by Grand Seiko Japanese Independent Luxury Watch Company
Until recently, Grand Seiko was Seiko’s luxury division, producing its first watch in 1960 (manufactured by Seiko’s subsidiary, Suwa Seikosha). It produced a new movement, Caliber 3180, which was accurate to +12 to -3 seconds per day and had a power reserve of 45 hours. It was a major advance for Japan and the country’s first chronometer-grade watch – meeting the standards of excellence of the Bureaux Officiels de Contrôle de la Marche des Montres. Seiko launched the Grand Seiko Self-Dater in 1964, which featured a date complication and increased water resistance to 50 meters. In 1967, the 44GS set the design standard and style for the Grand Seiko, including the use of reflections or “quality flashes” (faceted hands and indexes designed to reflect minimal light). The 44GS established nine specific design elements that can still be seen on today’s models.
In 2017, Seiko CEO Shinji Hattori announced that Grand Seiko would become a separate independent brand and removed the customary Seiko logo from the 12 o’clock position on the dial (Grand Seiko moved from 6 o’clock to this position). This step helps further differentiate Japan’s most famous luxury watch from Seiko’s otherwise very diverse portfolio. Hattori continues as President and CEO of Grand Seiko, which has been in the Hattori family since 1881 (founded by Kintarō Hattori). The clock position of the dial (Grand Seiko moves from 6 o’clock to this position). This step helps further differentiate Japan’s most famous luxury watch from Seiko’s otherwise very diverse portfolio. Hattori continues as President and CEO of Grand Seiko, which has been in the Hattori family since 1881 (founded by Kintarō Hattori). The clock position of the dial (Grand Seiko moves from 6 o’clock to this position). This step helps further differentiate Japan’s most famous luxury watch from Seiko’s otherwise very diverse portfolio. Hattori continues as President and CEO of Grand Seiko, which has been in the Hattori family since 1881 (founded by Kintarō Hattori).
The fit and finish of Grand Seiko watches is among the best in the industry, with each piece finished by hand. Every detail has been considered, some of which may even have been overlooked. Multiple facets and angles are cut into the hand individually, with some layers only visible through high magnification. The hands and case are also finished with the Zaratsu technique, an ancient method used to polish katana swords, providing an even and undistorted mirror finish. Viewed from different angles, the reflection of the pointer varies from silver to deep black. Even the inside of the case, which the wearer may never see, is painstakingly polished by hand. Arguably the most popular Grand Seiko dial is the “Snowflake” produced in-house at the Shiojiri dial workshop. The textural effect is achieved by using multiple translucent layers and makes the finished dial look like fresh snow on the ground. Whether in steel, titanium or precious metals, the cases, dials and hands are on par with (and often better than) their Swiss and European counterparts.
Grand Seiko has always focused on mechanical perfection, with the 61GS and 45GS models adopting high-frequency movements in 1968, and the revised models in 1969 achieving an accuracy of +/- one minute per month. All movements are produced in-house, and all, whether mechanical, quartz or Spring Drive, are higher than chronometer performance. The latter two are somewhat unique in the luxury industry, as quartz is generally considered less popular than mechanical movements. Grand Seiko didn’t shy away from technology, launching the 95GS in 1988 with the brand’s first quartz movement, accurate to within ten seconds per year. In 2003, a quartz chip with a magnetoresistance of 40,000A/m was launched.
However, the proprietary Spring Drive is the most impressive technical achievement. It combines a mechanical movement with quartz technology, replacing the traditional escapement with a quartz oscillator, but everything is still powered by the mainspring (no batteries). This gives the precision of quartz to the very nature of a mechanical watch, to a level that cannot be achieved with a mechanical watch. The seconds hand does not “tick” like a traditional quartz watch, but sweeps in a perfectly fluid motion, free of the tiny jumps of a fully mechanical movement. The first Spring Drive Grand Seiko to use Caliber 9R65 was launched in 2004, but Seiko introduced the first Spring Drive movement in 1999.
In 2007, the 9R8 series was the first Grand Seiko Spring Drive chronograph, including vertical clutch, column wheel and GMT indication. This gives the precision of quartz to the very nature of a mechanical watch, to a level that cannot be achieved with a mechanical watch. The seconds hand does not “tick” like a traditional quartz watch, but sweeps in a perfectly fluid motion, free of the tiny jumps of a fully mechanical movement. The first Spring Drive Grand Seiko to use Caliber 9R65 was launched in 2004, but Seiko introduced the first Spring Drive movement in 1999.
Grand Seiko is a bit of an anomaly in the industry, as it produces luxury watches comparable to European brands, but from a country more associated with quartz technology and mass production. Handwork and old-school techniques are the standard for watchmakers and artisans, and everything, including the quartz crystals, is an in-house creation. Many of the pricier Swiss offerings cannot match the level of fit and finish of a Grand Seiko, be it the hands, dial or case. Purists may forego Spring Drive technology because quartz oscillators don’t have the romance and mystery of mechanical escapements, but there’s no denying the quality and accuracy of the brand’s hybrid movements. The three-hand version still has over 200 components and over 300 chronographs. Urushi (Japanese lacquer) dial. For those seeking the romance of traditional timepieces, Grand Seiko offers the latest in quartz technology for the highest accuracy and highly refined in-house mechanical movements.
