Why We Love It
Grand Seiko is the darling of contemporary watch collectors today, and taking even a cursory glance at the design specs -- or better yet -- an example in the metal, its easy to see why.
Take this US-only edition Heritage Collection with power reserve and Kirazuri dial.
With your first glance, its easy to appreciate the artisanal talent that went into the design and manufacturing process of the dial alone. Depending on the angle, the color and composition of the light blue dial will look completely different. It's truly a work of art steeped in Japanese tradition.
On the reverse side, you can observe the beautiful in-house Spring Drive Calibre 9R65 movement through the sapphire caseback. According to Grand Seiko, the accuracy standards for this piece are quite high, with variations of only 1 second per day. Pretty impressive when you compare it to Swiss standards... It also comes with a 72-hour power reserve.
Being the first Grand Seiko limited edition designed specifically for the U.S. market, these sold out quickly. This particular example is numbered 200/558. The watch is in spectacular as-new and is offered with its original inner and outer boxes, books, warranty, hangtags, Grand Seiko pin, and two additional straps.
Overall, this piece demonstrates perfectly what's so great about Japanese craftsmanship; attention to detail and refinement.
The Story
The Grand Seiko was created by Taro Tanaka, a young designer whom Seiko had hired right out of school. Inspired by the way Swiss watches “sparkled brilliantly,” Tanaka set out to design a watch with sharp edges, brushed surfaces, and a mirror finish that would rival anything created by the Swiss. In 1960, the first Grand Seiko—Reference 3180—debuted.
Other models of Grand Seiko would follow, coupling those elegant “sparkling” cases with high-grade (often hi-beat) manually-wound or automatic movements. When compared to the no-nonsense tool watches like the 6309 line of divers, the Grand Seiko was worlds away—refined, elegant, and cosmopolitan. Seiko intended the watch to be an answer to dress watches crafted by the Swiss, and at that it certainly did succeed.
Well-regarded in its home country, the Grand Seiko reached a global audience in 2010—and has captivated consumers ever since.
