Angular Momentum’s newest timepiece collection is based on something very Japanese. Maybe Seiko or Citizen will be pissed? Angular Momentum’s Urushi watch collection uses just that, the ancient natural Japanese lacquer. Urushi actually comes from a tree and is likely a specialized sap from a tree native to Japan, sometimes called the Varnish or Lacquer tree. For centuries, it seems that the compound has been used for various purposes, and still used today for decorative purposes. Angular Momentum has taken Urushi and created a series of watch that embody various manners of Japanese symbolism on them. The sap dries to be very hard (like plastic), and is very smooth. The sap itself is not black and red naturally when it dries as you see on the watches. Instead it is colored with iron or ferric oxide often for the black and red colors you see. It is quite an amazing natural compound, and is hard to believe it is not synthetic.

The watches are each done with a different image – as capturing an aspect of Japanese culture. Angular Momentum enjoys doing this with many cultures. I enjoy this a lot because then are able to introduce me to things important to certain people that I would have likely never otherwise learned about. I am going to show you a few of my favorite Urushi collection watches, and the rest you’ll no doubt find on Angular Momentum’s website. The watches are each in 40.5mm wide steel cases with sapphire crystals, and have automatic mechanical movements inside.

For the above watch you have the Angular Momentum Urushi Hototogisu, which is the Cuckoo bird. It is done in mix of black and red Urushi. The bird is an omen of spring and is rarely actually seen as it flies so swiftly.

The above two watches have Koi fish. You now the large carp in the shallow ponds that are fun to look at and more fun to feed. Prized Koi fish live for years, take a long time to grow, and can be worth thousands of dollars each. The high relief on the two watches is very well done. I particularly like the power model with the solitary Koi fish in red, actually looking as though it is a swimming through water. The above model’s background is down with guilloche machine engraving.

This is the “Roiro” watch from the Urushi collection. That means “wax color” and according to Angular Momentum, this color is used to represent the highest quality black colored (“makuro) polished lacquer. Nice colored, uber minimalistic dial.

This Japanese dragon on the watch is known as Ryu. Of course this is taken a Chinese word meaning powerful. Dragons have so much deep meaning in Asian cultures I don’t even want to get into it. For me, it has deep meaning in video games, fantasy movies, and Dungeons &… Dragons.www.angularmomentum.com

See Angular Momentum watches on eBay here.

See Angular Momentum watch on Amazon here. [phpbay]angular momentum, num, “14324”, “”[/phpbay]