Tag Archives: Watches

ANGEL CLOVER Closes Initial D’s 30th Year With First Automatic Watches

The Initial D 30th anniversary campaign has been running all year, but ANGEL CLOVER is saving the most technically ambitious piece for last. The Tokyo watchmaker, distributed in Asia by Ueni Trading, has announced its first-ever automatic movement collab watches for the franchise: two skeleton-dial models inspired by Takumi Fujiwara’s Toyota AE86 and his father Bunta’s Subaru Impreza WRX GC8 type R STi. Both go on sale 30 September 2026 at the official ANGEL CLOVER website (Japanese).

Fujiwara Takumi ANGEL CLOVER AE86 automatic watch with Initial D 30th anniversary art
Image courtesy of ANGEL CLOVER

Takumi’s AE86 — the IN45-AE86

The IN45-AE86 is the watch that belongs on Takumi’s wrist. At 12 o’clock sits 86, the number that defines the car. The bezel is carbon fibre — echoing the AE86’s bonnet — while the skeleton dial lets you watch the automatic movement tick through its rotations exactly as you would watch the engine spin through a downhill run. A sub-dial evokes the car’s dashboard gauges. The case back carries the Initial D 30th anniversary logo and a wheel motif. Retail price: ¥59,290 (tax included).

ANGEL CLOVER IN45-AE86 Initial D automatic skeleton watch clean product shot carbon bezel
Image courtesy of ANGEL CLOVER

Bunta’s GC8 Impreza — the IN45-GC8

Where Takumi’s watch is dark carbon and stealth, the IN45-GC8 goes deep blue with gold accents — a quiet authority that suits the father who could out-drive his son without blinking. The 8 numeral at 12 o’clock references the GC8 designation, and the same automatic skeleton movement ticks beneath the dial. The bezel here is polished stainless steel rather than carbon, reflecting the character contrast at the heart of the story. The 30th anniversary engraving appears on the case back as well. Retail price: ¥54,450 (tax included). Singapore retail availability has not been confirmed at time of writing.

Fujiwara Bunta GC8 Subaru Impreza ANGEL CLOVER automatic watch Initial D 30th
Image courtesy of ANGEL CLOVER

30th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Keyholders

Both watches ship with a commemorative coin keyholder featuring the Initial D 30th anniversary logo — gold-toned for the AE86 model and silver-toned for the GC8. Given the pairing, fans who collect both get the full set without hunting for extras. It’s the kind of detail the series has always rewarded.

Initial D 30th anniversary commemorative coin keyholders gold and silver by ANGEL CLOVER
Image courtesy of ANGEL CLOVER

About Initial D

Initial D (頭文字D) is the mountain-racing manga by Shuichi Shigeno, serialised in Kodansha’s Weekly Young Magazine from 1995 to 2013, with over 56 million copies sold worldwide. The series follows Takumi Fujiwara’s rise from tofu-delivery driver on Mount Akina to unbeatable downhill ace, with his father Bunta as the quietly legendary figure in the background who set the standard. Its influence on car culture, drifting, and anime across Asia — Singapore included — is still felt three decades on.

Pre-orders and purchase details will be on the official ANGEL CLOVER Initial D feature page (Japanese) from 30 September 2026. Browse more manga and anime merch coverage in our full archive.

ANGEL CLOVER’s Wangan Midnight Watches Launch 7 August

Three days from now, Singapore car-manga fans have something to add to the calendar: ANGEL CLOVER, the Tokyo-based watchmaker distributed by Ueni Trading, has teamed with Kodansha for the first-ever official Wangan Midnight collaboration timepieces. Both models go on sale 7 August 2026 via the official ANGEL CLOVER website (Japanese).

Asakura Akio Devil's Z model watch by ANGEL CLOVER with Wangan Midnight manga art
Image courtesy of ANGEL CLOVER

Devil’s Z Watch — the WM40-Z

The WM40-Z centres on Asakura Akio and his cursed Nissan Fairlady Z S30. A deep-blue dial carries 28 at the 12 o’clock position — a direct nod to the legendary L28-kai engine that powers the Devil’s Z. Cockpit-style sub-dials mimic the car’s instrument cluster, the crown is engraved with a “Z”, and the case back bears a wheel-motif design alongside the Wangan Midnight logo. The watch is solar-powered and comes on a triple-link stainless steel bracelet.

ANGEL CLOVER WM40-Z Wangan Midnight Devil's Z solar watch product shot
Image courtesy of ANGEL CLOVER

Blackbird Watch — the WM40-BK

Shima Tatsuya’s Porsche 911 Turbo — the Blackbird — gets its own model in commanding all-black. 911 takes the prominent position at the top of the dial, while the dark palette and orange-accented sub-dials mirror the understated menace of the car itself. The crown and push-button adopt a tyre-and-wheel theme in black and silver; the case back features the Blackbird’s wheel pattern and the Wangan Midnight name. Both watches retail at ¥36,300 (tax included) in Japan. Singapore retail availability has not been confirmed at time of writing.

