couldn’t produce a car on the small lathe he had in his kitchen. The thought, “Yes! Let’s try making a watch case.” came to mind at that point. Therefore kick starting his watchmaking journey around 2008 when he was in his mid-thirties.

A watch served as more than just a tool for telling time. Wearing them, in Katayama’s opinion, was delightful, and he also discovered that he could be content just by setting them on a table and gazing at them. He naturally began to feel the same attraction toward watches that he felt toward cars.

From then on, he began to read books on machining enthusiastically while continuing to work daily at his principal profession as a product designer. Subsequently, after doing his own research and imitating their components, mechanisms, tools, and techniques, he discovered the exquisite watch designs created by independent watchmakers around the world. He then completed a number of watches. For Katayama, it was such a thrilling period that he even began selling such watches in 2012.Since then, he has continued to be enthralled with the fascinating watchmaking industry.