Four master craftsmen have joined their expertise, passion and vision to create one perfectly harmonious and visually stunning timepiece inspired by the historic Kennin-ji Temple in Japan. Their collaboration yielded one of the most impressive watchmaking projects ever, known as the Peter Speake-Marin Kennin-ji Temple Masters Project.
This is a one-off piece custom made for a passionate collector with a deep appreciation of exquisite artisanal art, and who believes that beautiful objects receive their ‘soul’ from the dedication of the craftspeople who work diligently to create it.
The watch pays homage to the oldest Zen Buddhist temple in Japan (dating back to 1202), whose founding abbot Eisai is actually said to have been the one who introduced and further developed the unique Zen philosophy in the country.
The intricate dragon engraving which starts from the dial, then spreads onto the white gold case, and finally continues onto the presentation box evokes a 1.883-suare-foot paining on the temple’s ceiling. Artist Koizumi Junsaku painted the expansive work of art in 2002 to commemorate the temple’s 800th anniversary.
The extreme complexity of the design was given by the fact that not one, but two highly ornate dragons had to be fitted onto the very limited space of one wristwatch. The Peter Speake-Marin in-house SM2 movement was also engraved, while the presentation case’s leather lining was masterfully embossed for a beautiful, unitary effect.
