Vintage Watch Shops in Tokyo | Complete List & Write Up
I had about a day and a half in Tokyo, so naturally I tried to cram in as much vintage watch hunting as possible before heading off to Kawaguchiko to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday. The shift from Tokyo’s chaos to Kawaguchiko’s calm was pretty surreal—but I’ll save that for another time. This one’s about finding vintage watches in Tokyo.
Mapping the Horological Treasure Hunt
Before the trip, I mapped out a handful of shops I wanted to hit. The plan was four in 36 hours: Curios Curio, Carese, Shellman, and Timeanagram. I made it to three—Timeanagram needs a reservation, which I didn’t realize until it was too late. Good excuse to come back.
- Curios Curio
- Cares
- Shellman
- Timeanagram
In the end, I made it to three. Timeanagram requires a reservation—a perfect excuse to return to Tokyo soon.
I went in with a rough idea: 50s–60s chronographs. Modern ones never really did it for me, so I wanted to see if vintage would change my mind.
Stop 1: Carese – A Tale of Two Branches
Marunouchi: Elegance Amidst the Corporate Giants
I started at Carese in Marunouchi, right near Tokyo Station. The area is all glass towers and luxury boutiques, and the shop fits right in—clean, quiet, and very polished.
The selection here leaned more toward smaller pieces and simpler designs. There was an oversized 1940 Eterna that I kept coming back to—great proportions, super clean—but the price made me hesitate.
One of the staff picked up pretty quickly on what I was looking for and suggested I check out their main shop in Morishita instead.
Morishita: Stepping Back in Time
Morishita feels like a different city. Slower, more local, a bit rougher around the edges in a good way. The Carese main branch stands out immediately, almost like stepping into a different era. Inside, everything felt more personal: carpet, warm lighting, wooden display boxes, the kind of place you want to take your time in.
A Lemania Chronograph immediately caught my eye. The bronze hands, the sector dial design, and the Lemania logo—a detail I've always admired. Sadly, it was out of my budget, but it set the tone for the treasures I was about to discover.
Two others really stuck with me:
1. An Omega rectangular watch: The unusually dark case that turned out to be silver with heavy patina. The contrast with the clean white dial and those bold Art Deco numerals was just right.
2. A Longines with a twist: A Longines that I initially thought was a monopusher. The button actually reset the continuously running second hand back to 12 o'clock, a feature I'd never encountered before. The 30.5mm case might sound small, but the dial design made it wear larger. The dark sector insert on the dial, which the staff assured me was incredibly rare, provided a striking backdrop for the applied gold Breguet numerals.
What struck me most about Carese was their commitment to the in-person experience. Many of the watches I saw weren't available online at the time — a strategy to reward those who make the trip to their stores. This old-school approach felt refreshingly authentic and respectful to true watch enthusiasts.
Stop 2: Curious Curio – A Military-Themed Hidden Gem
Finding Curios Curio took a bit of effort. It’s on the third floor of a pretty anonymous building, and if you didn’t know it was there, you’d walk right past it. Ring the doorbell, and suddenly you’re inside what feels more like a private collector’s space than a shop.
Picture from Curious Curio^
The whole place has a military theme—decor, objects, even the way the watches are presented. It’s very curated, but not in a sterile way.
Two watches in particular caught my eye:
- 1940s Lemania Chronograph: This compact 31mm beauty housed the Lemania cal. 27.CH movement. Its original numbered snap-on case back was clean. The sword-shaped hands and Arabic numerals, once luminous, had faded to a warm orange tone that spoke of its long history Despite its small size, the dial proportions were perfectly balanced.
2. 1950s Gallet MultiChron 45M: This 37mm chronograph was powered by the popular Excelsior Park 4 movement, featuring a 45-minute counter. Blue tachymeter, red telemeter, radium indices, lots going on, but it worked. The dial had some wear, especially near 12, but nothing that bothered me. If anything, it added to the appeal. The caseback was clean and original, which is always a good sign.
The Gallet was the one I kept coming back to. Good size, interesting dial, solid movement. I ended up staying past closing without realising it—the staff didn’t rush me at all.
Stop 3: Shellman – Luxury in the Heart of Ginza
Last stop was Shellman in Ginza. Totally different vibe again. The ground floor is heavy on Rolex—lots of Bubblebacks—alongside Movado, Universal Genève, and a few chronographs mixed in.
Upstairs is where things get serious. Patek, Vacheron, the kind of pieces you don’t casually try on without thinking twice.
Back on the ground floor, three pieces in particular caught my attention:
1. A Movado triple calendar: A complication that always intrigues me, especially in its vintage form.
2. Another Movado, this time with Breguet numerals and a small seconds subdial
3. A gold IWC time-only piece: This was the showstopper for me. Time-only, but the lugs had this reverse twist to them that made it feel different. The markers on the dial were minimal—just 12 and 6, with small pyramid markers for the rest. Everything in gold, but not flashy. Just really well balanced.
Reflections on a Tiring, Rewarding Journey
That 1.5 days went by fast, but it was worth it. Each shop had its own personality, and that’s what made it interesting. Carese felt thoughtful and curated, Curios Curio felt personal and niche, and Shellman was just pure high-end vintage in a Ginza setting.
If you’re planning a similar trip, I put together a full list of shops here:
For fellow watch enthusiasts planning a similar trip, I've compiled a detailed Tokyo watch shop list here.
