There are manufacturers which might be well-loved by collectors, journalists and folks usually smitten by shopping for watches. We are going to all have totally different opinions of what these manufacturers are, however maybe we will agree on one title: Grand Seiko. The Japanese imprint solely emerged as a fully-fledged model from the shadow of Seiko comparatively not too long ago, in 2017. Nonetheless, everybody had been conscious of Seiko’s intentions to spin-off Grand Seiko as its personal full model since an announcement at BaselWorld someday after the road turned out there internationally. Technically although, it helps to contemplate that Grand Seiko can be a deeply rooted a part of Seiko’s grand historical past, and it earned its proper to face by itself deserves. These deserves wanted to be well-established for Seiko to decide to an impartial future for it. One approach to perceive all that is to go to Grand Seiko’s manufacturing services in Japan, which is clearly what we did.

Uniquely amongst our manufacture excursions on this Legacy annual, now we have very not too long ago printed a narrative on Grand Seiko’s industrial and artisanal bases. Regardless of the superb story that WOW Thailand shared with us, we felt there was extra so as to add; the story within the Summer time situation this 12 months solely focusses on the brand new Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi (GSSS) whereas additionally establishing the Seiko connection by way of Seiko Home. That story will function the launchpad for this one, although you needn’t have learn it to take pleasure in this newest chapter. That is primarily as a result of, for this go to, we received to see and expertise the Atelier Ginza in Seiko Home Ginza, the place the Kodo is put collectively, in addition to the operations in Nagano, at Seiko Epson. The truth is, we might have crafted this complete story on what the earlier story didn’t cowl, which means simply the brand new websites, however now we have chosen to do issues a bit in a different way.

Simply as a watch is greater than the sum of its components, Grand Seiko is excess of simply an amalgamation of a number of manufacturing websites. To start with, it is very important think about that Grand Seiko watches are made totally in Japan and that the appreciable assets of Seiko must be considered. As matter of sensible information, it’s merely not possible to keep away from GSSS as a result of it’s the purpose this tour passed off in any respect. On the similar time, we all know that our readers and collectors on the whole are hungry for information about GSSS and we should oblige. Earlier than we transfer on although, we are going to reiterate that Grand Seiko, and Seiko for that matter, don’t simply have one or two and even three manufacturing websites. For instance, whereas we noticed motion meeting and casing up at GSSS, the parts manufacturing facility was in one other adjoining constructing.

Delectable Items

The truth is, the very best place to find this reality is at Seiko Home Ginza, the place the Atelier Ginza opened simply final 12 months. A small workshop, there may be house for fewer than half a dozen watchmakers right here, and just one was current once we visited (Time + Tide studies that there’s at the least one different watchmaker working right here). At current, we’re knowledgeable that the watchmakers right here solely work on the 9ST1 motion, which after all belongs the magnificent Kodo SLGT003. The watchmaker we met was none aside from Takuma Kawauchiya himself, the person who developed the motion and who has received over legions of watch lovers and journalists. He confirmed the prototype of the motion and defined that Atelier Ginza is the place Grand Seiko will work on mechanical watches of the best order.

Its location, within the coronary heart of Ginza, is not any accident with Grand Seiko CEO Akio Naito (see our interview with him on this situation) confirming that Atelier Ginza is supposed to be a form of working showcase of the model’s capabilities. It’s a delicate train in model communication, and permits collectors to simply see how one thing just like the Kodo will get lovingly assembled. Whereas the situation, on the seventh ground of the constructing, is just accessible by appointment, it’s made for guests. Reinforcing this reality are the big see-through panels separating the lobby from the workspace. In a method, this mirrors the set-up at GSSS, and has just about the identical impact. Additionally deeply attractive right here is an outsized chocolate sculpture of the Kodo, which appears to be like each bit as delectable because the watch; we surprise how typically Grand Seiko has to have it changed.

Again For Seconds

On condition that Grand Seiko has various disparate places for its manufacturing actions, we are going to return to this topic in the direction of the tip. For now, we be aware for the report that we aren’t presenting data right here in chronological order. Since Atelier Ginza is spiritually linked with GSSS, we are going to transfer straight into that location now. Technically, the Seiko services in Morioka (the biggest metropolis in Iwate Prefecture, the place GSSS is situated) contains various manufacturing websites, together with Morioka Seiko Devices Inc, alongside the close-to 2,000sqm Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi. There’s a lot to say concerning the GSSS, which was accomplished in 2020 simply in time for the sixtieth anniversary of Grand Seiko (the primary watch within the household of watches, which was then underneath Seiko).

