Here Is Four Reasons Why Seiko Is One Of The Most Impressive Watchmakers Worldwide

Press release: 15 November, 2021:I have always liked Seiko. One of my first watches I purchased was a Black Monster, followed by an ever-changing roster of solid SKX divers as also some odd vintage pieces that includes an original Turtle and a 6139 "Pogue chronograph (sadly not found) and not one , but two 4006-6031 Bell-Matics (neither of which are operating, but that's a different story). Seiko Australia offered me an opportunity to tour their Japanese production facilities. I was wearing an Astron.

It's safe to say I had my own preconceived notions of the experience. I was thrilled to see the Micro Artists Studio and Morioka which is where Grand Seiko is assembled. The truth is, I wasn't prepared in any way. Though my assumptions about seiko tuna were right but they weren't able to convey the sheer scale of the business. The company's structure was explained clearly in the one-hour presentation on the first day. Multiple factory tours, large rooms that were crowded with people, and equipped by new and old machines made the difference. Here are four things I learned during my visit and not in any specific order.

There are two types of quartz, quartz and quartz.

It's not the first time I have been accused of labeling quartz watches as low-quality mass-market accessories. However, Seiko's 9F movement quickly proved that I was incorrect. It's not just sturdy, made by hand with 133 parts that can last up to 50 years without needing an oil change. It also has a date wheel that can change in just 1/2000th of a second. The thing that really got me was that they age the quartz crystals.

It is evident that every quartz is not the same. Seiko uses its 9F crystals. These are stored for 90 days to stabilize the performance which is then measured every day 540 times, and is then individually compensated for variations in temperature. The result is +/- 10 seconds per annum. This kind of dedication and care would be expected in a hardcore technological device for timing and not in an electronic watch. This is overkill in the best sense.

Diving with the best

Seiko's dive watches are famous, and have a long-standing history. The brand was approached by an experienced saturation diver in 1968 to inquire about a specific list of specs. He needed a watch that would work flawlessly at 350m and also be durable enough to stand up to the force of impact in deep, freezing cold, and dark waters as well as deal with the issue of helium ingress and egress. In 1975, Seiko released the amazing 6159-7010 (also known as the Grandfather Tuna), which was an innovative diving watch with a rating of 600 meters and featuring 23 world firsts. The case itself was constructed out of a single piece thin titanium, and was fitted with the distinctive shroud that protected it from the hardened version of titanium (later ceramic) to shield against shocks. Seiko also created an L-shaped crystal gasket that provides superior gas and water resistance.

We were shown a table from JAMSTEC, a national research institute, which showed the impact of saturation diving on Seiko professional divers. The table was compared with three top competitors. The table was interesting and backed Seiko's popularity. Unfortunately, Seiko was too polite not to mention the brands that were not Seiko's.

Spring Drive a real revolution

Watch companies often promote their patent-pending technology as being groundbreaking. It's uncommon for this technology to be regarded as revolutionary. Seiko's Spring Drive system was the result of a lot of dedication and passion that was led by Mr. Yoshikazu Akahane who wanted to create the ultimate watch that is as precise like quartz, and as durable as an automatic. The most distinctive aspect of Spring Drive is that the Tri-synchro regulator is an oscillator made of quartz, which is powered from the rotor and coil blocks to regulate the hand which results in quartz-like precision as well as the silky smooth glide of the hands is an attribute of this technology. However, developing this technology wasn't easy or fast. While the first prototype was created in 1982, commercialization of the technology didn't occur until 1999. In the present, Spring Drive stands out as one of the unique watch technologies.

The precision and durability

If my experience with Seiko had one common theme it was that the company is always striving for precision in perpetuity which completely altered how I thought about Seiko. I was previously thinking that Seiko was a little variety of things from quartz for mass-market use up to the top horology. This all becomes clear when you look at it from the perspective of this unifying philosophy. Their groundbreaking work with quartz technology, along with techniques like the Magic Lever Spring Drive, Astron and even the strength and flawless finishing of Grand Seiko, all speak to their quest for the highest level of perfection. Although they may not have arrived to that point yet, but that shouldn't hinder them from relentlessly pursuing this goal for the foreseeable future.

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