REVOLUTION_International_Vol 54

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LA GRANDE DAME As Grand Seiko celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, the brand pays tribute to some of its greatest hits with a slew of new offerings. WORDS DARREN HO, SUMIT NAG & FELIX SCHOLZ The Seiko company was first founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori as an importer of fine quality watch and jewelry products, and post-incorporation in 1892, Mr Hattori soon began to develop Japanese watchmaking, believing that the country’s craftsmen would be capable of making sophisticated timekeepers. As Daini Seikosha and Suwa Seikosha began producing watches under various names, in the ’60s they began to focus on developing fine chronometers that were comparable to Swiss precision performers. Like any Asian student competing against foreigners, their diligent study efforts soon paid off, and they quickly caught up with their Swiss peers. However, the development of beautiful watchmaking isn’t merely innate performance; the exterior is just as significant. Up till the ’50s, Seiko didn’t have a design ideas department until 1958. When Mr Taro Tanaka was hired in 1959, it marked the first step in the transformation of the brand. Mr Tanaka would go on to develop a complete set of rules for Grand Seiko and the discontinued King Seiko’s collection, a system of design that remains within the Seiko organization’s guidelines. The rules reflected the style of watch design popular in the era, and to this day, still guides the industry at large. The global perception of luxury and precious products overall has changed very little. However, the very first Grand Seiko released in 1960, with a stated chronometer precision of -3/+12 seconds a day held on to classic Seiko looks — rounded, angled lugs on a round case with a thin bezel; dauphine hands and faceted hour markers, brushed or softly polished surfaces. The said reference, the 3180, bore a caliber of the same number, with 25 jewels and a reserve of 45 hours. The words ‘Grand Seiko’, in a stylized font, were applied on the dial, a marked difference from later models which bore the ‘GS’ abbreviation. The case back bore the symbol of a lion, Seiko’s emblematic creature and the case was in gold. A few models were later produced in full platinum. GRAND SEIKO AT 60 Grand Seiko’s rise in the industry since has been nothing short of meteoric. Both in terms of performance, as well as design and stylistics, the brand’s original cult following has gone mainstream. Today, it’s coveted both among those who love high-end watchmaking, as well as those who appreciate the Japanese style of aesthetics and design, a utilitarian mode of watchmaking, coupled with traditional crafts. It’s a trend that Grand Seiko itself has noticed and played up. Last year, the brand released the SBGZ001, with a snowflake-pattern dial and case in platinum that was handworked by artisans of the Micro Artist Studio in Shiojiri. The matte, irregular pattern gave the watch a startlingly distinct look that was incredibly sexy and sophisticated, demonstrated by how quickly the watch sold out even at a rather steep price of USD70,000. This year marks Grand Seiko’s 60th anniversary, and the company’s released a bevy of new models that are targeted at both new and old, classic and sporty watch buyers. The stars of this year’s 60th anniversary celebrations are the Elegance SBGW257, 258 and 259 references, a trio of Grand Seikos that are loyal to the reference 3180 in looks. Angled polished surfaces play against the mirror-finished case and bezel surfaces, as well as around the sapphire case back, through which one can admire the 9S64 manually-wound caliber. The movement, first introduced in 2011, featured a SPRON alloy (a material developed by Seiko for its hairspring, the 610, and mainspring, the 510) which is less likely to deform and has greater tensile performance, so it can deliver better isochronism and store more energy for release in the movement. The escape wheel and pallet fork are also manufactured with Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and are designed to allow them to hold lubricating oil better. The movement delivers a three-day power reserve in the slim watch, which is sized at a more era-appropriate 38mm, compared with the 3180’s 35mm. Three models of the watch have been produced: the first in platinum, sunray-brushed dial with gold faceted markers and dauphine hands; the second in yellow gold with a white dial; and the final model in Brilliant Hard Titanium, a material that’s exclusive to Grand Seiko. The enhanced material has twice the hardness of steel with the weight of titanium, and is also more lustrous than regular-grade titanium, which makes the watch’s Zaratsu polished surface appear even more brilliant than usual. The watch comes in a Grand Seiko blue dial. 100 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
AGrandDameat 60, Grand Seiko returns to its veryfirstrootsto commemorate its 60th anniversary in style. The SBGW258 (shown here) is in yellow gold. The inset images are the SBGW257 (left) and SBGW259 (right), are available in platinum and Brilliant Hard Titanium, a material that’s exclusive to Grand Seiko. BACK
