My Trip to Japan - Days 6 &7

Saturday, October 18th 2008

Saturday morning came and it was time to say goodbye to the Shizukuishi Prince Hotel in the Northern part of Japan and take the bullet train back to Tokyo.

We emerge from the train station in downtown Tokyo:

After saying "Sayonara!" to my new friends from Seiko and the rest of the international journalists which I'd spent the prior week with, I headed back to the Conrad Tokyo.  I hit an ATM and got 20,000 Japanese Yen (about $200.00 with the current exchange rate) and headed down to the lobby to meet my friend and fellow watch enthusiast from WATCH TALK FORUMS named Otto.   When Otto learned I'd be visiting Tokyo he offered to meet up with me and show me around Tokyo, hit all the best watch shopping venues which Tokyo has to offer.  We talked several miles that day and took many trains and subways all around Tokyo - here's a shot of Otto on one of the trains we rode:

After meeting up in the lobby of the Conrad, we wasted no time in heading straight for the Ginza district of Tokyo - perhaps the most modern and posh shopping district in Tokyo. Think 5th Avenue in New York, only bigger:

On Saturdays and Sundays many streets of Tokyo are closed to automobile traffic allowing locals and tourists alike to walk the streets in safety.   The first watch venue we came upon was the new Nicholas G. Hayek Center:

Each one of the Swatch Group brands has their own boutique within this complex - very impressive. We then walked a short distance to the first of many Rolex dealers we'd visit that day - Nisshindo.

Very nice, but it had neither the new Deep Sea Sea-Dweller, nor the Day Date II in stock, which both Otto and I were interested in seeing. Our next stop brought us to M&R Salon Rolex:

Now we're talking!  I finally got to try on the Deep Sea!:

I have to say that I didn't care for it. I can perfectly see why so many folks on WATCH TALK FORUMS have purchased the watch, and turned right around and sold it. It's just too chunky to be practical.   Otto explained that Rolex watches which come from an Authorized Dealer have this special case back sticker on them:

The story also carried Speake-Martin - an independent watchmaker whose work I'd never seen in a retail setting before:

Our next stop was to perhaps the most famous watch dealer in all of Japan - Evance. 

Rolex enthusiasts will recall that Evance actually paid none other than Brad Pitt to be in their Rolex commercials and print advertising, during an era which Hollywood A-listers gladly did lucrative work in Japan they wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pole here in the US.  Can you imagine Brad Pitt ever doing commercials for a US jewelry store?

 

Evance did have one heck of an impressive store.  I was quite amazed by seeing a new model GMT Master II on a Jubilee bracelet (right side in below picture) - something you don't see on anything but vintage models in the US, but apparently continued and is quite popular in Asian markets.  

 

 I was also surprised to see that Evance carries and has a sales and distribution deal with the Rolex customizer called "Pro Hunter" which puts a black PVD coating on Rolex models:

   

 After we left Evance I spotted this gorgeous Italian piece of work on the streets of Tokyo : 

 

Otto then suggested we stop by Satin Doll - based on the name, I was initially against the idea, but it turned out be another great Rolex dealer in Tokyo that has several locations:

 

We then walked over and saw the famous National Kabuki Theater (Kabukiza)- a haven of traditional Japanese culture right in the heart of ultra-modern Ginza district of Tokyo:

 

These ladies were heading over to the Kabuki Theater:

 

It was starting to get late, and Otto and I had much more Tokyo watch shopping and sight seeing to do - we took a subway to the Shibuya district.

 

Once there we visited Housekihiroba:

 

 I finally got to see and try on the new Day Date II.  Much to my surprise, I liked it.  I expected it to look too big on my wrist - even Otto said it looked good on my wrist.  He tried hard to get me to buy it::

 

At this point I was getting pretty tired, and was looking forward to taking Otto to a nice restaurant and show him a little appreciation for showing me around.  Otto is a hard-core watch enthusiast though - food is secondary!  Why waste time in a restaurant when we can see more watches??  :D  :D  So instead we grabbed a traditional Japanese snack called Yakitori, and managed to find a vending machine with diet Coke (so very hard to do in Japan).

 

 We took another train and were off to our next and probably best watch shopping destination in all of Japan - Jack Road:

 

I've never seen so many Rolex watches (new and vintage) under one roof. Just look at this display case of vintage Rolex sport watches!

 

They're inventory of other high end brands like Patek, Vacheron, and Audemars was impressive...but wow...the Rolex collection....absolutely incredible!

 

 Something I noticed in Jack Road (as well as several other Rolex dealers we visited in Tokyo) is that they carry a nice selection of Rolex logo memorabilia items in addition to the watches, which I thought was great as I also collect Rolex logo memorabilia.

 

We then took another train to Shinkjuku:

 

Tokyo is absolutely amazing at night:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Otto had one last watch shop to show me.  He said, "I think you'll like their sign, give the watch you're wearing."  He was right. :) 

 

 

We hit a couple of other shops, but we were both exhausted - we'd been walking non-stop for several hours.  So I took a cab back to the Conrad hotel, and Otto headed back home.  But not before we got this double wrist shot together - a watch enthusiast tradition!

 

Many thanks to Otto for showing me a FANTASTIC time in Tokyo! 

After getting back, I went straight up to my room and practically collapsed. But the next morning I woke, well rested, and still captivated by the view from my hotel room:

 

I went down stairs and grabbed some breakfast, and enjoyed the view from this corner of the Conrad hotel:

 

Tony the Tiger - Japanese style:

 

After breakfast, it was time to head back to the airport for the flight back to Dayton.  On the ride to the airport we passed by Disneyworld Tokyo: 

 

Back to Narita Airport - had a week really gone by so quickly?

 

Good bye Japan....

 

After an 11 hour flight (which left at 5pm on Sunday, and got me back to Toronto at 3pm on Sunday...strange feeling) I caught my flight back to Dayton, bringing an end to a fabulous trip!!!

 

 *All text and images contained in this review are the original work of the author, John B. Holbrook, II and are copyright protected. Use of any of the information or images without the permission of the author is prohibited.

Please note that the Author and this site are in no way affiliated with or related to The Rolex Watch Company Limited. All trademarked names, brands, models and designs mentioned herein are the sole property of The Rolex Watch Company Limited.

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