There is a phenomenon probably unique to horology which you are definitely familiar with: you have been looking down at a type of watch for a long time thinking it will never interest you. But one day you came across a particular specimen which you found to be pretty compelling. So you picked it up, studied it from all angles and under different lighting conditions. You analyzed its specifications and its unique design elements. And you reached the conclusion which follows: I didn’t think I would ever be into this genre of watches but now I know I am. I just needed to find the right one. (Very much like finding one’s soulmate.) This is a phenomenon I’ve experienced quite a few times in the past few  years. First about chronographs which I couldn’t care less about until I came across a couple of specimens which indeed were quite compelling. Then there were dress watches which interested me even less than chronographs, which I finally got smitten by through a few good examples as well. 

And it is thanks to micro and independent brands that I became moved by these types of watches as none of what I saw in the mainstream media ever made me want to click on an article to educate myself about them. To me, and perhaps to you as well, what the giants of our niche world of horology come up with in general (and what well-established online magazines mainly focus their attention on) has a soporific effect on me. Akin to watching a 3-hour long silent movie or reading the 500-page user manual of a microwave. Therefore it is a shame to not feel the drive to delve into a new category of watches simply because we didn’t know where to look. Upon seeing the first images of the watch we’re about to discuss, and upon opening the box and seeing it up close and in the metal, I realized that vintage and classical horology could be my thing too. Enter the new Kuoe Royal Smith 90-012, a century-old looking elegant mechanical chronograph, a type of watch I never thought I would type so many words about. 

Spoiler alert: it looks as if it came from way back when but it is certainly made in the now. 

Specifications 

By saying twice already that the Kuoe 90-012 is a century-old watch I didn’t mean to lure you into thinking that it is old. Of course not. But I simply intended to weave a context around this new collection and its hyper vintage looks which the brand nevertheless paired with very modern technology. (I don’t do pure vintage watches.) And this is the first point of interest of the Royal Smith 90-012 as it is one of the most old-timey looking timepieces I’ve ever looked at, with design roots probably spanning the early 20th century through to the mid 1960s or perhaps not, as Kuoe here created something rather special: when sporting the Royal Smith I have his intimate feeling of wearing the first ever wrist-worn mechanical chronograph which I know wasn’t a Kuoe because it was either a Longines or Omega in 1913 and that the Japanese brand has only been around since 2010. But the latter has a knack for digging deep into the most classical of watch designs and adapting (refreshing) them to make sense in the 21st century.  

What Kuoe does very well besides designing watches is to subtly equip them with modern tech so that their ultra-classic timekeeping devices can handle everyday life and some more. For example, a domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective and anti-fingerprint coatings so that the wearer can have a clear view of the gorgeous dial beneath at all times. A 6.7mm screw-down crown equipped with sharp knurling for easy operation, paired to a screw-down case-back for a great 50 meters of water resistance which is the same depth rating as that famous Swiss chronograph that went to the moon—just sayin’. Moreover, a bicompax mechanical chronograph with a 30-minute totalizer, the TMI (Seiko) caliber NE68A which beats at 4Hz, comes with 45 hours of power reserve, and a stated accuracy of -15/+25 seconds per day. All of this is excellent already and it gets better: either a flat-link or 5-link steel bracelet with tool-less micro adjustment mechanisms plus a German made leather strap all of which will set you back $1,780 USD excluding taxes. 

As you can tell, there is a lot to feel compelled by already just looking at the technical details of the Royal Smith. 

Design

Now begins the fun part: dissecting the design of the 90-012 starting with its center piece, the dial. Kuoe has used Breguet style numerals before as it doesn’t get any more classic than those, which it paired with a multi-level and multi-finished dial. There are quite a few other brands that come to mind which have used the same numerals but paired with them with rather simple dial layouts as if the hour markers should have told a full story all on their own. Not quite. When one uses Breguet numerals in 2025 it ought to marry them with other tidbits of classical design elements which both connect the watch to the past—and to all of watchmaking’s history—and firmly sets it in the brand’s contemporary aesthetic ethos. For example, Kuoe paired the mirror-polished numerals with a fine sandy textured surface (called Grainé) which creates a clash of styles but which makes it possible for the numerals to stand out more. On a polished surface the numerals would have visually disappeared which would have been a damn shame. 

