rushi artist Nobuichi Otake will tell you that lacquer has a mind of its own: "The nuances of lacquer’s behaviour are influenced by its origin, season, application conditions and ambient humidity. I engage in a dialogue with the lacquer, adjusting its consistency and ensuring a uniform finish,” said the 65-year-old who, from his studio in Fukushima, crafts urushi dials for Knot.

Urushi has distant roots. Some 9,000 years ago, around the time the Neolithic reached the Swiss plateau, people in what became Japan were already tapping the grey-white, viscous sap from the urushi tree, which contains urushiol. It is harvested in small quantities by cutting parallel incisions in the bark.

Minase 7 Windows 4 Seasons with a maki-e urushi dial. Maki-e is a collection of techniques combining lacquer and precious metals to create texture and depth.

Inherently durable

When the urushiol is exposed to humidity, an enzyme is activated, which makes the lacquer solidify into a hard film. And because it retains some water, the lacquer has a perpetual shiny wet look that withstands alkali, acid, alcohol and extremely high temperatures, while also being resistant to mould and mildew.

Knot Sumi Monochrome

The traditionally vermilion red urushi dial sprinkled with gold and silver

Urushi’s inherent durable and antiseptic properties gave it early use as food containers. Also applicable to metal, wood, leather, textile, ceramic and bamboo, it was later applied to samurai wooden armours as well as decorative objects prized by Marie Antoinette’s court. However, it wasn’t until the twenty-first century that the technique took off in the watch world.

Nobuichi Otake working on a dial using the raden technique, which combines inlays of crushed seashell with urushi lacquer.

Mr. Otake sprinkles some of his dials with gold on a red or black urushi ground; others use the raden technique, which literally translates to “shell inlay”: a technique taken to Japan from China in the eighth century. “Urushi lacquer excels not only as a paint but also as an adhesive. Over its long existence, it has established effective bonding techniques for gold, silver and seashells,” he explained.

Passing on to the next generation

Tatsuo Kitamura works with Kari Voutilainen for unique dials, which often take more than 1,000 hours to complete. Some examples are the Setsu-Getsu-Ka featuring Mt. Fuji; the Green Garden, with miniature flowers; and Hatou, an interpretation of the iconic Japanese wave. Here, urushi is combined with gold powder, gold leaf, great green turban shell and abalone shell from New Zealand.

Kari Voutilainen and lacquer artist Tatsuo Kitamura

“It is a challenge to apply urushi to delicately and precisely cut metals such as polished surfaces and sharp corners on watches. Not only does urushi’s bond strength differ depending on the base material, the size and thickness of decorative surfaces also differ, so it is important to properly work the base surface of materials on which urushi is applied. Furthermore, urushi is very effective in enhancing the textures of cut metal pieces as well as the natural shine of minutely cut shells. It’s also environmentally friendly,” said Mr. Kitamura, whose Hisui dial won the Artistic Crafts prize at the 2014 GPHG.

The dials of the Hatou (left) and Green Garden (below) unique pieces are crafted by Tatsuo Kitamura.

The son of a fisherman, Mr. Kitamura is pleased to pass on his experience to the next generation. This requires time and patience, as the classical techniques take at least ten years to master. “Business and profitability have peaks and troughs, both large and small. It is important to pass on the classical techniques and knowledge to the next generation, even when it is difficult,” he concluded.

Close up of the Voutilainen Hatou which combines gold powder, gold leaf and different seashell materials with urushi lacquer.

Mr. Otake, who was inspired to take up urushi after watching a TV show, is also handing down his knowledge. “I’m committed to passing on my traditional craftsmanship to my daughter as a family legacy and as a future pillar of the lacquerware industry.”