Horological Curiosities: Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive
In Shinshu, Japan, there are two things of note. One is the Micro Artist Studio where master craftsmen hand-craft the Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches for the Masterpiece Collection. Then there is the Tateshina Waterfall found nearby in a primeval forest which served as the inspiration for the watches, of which only 50 were made.
The hour and minute hands, as well as each of the hand-applied, diamond-cut markers, are made of 14k white gold. The Platinum 950 case has a slim profile of just 9.6mm, the same thickness as the original 44GS from 1967, which was characterised by its flat surfaces and sharp edges.
The watch is offered with two straps. First there is a classically styled black strap made of crocodile leather, finished with glazing on the outer leather. The second, made by KYOTO Leather, has metallic accents and a design inspired by the shimmer of splashing water. KYOTO Leather fuses techniques learned from traditional kimono craftsmanship such as Nishijin weaving and ancient gold leafing techniques then hands it on to tanners from Himeji to create a style of leather you won’t find anywhere else in the world.
The timepiece is powered by the manual-winding Spring Drive Calibre 9R02. Measuring just 4.0mm thick, this is Grand Seiko’s thinnest Spring Drive movement to date. Its 84-hour power reserve is achieved through the Torque Return System and a Dual Spring Barrel.
The Red Lion
The Red Lion is the perfect nickname for the Spring Drive Limited Edition SBGD228. The very first Grand Seiko in 1960 had a lion fiercely emblazoned on the back, so bringing that ferocity all the way to the front was only a matter of time. The SBGD228 is an incredibly rare piece, with only a limited run of eight watches in total.
Each one is set with over 250 diamonds and Mozambique garnets; what little room is left for the actual case is made of 18k rose gold. At some point we’re just going to have to say that the diamonds are the case. In fact the jewels themselves act as the functions of the watch. There are no printed numbers; the garnets are set into the dial to let you know what the hour is. The legibility of this piece is superb with the centre dial made from a piece of wine-red mother-of-pearl. The jewels don’t stop there though. Both the crown and the lugs are decorated with diamonds.
On the inside keeping things ticking is the Spring Drive 8 Days Calibre 9R01 with a 192-hour or 8-day power reserve thanks to the movement employing a mechanism with three barrels arranged in a series. Completing the piece is a strap made of KYOTO Leather with leather sourced from Himeji, treated with a stamping technique to give it a unique colouration.