Kuoe Kyoto's new Royal Smith with an 80-hour Miyota movement is now up for pre-order

When people think about Japanese watchmaking, the first names that come to mind are usually Casio, Seiko, and Citizen. But Japan is also home to several lesser-known independent watchmakers that deserve attention. One of the best examples of such an independent microbrand is Kuoe Kyoto, a small brand founded in 2020 by Kenji Uchimura, whose fascination with watches began while exploring London's antique watch shops during his university days. 

The Kyoto-based brand has built a reputation for its beautifully understated watches inspired by designs from the 1940s through the 1970s. The company’s latest Royal Smith 90-006 80 hrs collection expresses that philosophy quite beautifully. The six-watch lineup, which was officially announced on Wednesday, is now finally up for pre-order through Kuoe Kyoto's official website. Pricing starts at $1,150 / £‌900 / €‌1,100. The first batch is limited to 1,000 timepieces, with shipping expected to kick off in batches starting February 2027.

To recap, the lineup offers a choice of 35mm and 39mm stainless steel cases, each available with ivory, blue, or green dials. All variants share the same vintage-inspired design language, with polished cases, rounded bezels, elegantly curved lugs, and Italian-made leather straps. The retrained proportions lend the watches the sort of understated elegance that made mid-century dress watches so appealing in the first place.

Speaking of the dial, Kuoe has opted for an elegant two-layer construction here, combining a circular-brushed outer section with a slightly recessed, semi-matte center. The contrasting finishes create a subtle play of light, particularly on the striking turquoise-blue and deep forest-green variants.

Notably, this is the first Kuoe watch to feature applied Roman numeral hour markers, and it’s paired with traditional plume-shaped hour and minute hands, polished dot markers, and a finely printed minute track. A circular date display sits at 3 o'clock.

There’s a big upgrade on the inside as well. The Royal Smith 90-006 80 hrs is among the first watches to use Citizen’s new Miyota Caliber 9085 automatic movement, boasting an 80-hour power reserve, a big step up over the 42-hour reserve figure offered by the Miyota Caliber 9039 found inside the 2025 Royal Smith 90-006. That’s a big plus for anyone who likes rotating between watches.

You can admire the movement through the sapphire exhibition caseback, with Geneva stripes on the rotor and heat-blued screws adding some traditional decorative touches.