Continuing to rummage through the watches that I've had stored away only to rediscover again. I don't know much about this Funky Friday Kotana circa 1978. The brand was registered in 1977 and online sources indicate that the AS2066 25j movement was utilized from 1969 to 1978 which is how I'm guesstimating the year of production. Marked both USA and Swiss Movt I originally misread the name as Katana and I thought it was a pretty cool name like the legendary Japanese sword. Wrong! Kotana watches often came in unusual case shapes and I've been unable to spot another one online with the double notches on each side. Mostly polished with fine brushing only at the lug covers the Day-Date dial is an attractive olive green hue with tuxedo striping and a crown like icon above the name that looks vaguely oriental or middle eastern. It was pretty ambitious to start a watch company featuring automatic movements in the late 70's when so many more established makers were succumbing to the introduction of quartz options. If anyone knows more about Kotana watches I'd love to learn more.
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Jack McClary
I prefer in person gatherings over social media dialog and have a soft spot for vintage watches.
Southern California
Member since
Last active: 39 min ago
7.25” / 18.42 cm
The case shape is just cool Jack 🔥!
Very interesting watch. Unique case shape & I like the ribbed effect on the dial. 😎
You have a museum of watches there Jack!:😎
You have a museum of watches there Jack!:😎
I just looked up musuem of watches and it said hoarder but thank you T. Have a Great Weekend!
Just cool sloping case on that one Jack! Nice rediscovery!
Just cool sloping case on that one Jack! Nice rediscovery!
Thanks! I find it interesting that only the sloped ends were brushed.
Thanks! I find it interesting that only the sloped ends were brushed.
Interesting design choice! All the cooler!
Another fascinating piece. Seems like the well of creativity in horology runs pretty deep, and yet I can't think of any modern pieces that have a similar case. Maybe modern watchmakers need to dig a bit deeper?
Another fascinating piece. Seems like the well of creativity in horology runs pretty deep, and yet I can't think of any modern pieces that have a similar case. Maybe modern watchmakers need to dig a bit deeper?
Mining the past is such a fine line to walk and riles many. I came from the classic car world. Not once did I see someone freak out because a car wasn't the first to have fins or a teal paint job or hooded headlights. There was a community of design that influenced others and resulted in hits and misses. The market decided, not a few gatekeepers. Fuel injection replaced carburetors yada yada yada. All cars improved or withered away.
I can buy a defunct watch brand and even though I have zero connection to their past manufacturing I will still mostly get a pass on raiding the back catalog. There is little connection to their past except that I purchased a hall pass. The whole homage discussion is fatiguing and does a company like Rolex really need enthusiasts "protecting" Rolex design language? Me thinks not.
On the other hand If I'm influenced by common design cues of a particular era some scream that it's "derivative" or "stealing".
One of the cool things about digital watches is that electronics in general are primarily function driven in their design and the digital watch history is brief in the larger scheme of things. No one is moaning that a rectangular LED window isn't original or that round buttons are a rip off.
Acknowledgement that something results from being built "upon the shoulders of giants" is good enough for me. Learning from our past seems wiser than the alternative.
Mining the past is such a fine line to walk and riles many. I came from the classic car world. Not once did I see someone freak out because a car wasn't the first to have fins or a teal paint job or hooded headlights. There was a community of design that influenced others and resulted in hits and misses. The market decided, not a few gatekeepers. Fuel injection replaced carburetors yada yada yada. All cars improved or withered away.
I can buy a defunct watch brand and even though I have zero connection to their past manufacturing I will still mostly get a pass on raiding the back catalog. There is little connection to their past except that I purchased a hall pass. The whole homage discussion is fatiguing and does a company like Rolex really need enthusiasts "protecting" Rolex design language? Me thinks not.
On the other hand If I'm influenced by common design cues of a particular era some scream that it's "derivative" or "stealing".
One of the cool things about digital watches is that electronics in general are primarily function driven in their design and the digital watch history is brief in the larger scheme of things. No one is moaning that a rectangular LED window isn't original or that round buttons are a rip off.
Acknowledgement that something results from being built "upon the shoulders of giants" is good enough for me. Learning from our past seems wiser than the alternative.
When the wheel is already invented, might as well build upon that. While it can get a bit tedious seeing exact clone type homages, design elements like the stark thick angles on that case would translate well today. It's a bit like the PRX on steroids but different enough to stand on its own. Hell with all the ana-digis sporting extra buttons for electronic features, those notches could serve a purpose on such models or on basic chronos.