There are few places in the world more steeped in horological history than Japan. With a history in watch and clockmaking that stretches back to the mid-1500s, the Japanese have been responsible for countless innovations in horology over the years and have created a booming watchmaking industry. Today, Karl-Leimon launches the Majesty Automatic, an integrated steel sports watch created in the proud tradition of Japanese horology.

Karl-Leimon was founded by two friends who traveled to Japan to study and quickly became enraptured by the country. Despite Japan’s vast history in watchmaking, when it came time to purchase a watch to celebrate their graduation, they found that the prices had made interesting and high-quality watches unattainable. The constant shift upmarket left the two bare-wristed but with a plan to create a Japanese brand that was still accessible and attainable for young people and those without deep pockets — all while doing so with a timeless style.

Six years later, after raising over 100 million yen in fundraising, Karl-Leimon has realized its vision. The brand’s early releases all featured quartz movements — fitting from a brand that gave rise to the technology. For its first Automatic release, it’s only fitting that the Japanese brand would choose a Japanese movement to power the Majesty Automatic, yet Karl-Leimon is doing so with a price that stays well below $700.

The new Majesty comes in two versions, the 3Hands Automatic and the Open Heart Automatic, available in either a stainless steel case with blue dial or in a stealthy blacked-out colorway. Regardless of which model you choose, the diameter is a wrist-friendly 40mm, yet only 9.8m in height and topped with a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.

With integrated-bracelet sports watches, the key is crafting a coherent design that transitions seamlessly from the case to the bracelet, with all elements coalescing into a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Karl-Leimon has done just that with the Majesty Automatic. By combining soft lines with steep angles and sharp transitions, the case and bracelet hold ample visual interest with a three-dimensional quality that is highlighted by contrasting brushed surfaces and polished chamfers.

Overall, the Majesty Automatic has a timeless look that combines vintage cues from the heyday of watch design in the 1970s with thoroughly modern execution and styling that makes it a watch all its own. The Majesty Automatic was designed as a daily wear, suitable for all situations. With strong luminous material on both the hands and indices, the Majesty Automatic can seamlessly go from work to the beach to the nightclub or wherever your life takes you.

Karl-Leimon gives you two dial styles to choose from: a classic three-hand model with date at 6 o’clock or an open-heart version that foregoes both date and seconds hand in favor of an open aperture that lets you view the Japanese Miyota movement beating away.

For its first Automatic release, it’s only fitting that the Japanese brand would choose a Japanese movement to power the Majesty Automatic. Depending on which model you choose, the watch is equipped with either a Miyota caliber 9015 (3Hands) or caliber 9029 (Open Heart) movement. Both movements run with 28,000 vibrations per hour, providing a smooth sweep, and feature ~42 hours of power reserve.

Though the Majesty Automatic is an integrated bracelet watch, that doesn’t mean you can’t switch up the look and feel. Karl-Leimon has created a quick-change mechanism that allows you to easily swap between its bracelet and rubber strap without the need for tools. Switching from the bracelet to the strap allows you to quickly transition from elegant to sporty, depending on the look you’re after.

The Karl-Leimon Automatic is available now with early bird pricing of $595 USD for the Majesty 3Hands Automatic and Open Heart Automatic. The Majesty 3Hands Automatic Limited Black and Open Heart Automatic Limited Black are limited to just 99 pieces each for $620 USD. To learn more about Karl-Leimon and the new Majesty Automatic collection, please visit the brand’s website.