ANGEL CLOVER WM40-BK Wangan Midnight Blackbird watch with Shima Tatsuya manga art
Image courtesy of ANGEL CLOVER

Purchase Bonus: Metal-Plate Keyholder

Every purchase includes a metal-plate keyholder depicting the buyer’s chosen car — Fairlady Z S30 or Porsche 911 Turbo — branded with both the Wangan Midnight and ANGEL CLOVER marks. For collectors it sits comfortably alongside the scale models and artbooks that have built up over the series’ long run.

Wangan Midnight ANGEL CLOVER purchase bonus metal keyholders for Devil's Z S30 and Blackbird Porsche 911
Image courtesy of ANGEL CLOVER

About Wangan Midnight

Wangan Midnight (湾岸ミッドナイト) is the legendary automotive manga by Michiharu Kusunoki, serialised in Shogakukan’s Big Comic Spirits from 1990 to 2008. Set on the Shuto Expressway’s Tokyo Bay Shore Route, it follows the obsession of Asakura Akio and his cursed Devil’s Z in an eternal rivalry with Shima Tatsuya’s Blackbird. The series inspired a 2007 TV anime and several arcade titles — Singapore fans who grew up with Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune at the local arcade will recognise both cars at a glance.

Both watches are available from 7 August 2026 at angelclover.jp (Japanese). For more collab merchandise and pop-culture coverage, check our manga and anime section.

GARRACK Ghost in the Shell Fuchikoma Watch — Pre-Orders Open 17 July

Just as the Ghost in the Shell 2026 anime is settling in on Prime Video Singapore, Japanese watchmaker GARRACK has dropped something that will stop hardcore fans mid-scroll: a fully mechanical watch with the Fuchikoma rendered in traditional mother-of-pearl raden on the dial. Pre-orders open 17 July 2026.

GARRACK Ghost in the Shell Fuchikoma Model watch frontal view with red leather strap
Image courtesy of GARRACK / Ueni Trading

What Is the GARRACK × Ghost in the Shell Fuchikoma Model?

GARRACK, the brand behind a line of anime-themed Japan-made mechanical watches — they previously collaborated on Evangelion raden pieces and Haikyu!! smartwatches — is releasing the Fuchikoma Model (SMS-KK-42-FK) under its S-MEISTER line. S-MEISTER pairs traditional Japanese craftsmanship with officially licensed anime IP, and all pieces are assembled in Japan by licensed watchmakers.

The specific collaboration is with Ghost in the Shell THE GHOST IN THE SHELL — Shirow Masamune’s original 1989 manga — rather than any single anime adaptation. The Fuchikoma, the AI-equipped spider-legged think tank that became one of the manga’s most iconic designs, takes centre stage on the dial, rendered entirely in raden inlay. The watch carries the official copyright credit: ©2026 Shirow Masamune/KODANSHA/THE GHOST IN THE SHELL COMMITTEE.

Pricing is set at ¥79,200 tax-included (roughly S$700–900 at prevailing exchange rates — check the product page for the exact amount at checkout). That is not an impulse buy — but for a handcrafted piece that combines a traditional Japanese art form with one of manga’s most celebrated sci-fi properties, the positioning is closer to artisan jewellery than mass merch.

Raden: The Craft That Makes Each Dial One-of-a-Kind

Close-up of the GARRACK Fuchikoma raden dial showing iridescent mother-of-pearl inlay and open-heart movement
Image courtesy of GARRACK / Ueni Trading

Raden (螺鈿) is a Japanese lacquerware technique that dates back centuries: abalone shell is ground down to 0.1 mm thin, coloured from the reverse side, then hand-cut into pieces and affixed one by one onto a lacquered base. The result catches light at every angle differently, giving raden dials that shifting, almost holographic quality visible in the press images here.

The craftsman behind each dial is Musashigawa Takeshi, fourth-generation head of the Musashigawa Workshop (武蔵川工房) in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture — a workshop founded in 1910 that has carried on the regional aobinuri blue-shell lacquerware tradition for over a century. Because nacre is a natural material applied entirely by hand, no two dials come out identical. Even two watches from the same production run will differ subtly in colour tone and pattern.

The design itself is layered with Ghost in the Shell references. The Fuchikoma is shown face-on, its body filling most of the dial. An open-heart aperture sits at roughly the 7 o’clock position — representing the manipulator arm in motion, and letting you see the MIYOTA movement ticking underneath. The hour indices are modelled on the Fuchikoma’s wheels; the hands reference its arms.

