Latest news with #Presage
Hype Malaysia
16-07-2025
- Business
- Hype Malaysia
SEIKO's Presage Classic Series Welcomes The Stunning Arita Porcelain Dial Timepiece
Since its introduction in 2016, Presage has melded Japanese artistry with Seiko's longstanding mastery of mechanical watchmaking. Several Presage timepieces have showcased these artisanal crafts through dials made with enamel, urushi lacquer, Shippo enamel, and Arita porcelain. Today, the Presage Classic Series, known for designs that draw from the colours, materials, and textures of traditional Japanese craftwork, welcomes a new creation distinguished by the refined beauty of its unglazed Arita porcelain dial. A New Aspect Of Arita Porcelain Dial Making Unglazed porcelain, introduced for the first time in Presage, is a comparatively new technique within the four-century-old tradition of Arita porcelain. The new technique allows for a wider range of expression and exceptionally refined designs. Typically, Arita porcelain is glazed, imparting it with a smooth and glossy finish. However, when left unglazed, the porcelain exhibits a matte texture, giving it a warm, white hue and a soft and distinct impression. This technique enhances the delicate ridges characteristic of Arita porcelain ware and allows for intricate, three-dimensional dial patterns to stand out more prominently. For the new creation, a textured rhombus pattern adorns the area around the indexes. Historically, this pattern has been considered an auspicious motif symbolising the prosperity of descendants and good health and has been widely used in Arita porcelain ware. The gold-coloured indexes and hands stand out beautifully against the matte white dial, creating a striking contrast. The production of each watch dial consists of a multi-stage process that requires precisely controlled moulding and firing procedures and involves great skill and patience. To give the dials the strength required for a watch, the artisans use a type of Arita porcelain specially formulated to be more than four times harder and more durable than traditional porcelain. A very precise casting mould is used to achieve the difficult task of giving each dial the meticulous pattern required for this wristwatch. Under the supervision of Arita porcelain master craftsman Hiroyuki Hashiguchi, the dials are created by Toshiaki Kawaguchi and his colleagues at a manufacturing firm in Arita that has been making porcelain since 1830. Kawaguchi acquired his expertise in the intricate process through Hashiguchi's guidance. The use of Arita porcelain watch dials is one facet of Seiko's commitment to preserving horological culture and technical skills for future generations, keeping in mind Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations: 'Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.' This limited-edition watch is powered by Calibre 6R51, one of the newest additions to the mechanical 6R series. The wearer can view the movement's gold-coloured oscillating weight through the sapphire crystal case back. The watch will be available as a limited edition of 1,200 at Seiko Boutiques and select retail partners worldwide from July 2025.
Yomiuri Shimbun
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Southwest Japan's Challenges / Signs of Growth: Japan Firms Aim to Revive Industry Through Evolution of Traditional Crafts; Utilizing Traditional Craft in Non-Traditional Ways
This is the second installment in a series of articles taking an in-depth look at industries with growth potential in Kyushu as well as Yamaguchi and Okinawa prefectures. ARITA, Saga — 'These products are known to be hard to break if they are dropped,' said Norihide Nishiyama, president of a company that makes Arita ware porcelain products. 'We are receiving more and more orders.' The town of Arita, Saga Prefecture, is traditionally known for creating products called Arita ware. Nishiyama, 74, president of Takumi Co. in Arita, spoke on May 19 about some of his company's products that are dubbed 'the strongest porcelain in the world.' In the company's workshop, artisans were quietly shaping tableware products. To see if the products could live up to their name, I dropped an item from a height of about 70 centimeters onto the floor. It did not break. The porcelain's strength is about 330 megapascals, which is four times stronger than ordinary porcelain. The porcelain was developed by the Saga Ceramics Research Laboratory in the town. It was released and advertised as the strongest in the world in 2016, the 400th anniversary of when Arita ware was first developed. The company also patented the porcelain. To achieve this strength, Nobuaki Kamochi, 54, and other researchers at the laboratory conducted about 600 experiments to determine the optimum ratio of clay, glass components and artificially produced alumina, which are the ingredients to make porcelain. The group largely succeeded in reducing the size of the bubbles formed in porcelain firing. The bubbles are the cause of breakage. Manufacturers in the prefecture are permitted to use this technology, and the production process remains the same when using the specialized porcelain. 'Even thin products retain their strength,' Kamochi said. 'Our technology has expanded the range of design possibilities.' Takumi commercialized the specialized porcelain in 2022. Since then, orders have been steadily coming in, mainly from izakaya Japanese-style pubs in the Kanto and Kansai regions. The company shipped about 200 orders to restaurants in fiscal 2024, three times more than before its commercialization. 