Credor x Akira Yamaguchi GCBD997

Credor announces the launch of a limited-edition timepiece in collaboration with renowned Japanese painter Akira Yamaguchi. The watch will be available in Japan only, from August 8, 2025, as a limited edition of 15 pieces, each priced at 3,300,000 yen including tax.

The collaboration merges the worlds of horology and fine art, each grounded deeply in Japanese tradition and aesthetic sensibilities. Since its founding in 1974, Credor has pursued beauty through masterful craftsmanship, incorporating traditional Japanese techniques such as metal engraving, lacquer work, and mother-of-pearl inlay. Akira Yamaguchi, known for his distinct bird’s-eye view compositions reminiscent of yamato-e painting, blends traditional Japanese motifs with modern storytelling, creating works that are both intricate and evocative. The result is a watch that expresses a uniquely artistic worldview and the finest Japanese sensibility.

The new timepiece is based on a design concept called suki mechanical. Suki refers to a deep appreciation for the elegant and the refined. The watch illustrates the balance wheel as the origin of movement and life, spreading ripples that give rise to all phenomena. To highlight the movement of the balance wheel, the section of the dial between the 6 and 9 o’clock positions has been cut out in a shape to express the energy and sense of expansion at the moment something new is born. In addition, a transparent glass plate is placed between the movement and the dial. By incorporating mechanical motifs on the surface of the glass, the mechanical beauty of the skeletonized section is further enhanced. Various techniques were applied to the glass, creating a layered effect where two-dimensional and three-dimensional elements seem to overlap.

Mr. Yamaguchi was drawn to the brilliance of Credor’s indexes and incorporated them as elements forming a rhombus pattern—one of the traditional motifs in Japanese painting. To create a beautiful design where light and shadow reverse depending on how the light enters, a total of 60 indexes in 11 different types were newly developed to compose the pattern. These indexes are arranged three-dimensionally, overlapping with various rhombus patterns on the dial, giving a sense of depth to what is essentially a flat surface. This unique structure evokes a surreal sensation, as if viewing a trompe-l'œil.

Rather than placing the indexes in a regular manner for the legibility of time, Mr. Yamaguchi restructured them as part of the dial’s overall design. This innovative approach introduces a new visual effect and results in a truly one-of-a-kind design.

The design on the case back envisions the rhythmically moving balance wheel as a moon, from which a field of silver grass spreads out. The grass then unravels into autumn wildflowers, transitions into flowing curves, and ultimately connects to the elliptical orbits of celestial bodies.

By hollowing out the case back, light is allowed to pass through to the skeletonized part of the dial, enhancing the overall brilliance of the watch.

Furthermore, for fans of Mr. Yamaguchi, his seal—carved as a signature mark—has been skillfully integrated into the design.

Akira Yamaguchi

Born in Tokyo (1969), Yamaguchi grew up in Gunma Prefecture and graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1996 with an MA in Oil Painting. In 2013, his book Hen-na Nihon Bijutsushi won the 12th Kobayashi Hideo Award. In 2017, he was appointed as the first artistic ambassador of his hometown, Kiryu City. 

He uses oil painting techniques in a traditional Japanese style. He is known for painting bird’s-eye-view cities and battlefield scenes, along with working in a variety of media, including sculpture, manga, and installation.

His major solo exhibitions include “Yamaguchi Akira: Stepping Back to Seek the Underneath” (Contemporary Art Gallery, Art Tower Mito), “Resonating Surfaces” (Daiwa Foundation Japan House Gallery, London), “Jam Session: The Ishibashi Foundation Collection x Yamaguchi Akira, Drawn to the Irresistible Sensation” (Artizon Museum, Tokyo), amongst others. In 2023, one of his works was acquired by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

He has further developed the wide range of his practice through public artworks at locations including Narita International Airport and Nihonbashi Station (Tokyo Metro). He has also created illustrative work and cover art for a variety of serialized newspaper stories, novels, and so forth, continuing his prolific practice across a broad range of fields. In 2019, he created the opening title background painting for the NHK Taiga Drama “IDATEN-The Epic Marathon to Tokyo”. He also produced the official art poster for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Technical specifications

Credor x Akira Yamaguchi

Reference: GCBD997

Limited edition of 15 pieces, available only in Japan

Case

• Material: Stainless steel
• Diameter: 38mm
• Thickness: 8.4mm
• Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface
• Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
• Water-resistant to 30 meters

Movement

• Caliber 6899
• Manual-winding movement
• Frequency: 3 Hz, 21'600 vph (6 beats per second)
• Number of jewels: 26
• Power reserve of 37 hours

Functions/Indications

• Hours, minutes

Strap and buckle

• Crocodile strap with three-fold clasp with push button release

MSRP: JPY 3'300'000

For more information, please visit credor.com