There are manufacturers which can be well-loved by collectors, journalists and other people usually captivated with shopping for watches. We’ll all have completely different opinions of what these manufacturers are, however maybe we are able to agree on one identify: Grand Seiko. The Japanese imprint solely emerged as a fully-fledged model from the shadow of Seiko comparatively lately, 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 obtainable internationally. Technically although, it helps to think about that Grand Seiko is known as 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 lately revealed a narrative on Grand Seiko’s industrial and artisanal bases. Regardless of the wonderful story that WOW Thailand shared with us, we felt there was extra so as to add; the story within the Summer time challenge this yr 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 may have crafted this entire story on what the earlier story didn’t cowl, that 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, you will need to take into account that Grand Seiko watches are made fully in Japan and that the appreciable sources of Seiko should be considered. As matter of sensible information, it’s merely inconceivable to keep away from GSSS as a result of it’s the purpose this tour came about 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’ll 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 perfect place to find this reality is at Seiko Home Ginza, the place the Atelier Ginza opened simply final yr. A small workshop, there may be house for fewer than half a dozen watchmakers right here, and just one was current after we visited (Time + Tide reviews that there’s a minimum of one different watchmaker working right here). At current, we’re knowledgeable that the watchmakers right here solely work on the 9ST1 motion, which in fact belongs the magnificent Kodo SLGT003. The watchmaker we met was none apart 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, isn’t any accident with Grand Seiko CEO Akio Naito (see our interview with him on this challenge) confirming that Atelier Ginza is supposed to be a form of working showcase of the model’s capabilities. It’s a refined 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 flooring 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 approach, 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 each bit as delectable because the watch; we marvel how usually Grand Seiko has to have it changed.

Again For Seconds

On condition that Grand Seiko has quite a few disparate places for its manufacturing actions, we’ll return to this topic in direction of the top. For now, we notice for the report that we’re not presenting data right here in chronological order. Since Atelier Ginza is spiritually linked with GSSS, we’ll transfer straight into that location now. Technically, the Seiko services in Morioka (the most important metropolis in Iwate Prefecture, the place GSSS is situated) contains quite a few manufacturing websites, together with Morioka Seiko Devices Inc, alongside the close-to 2,000sqm Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi. There’s a lot to say in regards to 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 beneath Seiko).

On that notice, there may be an attention-grabbing show of historical past right here, which is way 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 much longer than its 60 years implies. Whereas this notice does take up a little bit of house in our already constrained pages, a difficulty referred to as Legacy can’t ignore one thing like this.

Maybe the obvious factor to notice about GSSS is just not 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 challenge #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 prime 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 way more to say about this, we should transfer on to our last 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 essentially the most sophisticated. To start with, the Seiko Epson manufacturing facility is just not a part of the Seiko Group or the Seiko Watch Company. Because the identify states, that is successfully a three way partnership between Seiko and Epson. For collectors and lovers, 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 effectively a model that has nothing to do with Seiko, and every part to do with Epson: Orient.

Now, having stated that, work on Grand Seiko watches occurs in devoted areas that aren’t used for something apart from Grand Seiko. Helpfully, for an article like this one, there’s a single identify for this space: the Shinshu Watch Studio. With Credor and Grand Seiko, there are overlaps simply as one may 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 essentially the most manufacture- like set-up that now we have seen on this go to, with ending and meeting occurring in separate areas. It is usually the form of house that showcases the economic strategy to creating and ending components. Manufacturing of fingers and indices are an amazing instance right here, with metal fingers getting that signature blue color by way of warmth remedies which can be standardized (an open oven, successfully, that enables many units of fingers 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 questioned if these are all individually polished. Properly, they’re and they don’t seem to be; a batch of those, that are all equal in any case, are loaded into a bit housing implement that enables 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, considered one of which you’ll be able to see right here (reverse web page, backside).

The above description has taken an excellent little bit of house, and the rationale for that’s that it may be utilized to just about 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 instances and dials (together with the Snowflake and naturally Lake Suwa), and particular touches corresponding to Zaratsu sprucing (creating the famed distortion-free reflection on the case surfaces, seen beneath). It’s all conventional, however all executed with the rigour and precision of up to date 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 referred to 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. Alternatively, 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 photos of SLGT003 have been used as an instance 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 admittedly the identical as one other as a result of there are sometimes robust variances even inside the similar model. If you’re not satisfied but, effectively come again subsequent yr and we’ll strive once more…

This text first appeared on WOW’s Legacy 2024 challenge

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