'We want to revive Arita ceramics, which have been overshadowed by plastic and import products,' Nishiyama said. Utilizing modern technologyA numerical control (NC) cutting machine, which is used in the industry to automatically create molds from plaster, has been improved by the laboratory and others, allowing for micrometer-level precision to create intricate designs. Shingama, a local ceramics manufacturer founded in 1830, uses an NC cutting machine and the specialized porcelain to produce dials for the luxury watch 'Presage' by Tokyo-based Seiko Watch Corp. While watch dials are typically made of metal, the Arita ware dial model, which was released in 2019, is both thin and durable. Eight models have been sold so far, priced between ¥200,000-¥270,000. 'The products, which combine the skills of seasoned craftspeople with modern technology, have been well-received not only in Japan but also overseas,' said a Shingama representative. Hiroyuki Hashiguchi, 60, senior managing director of Shingama, said, 'We've demonstrated the potential to expand the porcelain market to components for industrial products and precision machinery.' Seven ceramics manufacturers in Arita established a joint venture company called ARITA PLUS Co. in 2017 and began using NC cutting machines. The company hires designers and accepts custom orders from customers in Japan and overseas.'We can quickly create prototypes based on ideas and images exchanged on social media,' said Shinji Terauchi, 63, the head of ARITA PLUS. 'It streamlines our transactions.' First-class chefs Terauchi met at trade shows in France and Italy are among his customers, and his company now supplies tableware to luxury hotels and top-tier restaurants in Europe and Asia. 'Potential for growth' Following the signing of the 1985 Plaza Accord, which led to a strong yen, there was a sharp decline in exports of Japanese ceramics. After the bubble economy collapsed in early 1990s, domestic demand shifted toward inexpensive imported products, and sales to department stores and ryotei traditional Japanese restaurants also decreased. However, according to trade statistics of Japan, exports have grown again in recent years, reaching ¥26 billion in 2024, a threefold increase compared to 10 years ago. 'No other advanced nation has as many traditional crafts still in existence as Japan does,' said Kenji Kuramoto, a senior researcher at the Japan Economic Research Institute Inc.'s Industrial Research and Planning Department who is knowledgeable about crafts. 'Many of these crafts are high quality and functional. If their designs are refined and their cultural backgrounds are recognized, new sales channels will open up.' Kuramoto added: 'There is significant potential for growth in exports and sales to foreign tourists in Japan. The Kyushu region has enormous untapped potential, as it has many essential everyday crafts such as tableware and textiles.' Craft tourismIn addition to Arita ware, Kurume kasuri, an ikat textile produced in the Chikugo region of Fukuoka Prefecture, has become more popular for its monpe work pants, which were worn by female farmworkers until around the 1940s. Kurume kasuri monpe was commercialized by Takahiro Shiramizu, 39, who founded Unagino Nedoko, a company selling crafts and other items, in Yame, Fukuoka Prefecture, in 2012. As the pants are 'breathable, water-absorbent and comfortable,' Shiramizu thought they would still be popular today. The product has sold well, and its production has spread to local companies. Shiramizu's company now has seven shops, including in Fukuoka City and Tokyo. Shiramizu is from Saga Prefecture and moved to Yame after getting married. 'The charm of an area is often discovered by people who moved there,' he said. Shimogawa Orimono, a Yame-based company that manufactures Kurume kasuri, offers factory tours to popularize the fabric. Kyozo Shimogawa, 54, the third-generation president of the family operating the company, started giving the tours around 2016. The tours have attracted more than 1,000 visitors annually. The company has also started accepting interns from overseas. About 20 people, mostly from Europe, have learned traditional Japanese techniques before returning home. Shimogawa has been giving lectures on kasuri in France and other countries in Europe since 2017. His company's kasuri has been used by high-end fashion brands as well. 'I want to convey to young people in Japan that kasuri is highly valued worldwide,' Shimogawa said. Tomohiro Haraoka, a director of the Nihon Kogei Sanchi Kyokai (Association of production areas of Japanese crafts), has promoted craft tourism, which focuses on visiting areas where crafts are produced. 'Making production areas more open and accessible, and fostering exchanges with domestic and international consumers, peers and other industries, can lead to reevaluating production areas,' Haraoka said. Reviving traditional crafts has the potential to become a pillar of regional growth strategies.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Seiko's new Presage Classic Series is refined elegance defined
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. QUICK SUMMARY The new Presage Classic Series is a family of three compact and classically good-looking watch from Seiko. Elegant, and with an automatic movement with 72 hours of power reserve, each of the three models is priced at £900 and available to pre-order now. Some watches shout loudly about their design, or their mechanical sophistication. Others quietly exude elegance, and the latest collection from Seiko is most definitely the latter. It's called the Presage Classic Series, and while it doesn't yell from the rooftops about high-end horology or daring design, its elegance was enough to win me over at first sight. Featuring a 36 mm case – the perfect size for a gender-neutral timepiece – the Presage collection includes three models, called Aijiro, Fushi-iro and Shiro-iro. With stainless steel and matching straps, they feature dial colours of light indigo, light brown and white. All three were popular colours of the Edo period, Seiko says, while the dial texture is inspired by Japanese silk. The collection is driven by Seiko's own 6R51 calibre automatic mechanical movement. It promises 72 hours of power reserve and Seiko says it is accurate to -15/+25 seconds per day. The domed, silk-like dial is protected by a dual curved sapphire crystal. Seiko says the curved hands and indices are intended to 'evoke a vintage style' while maximising light reflection in a bid to improve legibility. A seven-link stainless steel bracelet, offered in silver and gold colour, gives the watch a retro 1970s aesthetic, with the compact links designed to improve movement and comfort. Available to pre-order from 1st May, each member of the three-piece collection is priced at £900.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
