Grand Seiko Watches

The Origin of Grand Seiko:

Seiko's origins may be traced back to 1881. At the age of 13, Kintaro Hattori worked as a trainee clockmaker. He began his career as a Swiss watch dealer in Tokyo. The company operated under the name Daini Seikosha Co., Ltd., a manufacturer of wall clocks established in 1937. Later, in 1924, it began producing wristwatches under the name Seiko which was its first brand.

The brand was initiated in 1960 to specialize in luxury watches. The Grand Seiko Watch series featured classic pieces such as the i-Beat Chronometer and Spring Drive. The brand was created to fill a void in the market for high-end timepieces that were previously untapped. At the time, Swiss and German watches held the monopoly on luxury and accurate watches. Seiko was the first Japanese company that challenged the dominant market with its attractive, strong, and original designs.

The brand's goal was to create timeless pieces that reflected the brand's aesthetic, which was accuracy. The Grand Seiko Diver model and the Grand Seiko Spring drive model were devised to achieve a level of accuracy that the business had not previously achieved.

The business introduced the high-accuracy manually wound 5-beat watch in 1967. The items became popular, and the company prospered. In a short period, the brand positioned itself as one of the most precision-driven enterprises. Until now, the company has consistently outperformed the federations' accuracy criteria and specifications.

Grand Seiko gets the highest accuracy ratings and outperforms all of its contemporaries. It stands out for its uncommon blend of tradition and technology, as well as the fact that it is extremely hard to emulate.

The Growth of Grand Seiko

The brand began its journey in 1960 with the release of its first watch, the new caliber 3180. It was the first Japanese watch to meet the Bureaux Officiels de Contrôle de la Marche des Montres' standard of excellence and also the first chronometer grade watch ever produced. There were a few elements in the first generation of Grand Seiko that are included in all future collections.

At the time, the second generation of watches was also of high quality. With the second generation watch 57GS, Suwa Seikosha put Grand Seiko on the map. It had a stainless steel case, which was unusual for a luxury watch.

They later automated the 3180 movements, which included a mechanism that automatically changed the date. The first automated model, the 62GS, was introduced in 1966.

From the beginning of the vintage period in 1960 with the first Grand Seiko watch until the modern era in 1988 with the Grand Seiko Quartz series, this continues till today. The brand built a name for itself in the luxury watch industry by producing high-end, accurate timepieces that have stood the test of time.

Awards and Accomplishments:

The Grand Seiko boasts a long list of firsts. In 1969, the company released the world's first quartz watch. In 2012, it released the "Seiko Astron," the world's first GPS solar watch that can identify 39 time zones.

The brand won the title for finest mechanical watch in the Geneva Observatory Competition in 1968. The SEIKO Spring Drive Spacewalk Commemorative Edition was selected Sports Watch of the Year at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2010 and 2018. The iF DESIGN AWARD 2021 was awarded to Seiko Prospex SLA039.

The brand's ongoing efforts to improve their watchmaking expertise and develop new alloys and elements earned them these honors.

Grand Seiko's New Collection: 

The Quartz watch series was introduced in 1988, and the 95GS Grand Seiko watches were born. With this watch, they began creating all of the elements and parts needed to manufacture these watches in-house. They employed Quart crystals created in-house for this sculpture, which resulted in improved performance as well as increased resistance to temperature and humidity.

When the Caliber 9F83 was produced in 1993, the business decided to raise the bar even higher and create the ultimate Quartz watch. They devised four novel versions: an auto-adjust mechanism, a double pulse control system, an immediate date change, and a protective shield.

The exclusive collection

Grand Seiko GMT: The timeless Grand Seiko GMT timepiece blends a style that has fascinated watch enthusiasts with an advanced Caliber 9S66 movement. The watch boasts a three-day battery reserve and combines cutting-edge hairspring technology with an escapement created using MEMS technology to ensure great accuracy and stability while worn.

Grand Seiko Quartz: Caliber 9F, designed to be the ultimate quartz watch, now includes the GMT function for the first time. This new Grand Seiko Sport Collection addition allows you to fully experience the newly-designed Caliber 9F86 in a genuinely athletic style with the refined thinness that is unique to quartz watches.

Modern Grand Seiko Spring Drive: This model is powered by a Grand Seiko's unique Spring Drive caliber. Spring Drive provides energy in the same way that a traditional mechanical watch does with a mainspring. Additionally, it combines this with an electronic regulator to deliver improved precision without the need for a battery change. This model has 44GS Contemporary Design. It is a modern take on the design of the 44GS, which was introduced in 1967 and served as the cornerstone of the Grand Seiko design philosophy, Grand Seiko Style.

The Limited Edition Grand Seiko Sport Collection: Caliber 9RA5 is a thinner new generation Spring Drive caliber from Grand Seiko. It features increased rigidity and shock resistance due to a redesigned layout of the gear train towards the center of the movement and a central bridge that holds them together. This One-piece Center Bridge meets the ISO requirement for diver's timepieces in terms of shock resistance. The movement features two barrels that provide a power reserve of up to 120 hours.

With a Grand Seiko Watch, you'll always be on time.

Grand Seiko has outperformed the industry standard. These timepieces ooze brilliance and beauty wherever they go. If you've always wanted high-precision and exquisite watches, Grand Seiko should be in your collection. Grand Seiko has transcended the standard of excellence with its strong designs and sophisticated movements its worth the money.