Looking closely at one Naoya Hida, one wonders if all this rigor is an act of faith or a form of stubbornness. The new collection is no exception. In fact, it radicalizes this position. For while it finally introduces an important complication such as the chronograph, it also strongly reaffirms a design language that changes very little, year after year. It is a choice that fascinates, but also deserves to be questioned.
We can undoubtedly say that the influences are well known, Patek Philippe of the 1930s and 1950s, Vacheron Constantin more classical, Breguet for typographic construction. However, what had appeared over time to be a refined exercise in subtraction now risks at times seeming like a comfort zone.
The cases remain restrained, between 30 and 37 mm, the lugs thin and slightly arched, the dials solid silver handcrafted, the numerals engraved and filled by hand, the color palette reduced. All impeccable, all extremely controlled. But also, inevitably, predictable.
Without getting lost in further ado, let us go on to analyze the seven new references from two perspectives, design and mechanics, but try to go beyond mere description to understand where Naoya Hida really stands today.
TYPE 7A
The TYPE 7A is, on paper, the most important novelty. The brand’s first chronograph, an almost obligatory step for any maison that wants to be taken seriously in the territory of classic complications.
The 36 mm 904L steel case, 11.7 mm thick, is an exercise in balance. The polished concave bezel, engine-turned pump buttons, and overall construction explicitly recall 1940s tradition without attempting any contemporary reinterpretation.
The nickel silver (German silver) dial maintains the brand’s identity: precise engraving, handcrafted Breguet numerals filled with Japanese lacquer, yellow gold hands for the hour and blued steel for the chronograph functions.
The choice to use restored vintage Valjoux 23/236 movements is, once again, perfectly aligned with the brand’s philosophy. Pragmatic, cultured, but not particularly bold. The refinement work is of a high standard, with manual interventions and careful adjustments. However, this is not a technical reinterpretation of the chronograph, but rather a philological preservation of it.
Limited production of only 10 pieces for a price of JPY 5,300,000(USD 38,300).
TYPE 8A
With the TYPE 8A, Naoya Hida introduces an approximately 31 mm case. A decision that, this time indeed, has something truly countercultural about it. Reducing size in a market still oriented toward more generous diameters is not just an aesthetic choice, it is a stance.
The dial, with small seconds and engraved Arabic numerals, becomes an exercise in almost absolute balance. Negative spaces gain weight, proportions become central. Yet here, too, one can read a double interpretation. On the one hand, a cultured return to classical measurement. On the other, a reluctance to confront the present.
The movement (the new caliber 2326SS, visible from the case back), marks a step forward. Hand-wound 23.5 mm, 3 Hz and 38-hour power reserve, with architecture reminiscent of the Peseux 7001.
It is not revolutionary, but it is probably one of the most interesting passages in the collection. The finishes remain manual and careful, but the architecture does not seek prominence. It is a mechanics that accompanies the design without ever wanting to surpass it. Consistent, but also, once again, prudent.
Limited production of only 20 pieces for a price of JPY 3,200,000 (USD 23,100).
TYPE 3B-4
The TYPE 3B-4 is probably the model furthest removed from the brand’s usual minimalism. Entirely hand-engraved 18K yellow gold case, except for the bezel and case back, with Art Nouveau motifs. The Arabic numerals are carved in relief and finished with gold leaf. It is a complex decorative exercise that breaks with the brand’s typical sobriety.
The base with moon-phase complication of the TYPE 3 series remains, without substantial modification. Here, more than ever, the mechanics take second place to the artistic execution.
Limited production of only 2 pieces for a price of JPY 15,000,000(USD 108,300).
TYPE 5B and TYPE 5B-1
The rectangular models introduced in 2024 continue their evolution. The changes are subtle but targeted. Shortened lugs, slightly revised proportions, tighter dial geometries, and more engraved numerals. But unequivocally L’Art Deco remains to influence the style.
The TYPE 5B-1 version introduces an acrylic crystal instead of sapphire, adding a more vintage component, along with Breguet numerals.
The mechanics remain unchanged, consistent with the rest of the collection. Again, the intervention is mainly aesthetic and proportional.
Limited production of only 10 pieces (per reference) at a price of JPY 3,700,000(USD 26,700).
TYPE 2C-2
With TYPE 2C-2, the change is all in the dial. For the first time, Naoya Hida introduces porcelain. The result is a milk-white glossy, extremely clean surface on which hand-painted numerals and hour markers emerge with a different presence than traditional engraving.
This is a significant change, perhaps one of the few truly perceptible even at a distance. The movement remains the hand-wound Caliber 3020CS with central seconds, also derived from a Valjoux base.
Limited production of only 10 pieces for a price of JPY 2,850,000(USD 20,600).
TYPE 1E
The TYPE 1E represents yet another iteration of the brand’s first model. The case grows to 36 mm and introduces a more domed sapphire crystal, increasing the thickness to 10.9 mm. The result is a watch that is more present, but also slightly less basic than previous versions.
Caliber 3019SS, based on Valjoux 7750 deprived of the chronograph function, continues to be profoundly reworked. A technical choice that prioritizes reliability and familiarity, without experimental ambitions.
Limited production of only 25 pieces for a price of JPY 2,700,000 or(USD 19,500).
Conclusions
In short, Naoya Hida’s 2026 collection is, after all, exactly what one might have expected. Refined, consistent, deeply rooted in tradition. But also, inevitably, predictable.
TYPE 7A introduces a new complication, TYPE 8A explores forgotten proportions, TYPE 2C-2 experiments with different materials. However, the language remains unchanged.
And so the question remains: is it still enough today to be flawless without being amazing?
Naoya Hida seems convinced that he does. And perhaps, for her audience, she really does.
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