UZLeuven and VIB-KU Leuven Announce First Patient Treated in Ground-Breaking Malignant Melanoma Study
SEATTLE, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- UZ Leuven and VIB-KU Leuven, in collaboration with Seattle-based Presage Biosciences, are announcing the first patient treated in a Non-randomized (phase I – pharmacodynamic only) open label, single center single arm interventional pilot study. By combining intratumoral treatment with systemic anti-PD1 therapy in first line patients with metastatic (stage IV) or inoperable stage III melanoma, the trial studies how patient tumors respond to up to 7 different drugs simultaneously dosed intratumorally with the help of Presage's Comparative In Vivo Oncology (CIVO) microinjection device. The drugs are spatially microdosed in a patient's tumor while they are also undergoing anti-PD1 systemic therapy with the goal of identifying drugs that have an enhanced combination effect in this patient population. The localized effect of the different drugs is analyzed with cutting edge single cell spatial technology providing new insights into melanoma biology and the anti-tumor action of the CIVO dosed drugs when combined with systemic anti-PD1 therapy. Prof. Dr. Oliver Bechter, Medical Oncologist at UZ Leuven, comments on this innovative study design: "This is the first study of its kind studying locally administered anti-cancer drugs in combination with systemic anti-PD1 therapy in first line treated melanoma patients. With this pilot study we intend to study the effect of novel combination therapies intratumorally very early in the treatment course of melanoma patients. This pilot study will show the feasibility of such an approach to find new treatments especially for anti-PD1 refractory patients." Prof. Dr. Chris Marine, Cancer Biologist of the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology added: "The introduction of this groundbreaking technology has ushered us into a new frontier in translational research, enabling us to translate our most promising laboratory discoveries directly into patients. By utilizing our expertise in advanced spatial multi-omics, we will gain an unparalleled understanding of each tumor's biology and its sensitivity to various drug combinations. The unique data generated from this will be invaluable in accelerating our efforts to combat this disease." This first of its kind study is made possible by the multiplex CIVO delivery technology developed by Presage that is now being used in early phase clinical studies to evaluate multiple investigational new drugs and combinations all within a single intact patient tumor. Jason Frazier, VP of Technology and Research Operations at Presage echoed the enthusiasm for this novel clinical study design: "Drs. Bechter and Marine and their teams at UZ Leuven and VIB-KU Leuven have come up with an exciting and innovative clinical study design to assess tumor response to multiple different drugs in combination with Check Point blockade using our CIVO technology. This personalized approach to identify effective combination therapies holds great promise for the treatment of melanoma patients." About the VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer BiologyCancer has many causes. Often it is a combination of lifestyle, environmental factors and genetic variation. We need to fight cancer on many fronts, and this can only be done by using knowledge. The VIB-KU Leuven Center for Cancer Biology researchers unravel new mechanisms in order to develop both specific diagnostic methods and treatments. About UZ Leuven More than a hospitalUZ Leuven is a university hospital where patients can count on specialized care and innovative treatments, combined with humane attention and respect for every person. Every day, more than 10,000 passionate employees provide the best possible custom-made care. Future care providers and employees receive high-quality training in UZ Leuven, with a view towards lifelong learning and innovation. As a pioneer in clinical research, the hospital also contributes to future patient care. About Presage BiosciencesPresage Biosciences is a leader in translational oncology, revolutionizing how cancer therapies are developed and evaluated. Our groundbreaking CIVO® technology, combined with spatial genomics, enables the simultaneous assessment of multiple drug candidates or combinations directly within a patient's tumor microenvironment. By leveraging CIVO's microdose technology and our extensive clinical network, we provide pharma and biotech partners with invaluable, data-driven insights into drug and combination efficacy at the earliest stages of clinical development—often in parallel with Phase 1 trials or as a first-in-human approach. Together with our partners we can accelerate the clinical development process by delivering critical information on target engagement and patient tumor microenvironment response before committing to full-dose systemic studies or later-phase trials. For more information on our CIVO technology and Phase 0 studies, please reach out to us at info@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Presage Biosciences Inc Sign in to access your portfolio