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CELEBRATING THE MACHINE WITH A HEAR
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BREGUET BOUTIQUES - NEW YORK 646 69
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COLLECTION Fifty Fathoms ©Photogra
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HOME OF FINE WATCHMAKING SINCE 1833
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CALIBER RM 67-01 RICHARD MILLE BOUT
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SEVEN DAYS V45 S6 SQT 212.463.8898
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intentionally allowing the majority
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Tangente Update. Made in Germany. T
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CALIBER RM 07-01 RICHARD MILLE BOUT
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Piaget Altiplano 38mm Bulino Engrav
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On Niclas Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso
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THE GREAT INNOVATOR — THE INCREDI
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CEO of Bvlgari, Jean-Christophe Bab
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I should also pause to reflect on t
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The Octo Finissimo Automatic Sandbl
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TIMELINE 2014 OCTO FINISSIMO MECHAN
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2018: OCTO FINISSIMO TOURBILLON AUT
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The Bvlgari × Revolution Octo Fini
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2020: OCTO FINISSIMO AUTOMATIC SATI
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THE MODERNIST At the attic of Zenit
Page 51 and 52: THE GAME CHANGE - LVMH WATCH FAIR I
Page 53 and 54: with an integrated bracelet. While
Page 55 and 56: BVLGARI SERPENTI SEDUTTORI TOURBILL
Page 57 and 58: In 1983, Land Rover created one of
Page 59: LVMH WATCH WEEK DUBAI MADE OF STARD
Page 62 and 63: This page, clockwise from top left
Page 64 and 65: ZENITH × REVOLUTION AND THE RAKE T
Page 66 and 67: 64 THE MODERNIST
Page 68 and 69: This page, from top The crowd watch
Page 70 and 71: THE ABSOLUTE ZENITH OF MANUFACTURE
Page 72 and 73: THE FIRST FULLY INDUSTRIALIZED WATC
Page 76 and 77: WHEN THE STARS ALIGN One of the bri
Page 81 and 82: INTRODUCING THE ZENITH X THE RAKE A
Page 83 and 84: THE MODERNIST 81
Page 85 and 86: ZENITH X REVOLUTION CHRONOMASTER RE
Page 87 and 88: THE MODERNIST 85
Page 89 and 90: staying too deep for too long. It c
Page 92 and 93: THE CARRERA, 1964 (LEFT) VS 2020 (R
Page 95: BACK TO THE FUTURE Combine a French
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Page 100 and 101: significant technological advanceme
Page 104 and 105: A NEW SPRING DRIVE Last year when w
Page 106 and 107: This page, clockwise The SBGW263 in
Page 110: Next, housed in yellow gold and wit
Page 113 and 114: In January this year, when Oris bro
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Page 118 and 119: INNOVATIONS IN THE INDUSTRY: HUBLOT
Page 120 and 121: INNOVATIVE MATERIALS Hublot’s inn
Page 122 and 123: A TRUE SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY This m
Page 124 and 125: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING RETAIL-SMAR
Page 126 and 127: smell what is going on, they can fe
Page 128 and 129: A SPECIAL HOUSE Parmigiani CEO Davi
Page 130 and 131: 128 BACKTOTHEFUTURE
Page 132 and 133: STRIVING FOR HONESTY A Breitling am
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Page 136 and 137: to California to visit Joshua Tree,
Page 139 and 140: VINTAGE Bona fide style icon and fo
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Page 143 and 144: changed color through the alchemic
Page 145 and 146: this. As a comparison, of the Ferra
Page 147 and 148: HOW LASER WELDING WORKS 1. A series
Page 149 and 150: adage that “you don’t buy the w
Page 151 and 152: Left The Day-Date 36 reference 1803
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Above left A reference 18238 “Gol
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A-Z OF DAY-DATE STONE DIALS Agate A
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The 18188A ‘Lucky Wheel’, featu
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CALL COLLECT: MARK CHO Founder of T
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VINTAGE 159 chronograph I ever boug
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I couldn’t get over the big Bvlga
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Wei Koh: Welcome Austen, to our new
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Above The Royal Oak Perpetual Calen
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the knowledge or the know-how to di
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www.grand-seiko.com/us-en
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