The Watch: Otsuka Lotec is a Japanese watch manufacturer founded by Jiro Katayama, a car and product designer who began creating his own watches in 2008 ("It all started around 2008 when I acquired a small lathe...") and has slowly grown in prominence, seeming to reach a critical mass in 2024 when this watch, the No. 6, won the GPHG Challenge Award.
The No. 6 is a 42.6mm stainless steel watch with a biretrograde movement and the look of an antique ammeter or a car gauge, with a relative in Vacheron Constantin's Mercator (but flipped upside-down). Its case, featuring a straight-grained finish, the 8-screw bezel, even the sharp, legible font on the dial, all exude industrial sturdiness.
The modified Miyota movement is visible through the caseback.
