Makiya Watches: How Much Do You Want to Pay?

What defines watchmaking? Since a watch is nothing without its movement - whether it’s mechanical or quartz or some hybrid of the two a la Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive - then watchmaking means making the movement. Then, what about brands that use off-the-shelf, ready-made movements that don’t even require regulation? Does that count as watchmaking? While enthusiasts debate what defines a watchmaker and the importance of making the movement, we often forget about another important factor with any watch: the dial. This is the area in which Makiya Tokei Founder, Adriel Rahisana, focuses all of his passion, creativity, and energy. 

But what is it about the dials of Makiya, and what differentiates them from any other? 

Bedroom Watchmaking

Adriel split his formative years between Indonesia and Australia, but for the past decade, he’s called south Japan his home. Shortly after joining Japanese pen company Wancher Pen, he was asked to take over Wancher Watch from a predecessor who lacked a passion for watches, and from there, he had the unenviable task of being a One Man Show. 

“Customer service? Me. Ordering new parts? Me. Design? It was me, or the artisan - it depends.” 

Soon afterwards, I joined, and now Wancher Watch is officially a Two Man Operation, but Adriel learned many valuable skills during this overwhelming period. 

“[It] started with a simple experiment. I had a leftover dial from a broken watch, and I decided to just go out and buy paints, glitter [...] and stickers and even my own Urushi (Japanese lacquer).” 

When I asked to see this first experimental dial, Adriel admitted he’d gotten rid of it, because of how much he hated its design. He considered it a failure, but in retrospect, it was really just the beginning. From there, Adriel started making his own dials in his spare time, but instead of trying to emulate the dials handcrafted by Japanese artisans in Wajima, Echizen, and Aizu, he decided to create dials that he would like first and foremost. 

This meant wild designs featuring a silver dragon on the dial, or a crane across a bright red background, or more recently, sunbursts of gold and silver. 

A lot of things have changed since that first dial, but one thing has stayed the same: he still makes them all in his bedroom. 

What Makes Makiya Different? 

When I sat down and interviewed Adriel, I asked him what made Makiya different from other bespoke watchmakers or custom watch companies. 

“This is a hard question to answer, because how can I answer it without being biased? But if I had to be completely honest, I would keep it simple: You decide the price. I make the watch, and I ask my customers - Do you like it? They say Yes, how much? I tell them - How ever much you want to pay.” 

It’s true. Adriel has a rather interesting business model. Instead of deciding the price himself, or negotiating it with the customer once they have made their request, he waits until he’s completed the dial, takes a photo with his Android phone, and sends the photo of the completed watch with no fanfare, no crazy editing. He sends it in its truest form. While he may ask “How much are you willing to pay”, he is actually asking, “How much do you think my time is worth?” 

Because that’s what it comes down to, at the end of the day. Each hour spent handcrafting a dial for a customer is another hour that could have been spent with his wife and kids. In the end, he has to believe in the quality of his own work above all else, which is why he is able to operate a business without prices decided by him. 

Makiya Watches: What’s Next?

“I’m just taking it one watch at a time. I actually avoid taking multiple orders at once, because I want to give my undivided attention to one watch at a time, and I’m worried I might make a mistake if I have too many watches to juggle.” 

I have had the privilege to interview almost a dozen other brands, so it was refreshing, in a way, to interview someone who didn’t see himself as a brand owner, or even as a watchmaker. Instead, Adriel still views Makiya Tokei (Makiya Watches) as a fun, useful hobby. 

There is always a chance that his perspective will change as he continues to get orders, but for now, he is still the guy who takes pride in Bedroom Watchmaking. 

If you are interested in your own custom watch, check out @makiya_tokei on Instagram, and just maybe, you will get to answer the question - “How much do you want to pay?” 

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