Dedegumo Watch Store at 188 Orchard Calls it Quits

Apparently trendy handcrafted watches were not exactly what the Lower East Side wanted. Dedegumo, that specialty Japanese watch brand that opened an outpost-workshop at 188 Orchard Street, folded last month after barely two years in business. Sales will continue online in the wake of the closure.

Meanwhile, its slatted woodwork facade and store branding remain in place despite the mid-month departure. And that familiar Misrahi Realty sign hangs somberly above, which these days resembles a tombstone of sorts.

The nascent jewelry joint offered a selection of watches designed in Kyoto, but each crafted on premises. On any given day, you could see watchmakers hunched over the timepieces. No longer.