On that be aware, there may be an fascinating show of historical past right here, which is rather more area of interest than the museum at Seiko Home Ginza. Not solely is the primary Grand Seiko piece from 1960 included, so is the primary Seiko watch, all the way in which again from 1913. This was the Laurel, which was additionally Japan’s first wristwatch; it’s accompanied in a bit show by the Marvel (1956) and the Crown (1959). This unassuming showcase illustrates that Grand Seiko’s legacy itself is way longer than its 60 years implies. Whereas this be aware does take up a little bit of house in our already constrained pages, a difficulty known as Legacy can’t ignore one thing like this.

Maybe the obvious factor to notice about GSSS just isn’t crucial although, and that’s its comparatively compact measurement and standing as a Kengo Kuma-design. In the event you go to, and the GSSS does settle for guests, the constructing itself will imprint itself onto your creativeness and you’ll not quickly neglect it. As now we have written within the aforementioned story in situation #69, every part within the GSSS is organized on two ranges, of which the bottom degree (seen right here, reverse) is most outstanding as a result of that is the place watchmaking work occurs. Once more, keep in mind that top problems such because the Kodo usually are not assembled right here; alternatively, the Tentagraph SLGC001 motion was assembled and completed right here, as was the 9AS5 high-beat calibre. Casing up and testing additionally occurs proper right here.

Springing Ahead

Regardless of having rather more to say about this, we should transfer on to our closing cease earlier than we run out of house and have to finish abruptly. This final cease, on the Nagano services that produce the Spring Drive watches, seems to be probably the most sophisticated. To start with, the Seiko Epson manufacturing facility just isn’t a part of the Seiko Group or the Seiko Watch Company. Because the title states, that is successfully a three way partnership between Seiko and Epson. For collectors and fans, the important thing factor to remember right here is that Seiko Epson is all about Spring Drive, and quartz too. That signifies that additionally it is about one other Seiko imprint, Credor, as properly a model that has nothing to do with Seiko, and every part to do with Epson: Orient.

Now, having mentioned that, work on Grand Seiko watches occurs in devoted areas that aren’t used for something aside from Grand Seiko. Helpfully, for an article like this one, there’s a single title for this space: the Shinshu Watch Studio. With Credor and Grand Seiko, there are overlaps simply as one would possibly discover at Ulysse Nardin and Girard- Perregaux (see elsewhere on this part). That is most evident within the Micro-Artist Studio, the place particular dials (the Credor Eichi II) and issues such because the Credor chiming mannequin come to life.

The Shinshu Watch Studio is probably the most manufacture- like set-up that now we have seen on this go to, with ending and meeting occurring in separate areas. Additionally it is the form of house that showcases the commercial method to creating and ending components. Manufacturing of arms and indices are a terrific instance right here, with metal arms getting that signature blue color via warmth therapies which might be standardized (an open oven, successfully, that permits many units of arms to be blued on the similar time). The sprucing of indices is a revelation, for anybody who has ever ogled the little appliques on the dial and puzzled if these are all individually polished. Effectively, they’re and they aren’t; a batch of those, that are all equal in any case, are loaded into a bit housing implement that permits a machine to shine all of the related surfaces. Which means that batches have to be tracked and subjected to a number of rounds of sprucing, one in every of which you’ll see right here (reverse web page, backside).

The above description has taken a great little bit of house, and the explanation for that’s that it may be utilized to nearly every part that occurs at Seiko Epson for Grand Seiko. This contains every part from motion meeting and ending (reverse web page, prime), to the making of circumstances and dials (together with the Snowflake and naturally Lake Suwa), and particular touches akin to Zaratsu sprucing (creating the famed distortion-free reflection on the case surfaces, seen beneath). It’s all conventional, however all performed with the rigour and precision of latest machining strategies and expertise. Actions made right here embrace calibres 9F and 9RA5, and we predict it solely becoming that Spring Drive actions are nonetheless made within the facility (again when it was known as Suwa Seikosha) that developed it greater than 20 years in the past.

If nothing else, the ultimate part of this story concurrently reveals how sophisticated Grand Seiko’s manufacturing regime is. However, that is a part of a sample, with the Kodo calibre not produced in Shizukuishi however Ginza; this has resulted in unlucky however comprehensible publication errors (the place pictures of SLGT003 have been used as an example tales on GSSS). Certainly, we’re extra cautious of unforced errors on this story than anyplace else, however we’re sure the extra educated amongst you’ll not hesitate to level these out! Because the closing story on this part on manufacturing websites, the narrative right here must have satisfied you that no manufacture is basically the identical as one other as a result of there are sometimes sturdy variances even inside the similar model. If you’re not satisfied but, properly come again subsequent 12 months and we are going to attempt once more…

This text first appeared on WOW’s Legacy 2024 situation

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