On their inside, the Breguet numerals are flanked by a polished ring of metal which separates them from the central vertically brushed section where we find the brand’s wordmark above the pinion and model name and specifics below it. We do indeed find ourselves with a sector dial, one of the most intricately designed and visually balanced one I’ve had the pleasure of looking at up close and personal. Indeed each sub-register is framed by a polished ring which intersects with the main one, visually connecting both across the dial. On the left we find the 30-minute totalizer and on the right, the running seconds. Each is composed of subsequent sectors which decrease in size towards their center, with pie-shaped elements on the outside, then a railroad track, all of which are complemented by circular grooves organized in concentric circles. The sub-registers are completed by small polished leaf hands which play nicely with the light. Already the juxtaposition of different textures and shapes on the 90-012 is quite extraordinary to see.

The feast continues however, as moving towards the edge of the dial we find a narrow inclined rehaut on which is printed a railroad minute track so that we can set and track the time to the precise minute. All printed elements are rendered in a light yellow-gold color tone which perfectly suits the navy color of the dial and the polished accents found on the various handsets. Speaking of which, Kuoe further found a way to express its own personality by choosing large pen-nib shapes hands for the local time, fully polished and flat, and a beautifully simple chronograph hand which is quite dimensional and hard to miss. The extraordinary thing the brand did here then was to pair an ultra classic and vintage looking dial with classic looking hands but massive ones, which highlight the sporty nature of chronographs as they were since their first appearance on wristwatches in the early 1910s. Again conveying Kuoe’s talent for mixing and matching various styles of vintage designs to create a new recipe, in sorts creating something brand new. 

The study of the Royal Smith 90-012’s design wouldn’t be complete without our lingering a little on the case, first talking about its dimensions. As thus far it is clear that Kuoe adores smaller watches (vintage-sized ones I would add) as we saw with the Royal Smith 90-006, and it still does today: the 90–012 measures a lovely 37mm in diameter, 43.6mm lug-to-lug, 14.3mm thick, and comes with a 20mm lug width. Knowing that there is a bi-compax mechanical chronograph caliber inside, these dimensions therefore indicate that Kuoe worked its magic to fit all of these good mechanics into a smaller package, one which comes with a classic design complemented by a beefy profile. Seen from above the dial claims most of the visual real estate as the polished bezel is narrow. But seen from the side we are met with a mountain of steel which rises abruptly from the lugs to a high plateau, a singular profile highlighted by the fully polished case sides and short but tall lugs. The visual effect is quite unique indeed and endows the Royal Smith 90-012 with a strong and modern wrist presence.

The Heart of the Matter

There were many things to be said about the design of the new Kuoe. As I had an inclination there would be. From where I stand, with each new release the Japanese brand sharpens its style and doubles down on its identity, being heavily inspired and moved by the most vintage and classic of horological designs from yesteryears. On the one hand, I would have believed you if you had told me that Kuoe was founded in the late 20th century and was cycling through its old catalogs as it is fashionable for historical brands to do nowadays. I would have thought Yeah, makes sense as these designs seem to have been around for a long while. But on the other hand we know Kuoe is relatively new and though it has always found inspiration in the past to design new models, with the Royal Smith 90-012 I feel that the brand reached a new level of creativity by imagining what it could have designed a century ago should it had existed, in a way catching up with a heritage it has yet to create. And that is an extraordinary thing to do and a difficult exercise to put itself through. 

Conclusion 

The practical information you should be aware of is that the Kuoe Royal Smith 90-012 comes in three dial colors and two dials configurations: Salmon, Navy, and Silver, with either Breguet numerals or baton hour markers, so that you can find a color that matches your style best and either an early or mid 20th century aesthetic. This new collection goes on sale today, November 28th, 2025, at 11am Japan Time/9pm EST for the price of $1,780 USD excluding taxes with shipping starting December 1, 2025. As the stereotypical journalistic expression goes, I would be happy hard-pressed to find a more compelling option for an ultra vintage-inspired bicompax mechanical chronograph on the market today, as the 90-012 is not only visually extremely compelling for anyone who likes classical designs, but it is also a complete wristworn machine which make it indeed a full watch. It is lovely, it is well-made, and it is in my opinion fairly priced for what you get. 

Thanks for reading.