GARRACK Ghost in the Shell watch caseback showing JAPAN MADE and the series logo engraved through a transparent crystal
Image courtesy of GARRACK / Ueni Trading

Specs at a Glance

  • Model: SMS-KK-42-FK (Fuchikoma Model)
  • Movement: Automatic (MIYOTA, Japan)
  • Case: All stainless steel, 42 × 42 mm
  • Lens: Mineral glass
  • Water resistance: 5 ATM
  • Strap: Deep red leather, S-MEISTER pin buckle
  • Caseback: See-through, series logo engraved
  • Price: ¥79,200 (tax included)
Deep red leather strap with S-MEISTER pin buckle on the GARRACK Ghost in the Shell Fuchikoma watch
Image courtesy of GARRACK / Ueni Trading

How Singapore Fans Can Order

There are no confirmed Singapore retail stockists at this stage — the physical stockist list on the official GARRACK × Ghost in the Shell product page covers Japan stores only, including Yodobashi Camera, BicCamera, TiCTAC outlets, and Loft stores nationwide. However, the WORLDWIDEWATCH online store — one of GARRACK’s authorised e-commerce partners — accepts international orders and worldwide shipping, which means Singapore buyers can place orders directly without a forwarding service.

Pre-orders open: 17 July 2026
Release date: 31 July 2026

Given the hand-finished, one-of-a-kind nature of raden dials, production runs for these watches tend to be limited. If you are on the fence, it is worth visiting the product page on 17 July rather than waiting. Check out more anime and gaming merch we have covered for other finds worth adding to the list.

GARRACK x EVANGELION Raden Watches — Pre-Orders Open 12 June

Japan-made watchmaker GARRACK is bringing Neon Genesis Evangelion to your wrist — and the dial work alone makes this worth your attention. Three automatic mechanical watches inspired by Unit-01, Unit-02, and Unit-00 go on pre-order 12 June 2026, with sales opening 26 June 2026. International shipping is available, so Singapore fans can order direct.

GARRACK x EVANGELION raden watch collection featuring all three EVA units
Image courtesy of GARRACK / Ueni Trading

What Is the GARRACK EVANGELION Raden Watch Collection?

GARRACK is a Japanese character-collaboration watch brand distributed by Ueni Trading. Their speciality is pairing popular IP with traditional Japanese crafts — and for Evangelion they have gone with raden (螺鈿), the ancient technique of inlaying iridescent abalone shell onto lacquerwork.

Each dial is hand-finished by a fourth-generation raden artisan in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture — one of Japan’s most respected lacquerware regions. Because natural shell is used and every piece is applied by hand, no two watches are identical. The iridescent surface shifts colour with the angle of light, so the watch is never quite the same twice in different lighting.

Three EVANGELION Units, Three Distinct Dials

The collection covers the three lead Evangelion units, each with its unit designation at a unique index position on the dial:

  • Unit-01 (Ref. SMS-EVA-41-1) — ¥77,000 tax-included (approx. SGD 640)
  • Unit-02 (Ref. SMS-EVA-41-2) — ¥79,200 tax-included (approx. SGD 660)
  • Unit-00 (Ref. SMS-EVA-41-0) — ¥79,200 tax-included (approx. SGD 660)

The Unit-01 numeral sits at the 1 o’clock position, Unit-02 at 2 o’clock, and Unit-00 at 12 o’clock. A.T. Field-inspired indices run around each dial, and the see-through case back carries the NERV emblem — a detail that lands especially well in person.

GARRACK EVANGELION Unit-01 raden watch close-up showing handcrafted mother-of-pearl dial
Image courtesy of GARRACK / Ueni Trading

GARRACK EVANGELION Watch Specs

  • Movement: Automatic (MIYOTA)
  • Case: Stainless steel, 41 mm
  • Strap: Calf leather
  • Crystal: Mineral glass
  • Water resistance: 5 ATM
  • Caseback: See-through with NERV logo
GARRACK EVANGELION Unit-02 raden watch close-up
Image courtesy of GARRACK / Ueni Trading

How to Pre-Order from Singapore

GARRACK’s official feature page at WorldWideWatch.jp ships internationally, so Singapore fans can order direct and pay in Japanese yen. Pre-orders open 12 June 2026 and the watches officially go on sale 26 June 2026 (Friday). The collection is also available via the Evangelion Store, Rakuten, and Yahoo Shopping Japan if you prefer a proxy-shopping route.

SGD prices above are approximate at the time of writing — check a currency converter before you order.

Last Words

This is the kind of collab you won’t find at any local counter — a Japan-craft collector watch tied to a franchise that still hits hard here. Evangelion is in its 30th-anniversary year, and appetite for quality EVA merchandise among Singapore fans has never been higher. If you have been hunting for an EVA piece that doubles as a proper automatic watch, this is a strong contender. Pre-orders open in two days — bookmark the page now and check our merch coverage for more picks worth your wallet.