GPHG Index
2024 Edition · Otsuka Lotec

No.6

Prize winner
Otsuka Lotec No.6
Category
Challenge
Case
Steel
Movement
Self-winding mechanical Power reserve: 40 h, 28800 vph
Functions
Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date, Retrograde Hours, Retrograde Minutes
Size
ø 42.6 mm
Thickness
11.8 mm
Water resistance
50 m
Reference
P06
Price
2,260 CHF

Description

OTSUKA LOTEC is a Japanese watch brand founded by the independent watchmaker Jiro Katayama. The No.6, renewed in 2024, is inspired by an analog meter with a Japanese-fan-shaped display. The retrograde hour and minute hands are superimposed on each other and rotate on a single axis. It is equipped with a Japanese MIYOTA movement with an additional module designed and manufactured in-house, including the retrograde hour and minute hands, seconds disk in the center, and date display on the right. The characters on the dial signify the following meanings from left to right; “Made by OTSUKA LOTEC”, “No.6 Mechanical, “Toshima, Tokyo” and “Water-Resistant”.

The No.6 was designed by Jiro Katayama. The hour and minute hands are housed in the lower part of the Japanese-fan-shaped glass (at the bottom of the dial) to reduce the thickness of the watch. The dial is screwed onto the movement to ensure the dial and bezel are aligned at the same height. The edges of the hands and the screw heads of the bezel and dial are carefully beveled. In the assembly of No.6, the retrograde hour and minute hands are placed on the same axis, therefore, the hour and minute hands should return to 0 at the same time when the hands reach 12:00. The return timing difference between the hour and minute hands is controlled to within 60 seconds, and to achieve this, the cam of the hour hand is carefully adjusted with screws. In this way, the angle of the hour hand is precisely adjusted down to 0.1 degrees.

Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.