There's a vein of reality TV that thrives on our desire to watch the creation of something awe-inspiring, from guys planning epic custom cycles on American Chopper, to dudes gathering heaps of worthless trash on Junkyard Wars Jersey Shore. Showing you the process without the drama: Dedegumo.
This Kyoto import's inaugural US store's kicking out timepieces from a small shop boasting a window-front watchmakers' nook where they churn out their stock, plus a maple-/fir-accented display area decked out with terrariums, branches, and stumps, which is messed up since if that's what you've got, you probably can't wear a watch. Every in-house watchmaker's endowed with skills passed down through generations of horologists, and for the sake of continuity each totally unique ticker's made by a single craftsman from start to finish using materials and tools imported from Japan, necessary as all of our tools are busy reading their manga. Informed by contemporary Japanese design, current offerings include a golden-hued, honeycomb-faced joint, a dual-banded piece whose face is visible through a peephole in a brushed metal shield, and another with brass pieces jutting from its face resembling a steampunk satellite view of a hurricane -- rock it like one, and you'll totally Score-pion.
If custom's your wish, you can work with 'em from the ground up on deets like hand design, number stamping, band color, and case materials from brass to copper, one of whom will inevitably arrest you if you end up going to war over your trash.