Grand Seiko

Developed in the Micro Artist Studio, Seiko’s facility in Shiojiri, Japan, where the Spring Drive Minute Repeater, Sonnerie, and Eichi watches for Credor were also created – the Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8 Day Power Reserve comes in a new 18K rose gold case with a unique black sparkling dial. The dial is created using a special process that combines both plating and painting, along with five-faceted rose gold hands and hour markers. “The razor edge polishing of the hands and markers gives this creation the unique Grand Seiko signature, as does the exquisitely sharp mirror finish achieved by our new Zaratsu technique that was developed for the platinum version,” according to Grand Seiko. Through the sapphire caseback, you can view the one-piece bridge, jewels, and power reserve indicator of the caliber 9R01 Spring Drive movement (which is a hybrid

The other day I was searching for something to write about and randomly stumbled across this blog post about a Grand Seiko 6146-8000, which features two cool vintage ads, one from 1970, and the other from 1969. In addition to finding the ads, the author also interestingly pointed out that “cross-hair” dial versions of the Grand Seiko (which have 6146-8030TAD on the dial), tend to have a 93XXXX serial number, which means they are from 1969. He also stated that a cross-hair dial 61GS is rarer than the standard dial, as evidenced by the lack of availability. Which has been true the many times I have searched the web for this model as well. And while I do not think that the unique dial instantly makes the watch go up 500%+ over the regular version – which can easily happen

Last week, Seiko Corporation of America held the grand opening of its second United States boutique – which is also Seiko’s 71st boutique worldwide – in Miami’s Design District. The opening event was held at Michael’s Genuine in Miami, hosted by Seiko Corporation of America Chairman Akio Naito, and attended by over 100 guests. The Design District is known for its destination shopping that includes the world’s most prestigious brands and fittingly the new store primarily focuses on Seiko’s prestigious collections, including Grand Seiko, Astron, and Credor. It will also showcase collections never before sold in the US, including Presage, and various boutique exclusives within the US, including the Prospex collection. “The opening of our Miami Seiko Boutique truly signifies the beginnings of Seiko’s position as a permanent global leader in the timepiece industry. This boutique is a showcase of

Overview Dating back to 1881, Seiko is Japan’s oldest watchmaker. Grand Seiko, which was founded in 1960, is the company’s high-end watch line. There is even a higher line called Credor, but those pieces are significantly pricier and very rare. Grand Seiko is amongst a very elite group of mechanical watch manufactures (including Rolex) that can produce an entire mechanical timepiece – meaning the case, hands, dial, movement, fully in-house – from start to finish. And like the aforementioned brand, Grand Seiko is able to use their absolute control over production, as well as their watchmaking know-how, which dates back to the late 19th century, to produce superb timepieces. Every detail of a Grand Seiko exudes high-quality craftsmanship. The dial The dial of this Grand Seiko GMT (Ref. SBGM023) is silvered, but in certain light, it looks almost cream colored.

To celebrate the 55th Anniversary of Grand Seiko, a high-end division of Seiko, the Japanese watchmaker created a 400 piece limited edition Spring Drive Chronograph. A case in high-intensity titanium, measuring 43.5 mm by 16.5 mm, houses a specially tuned version of the Spring Drive caliber 9R96. According to the manufacture, “the crystal oscillators are selected individually with time and care, realizing an accuracy of +/- 0.5 seconds a day (+/- 10 seconds per month). A lion emblem in 18K yellow gold graces the oscillating weight to symbolize the enhanced accuracy.” This is the first ever Grand Seiko watch to use a ceramic bezel, which is seven times harder and 25% lighter than steel, and highly scratch-resistant. A ceramic bezel insert also gives a unique appearance versus steel or aluminum, in this case, a deep black. Further, it’s specially polished

Since its creation in 1960, Grand Seiko has produced timepieces that represent the best Japan has to offer. And for 2015, they debuted a new version of their first automatic: the 62GS. The modern reinterpretation, like the original, has a mirrored, multi-sided case and a wide dial opening achieved with a bezel-free construction and Grand Seiko’s unique “Zaratsu” polishing. Notably, in 1967, when the 62GS made its debut, the crown was recessed and placed at the 4 o’clock position to dramatize the fact that hand winding was not required. The 62GS also had the long and razor-edge hands that have always been part of the Grand Seiko signature. Inside, is the 35 jewel, in-house manufactured caliber 9S65 with automatic winding, with an oscillation frequency of 4Hz (or 8 beats per second). It has a mean daily rate of +5/-3, with

In August, Seiko opened their first US flagship boutique. The prime Madison Avenue location is home to the world’s premiere fashion and luxury brands. The boutique carries an unprecedented selection of Seiko products, including: Astron, Ananta, Prospex, Grand Seiko and Credor. Seiko Ananta Chronograph Grand Seiko watchmaker disassembling a movement Seiko Prospex 300 Diver Seiko Astron GPS watch - 2nd generation Samurai display Seiko Prospex Diver Grand Seiko Hi-Beat GMT Seiko Ananta Chronograph Grand Seiko Spring Drive Seiko Astron GPS The flagship Seiko boutique features numerous boutique exclusive timepieces, and the overall assortment is the best we’ve seen. It’s open for business now: 510 Madison Avenue (between 52nd & 53rd) New York, NY 10022 212-355-3718 For more, visit the dedicated boutique page.

Last August, I wrote an Editorial about a vintage Grand Seiko Hi-Beat (ref. 6146-8000) wristwatch that I had sent into Grand Seiko for cleaning and service. At the time, Grand Seiko informed me they could not service the watch because the mainspring was broken, and they no longer carried the part. Thankfully, a mainspring was eventually located, and the watch was fully serviced (through a non-official Seiko repair facility). The watch now works perfectly and looks great. More photos will be posted on PROFESSIONAL WATCHES later in the month. Since then, the process for servicing Seikos (and Grand Seikos) through the manufacturer has been greatly improved. As of May 2014, Seiko Corporation of America launched a new Service Center website (www.seikoserviceusa.com). It has been designed to reduce service turnaround time, according to Seiko, “from weeks to days.” The website offers

Grand Seiko is a brand for the informed watch buyer. On occasion, I have published articles about amazing timepieces from this high-end arm of the Japanese watch company and it has elicited a plethora of comments on social media.

As part of our new lifestyle series, each month we will feature a collaboration between a fine timepiece and a related lifestyle product. For February, we chose two products from Japan: a Grand Seiko 44GS Limited Edition wristwatch in steel and The Yamazaki Single Malt Whisky Aged 12-Years. While Japan is well known for producing automobiles and electronics. Producing fine mechanical watches and single malt whisky is not something they are widely recognized for. Nonetheless, they do produce both, and they do so with their own unique style and with all the quality you can expect from a Swiss mechanical watch or a Scottish single malt whisky. The Yamazaki Yamazaki is Japan’s first and oldest distillery. Inspired by Scottish whisky, Suntory was founded in 1923 by Shinjiro Torii. He envisioned creating a Japanese single malt whisky that is unique compared