Our first world timer, the Kurono GMT 1 is a new novelty and design study by master watchmaker Hajime Asaoka, and exudes sensei's strong Art-Deco design language coordinated with a sense of intelligent gentility. Hajime Asaoka set out to design a watch for the business traveller that would coordinate with boardroom business attire, but yet retain a sense of understated sportiness.

"Most GMT watches fall in the sports watch category. However, those who desire GMT watches are business travellers. I wanted to incorporate tradition while at the same time reflect a sense of modernity. With coordination as the key design theme, our Kurono GMT 1 will add an intelligent look to the cuffs of the global executive."

The Kurono GMT 1 retains the curved Kurono 38mm high-polish case and adds a polished bi-directional rotating bezel that features lacquer-filled 24-hour markers, as well as the now iconic art-deco concentric lines introduced in the Project-T tourbillon and the first Kurono watches. Thematic coordination is brought to the dial via contrasting black, grey and crimson dial rings - each demarcating the various time and time-zone functions of the watch. High polish hand-bent steel hands and a  polished steel date surround complete the look.

The Kurono GMT 1 features "True GMT”. It is designed to correct the hour hand independently, rather than correcting the 24-hour hand, thus allowing for both positive (clockwise) and negative (counter-clockwise) time zone differences. This allows for a quick adjustment when the need to change the time zone arises. The addition of the bi-directional bezel allows for a myriad of possible timekeeping usage apart from a third time zone.