Dear friends, welcome back to our magazine.
Today we are here to tell you about a watch presented by Grand Seiko to celebrate 110 years since the birth of the first Japanese wristwatch.
Inspired by the first model presented by the Japanese maison in 1960, the new Grand Seiko encompasses all the savoir-faire and beauty to which the Asian manufacture has always accustomed us.
If you are a fan of Grand Seiko, visit our section dedicated to the brand.
A story that begins in 1881
When we talk about Grand Seiko, in opinion and personal taste, we are dealing with watches that in terms of price, placement and features, have very few rivals among modern timepieces. Maniacal in their attention to detail, the maison’s Japanese watchmakers are always striving for perfection within each watch.
Fascinating for technical innovations (just think of the Spring Drive movement) along with utterly unique dials, Grand Seiko has always excellently combined mechanical engineering with traditional Japanese decorative art.
The history of this manufacture has its roots as far back as 1881, the year Seiko’s adventure began.
And it was in that year that, one of Japan’s earliest and most prominent watchmakers, Kintaro Hattori, began his journey by opening a store in Ginza to repair and sell watches.
To begin producing the first watches under his own name (initially Seikosha, where “Seiko” means refinement and “sha” means home), in 1892 Kintaro Hattori bought a disused factory in Tokyo and founded the maison that would from then on write a fundamental piece of watchmaking history.
In 1895 saw the birth of the first watch produced by the house, a pocket timepiece known as the Timekeeper.
In 1913 came the first major breakthrough with the birth of the first Japanese wristwatch by Kintaro’s company, the Laurel.
A definitive step, in terms of the name as we know it today, occurred in 1924 with the first watch bearing the word “Seiko” on the dial.
There followed later milestones in the history of the maison that eventually resulted, in 1960, in the creation of a truly distinctive watch for Seiko, the Grand Seiko.
And it is here that, 110 years after the creation of the house’s first Japanese wristwatch and 63 years after the creation of the first Grand Seiko, the Japanese manufacture is celebrating this milestone with a new limited edition model.
The Grand Seiko 110th Anniversary
Inspired by the first Grand Seiko of 1960, this model in the Elegance collection, celebrating 110 years, fully recalls the aesthetic canons of its progenitor.
The raven black dial is made of the fine and durable Urushi lacquer. The finish was made possible by a special, unique treatment that can preserve the color over time.
The beauty of the dial is highlighted by the logo and hour markers made by Urushi master Isshu Tamura using the Maki-e technique, a special Japanese lacquer craftsmanship technique. Crafted with great precision, these are made, layer by layer, through the application of lacquer that can give three-dimensionality.
Next, the markers and logo are finished using the Maki-e technique through which a 24k gold powder is affixed and subsequently polished, a process that requires great precision above very small surfaces.
Inspired by the first Grand Seiko in history, this new model features a vintage-designed 38 mm case inside which beats the hand-wound movement.
This is Caliber 9S64 positioned inside the 10.9 mm thick case and visible through the sapphire crystal case back. With a power reserve of 72 hours, this movement offers an accuracy of + 5 to – 3 seconds per day.
Complementing the case design made of Brilliant Hard Titanium – a titanium alloy exclusive to Grand Seiko – are two leather straps. One of the two is made through a Japanese weaving technique called Yoroiori with which samurai armors were made.
Price and availability
Limited to only 500 pieces, this Grand Seiko celebrating 110 years since the first Japanese wristwatch will be sold at a list price of EUR 14,700.00 at Grand Seiko Boutiques and authorized retailers worldwide from February 2023.
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