Most people assume that great watchmaking only exists in Switzerland and is limited to household names such as Rolex and Patek-Philippe. But this begs the question - what does “great” even mean in the context of wrist watches? The world at large clearly sees something in Rolex and Patek that justifies obscene sticker prices and absurd waiting lists. But what if there were more to horology than unobtainable price tags?
What if “great” meant accurate? Or capable of working in extreme conditions? What if “great” meant good quality in relation to price? What if “great” meant practical and functional? What if “great” meant some combination of all of these things? Would we even mention Swiss watchmakers in this context?
Over 50 years ago, the Seiko Corporation brought the Swiss watch industry to its knees with the first quartz (battery powered) wrist watch. This new technology allowed the Japanese company to produce quartz watches at a fraction of the cost of their mechanical counterparts with infinitely better accuracy, reliability and maintenance costs. And Seiko achieved this after already making some of the world’s most accurate mechanical timepieces. I would certainly consider this as a “great” accomplishment.
In the half-century since turning the watch industry on its head, Seiko has taken quartz technology to new heights, while developing solar-powered technology as well as the revolutionary Spring Drive movement. In fact, one could easily argue that Spring Drive is the only real revolution in watchmaking since the co-axial escapement, which was invented by an English watchmaker… Seiko and its subsidiaries have made mechanical watches for (literally) any budget or purpose. Meanwhile, Rolex gets the headlines for introducing a new shade of green on a decades old watch. Sure, Rolex makes quality products which are refined in subtle ways over time. But they are not the only watches worth following. And if you factor value and price into the equation, there is really no comparison between Seiko (or Citizen) and a top Swiss watchmaker.
The big Swiss “maisons” have distinguished themselves in certain areas such as grand complications - think, minute repeaters and flyback chronographs. Japan, however, offers its own rich variety of high-end mechanical watches, while also offering every other variety of wrist watch one could imagine. And while people get excited about Swiss brands’ claims of “in-house” movements (made with Chinese components in many cases), Seiko produces all of their own components as well as their own tools and equipment! I will ask a question to which there is no answer - is the greatest watchmaker one who masters ALL types of movements and watches? Or is the greatest watchmaker one who makes watches with the most hours of finishing and then charges more than your annual salary for said watches?
I recently had a family vacation in Costa Rica and felt like it needed a mechanical watch to enhance the experience. I wore a Seiko Monster that I had bought in 2019 for under $600, including taxes. The watch has never been serviced or tested for water resistance. For ten days, I wore the Seiko in the pool, in the ocean, on the hot beach, around town and while exploring some wildlife. My Seiko ran flawlessly and provided great joy while its day-date display proved to be very practical. The 2019 Seiko Monster will enter no one’s mind as a “great” watch, although mine was absolutely epic on holiday… for less than 600 bucks and after years of reliable service. For me, the Seiko represents a different type of “great” - a rugged, practical and reliable watch that most of us can afford.
At the other end of the spectrum is my Grand Seiko Heritage Spring Drive. After 4 years, my Grand Seiko is running steadily at plus 0.5 seconds… per week! That is simply unheard of for a Vacheron Constantin or Audemars Piguet. While priced in the luxury watch segment, the Grand Seiko is still far less expensive than the least costly Rolex. And a Grand Seiko is actually hand-finished using the legendary Zaratsu technique which takes over a decade to master. Remember - while Rolex makes over one million watches every single year, Grand Seiko only produces about 250,000 units. A Grand Seiko Spring Drive is an example of traditional watchmaking and craft blended with truly revolutionary timekeeping technology. As such, my Grand Seiko enters territory never even explored by the household names of the Swiss Holy Trinity.
Like everyone else, my watch wish list includes names from the Swiss icons such as Parmigiani-Fleurier, Omega, IWC and Breitling. And for my wife’s big timepiece gift, we chose a Rolex which we both love. But I have developed a passion for Japanese watchmaking and my next real target is another Grand Seiko model. The fact that these watches are less understood and often less appreciated makes me want them even more.
My last watch purchase was a limited-edition Seiko diver from Atelier Lou. For a modest price, this sexy, retro-inspired piece features the 6R35 movement with 70 hours of juice and all the panache of 1960’s Japanese watches. No one can ever tell you that one watch or genre is better than another, but I can certainly tell you that the world of horology extends far beyond mainstream Swiss watches…
Yours truly,
TimeCaptain
What if “great” meant accurate? Or capable of working in extreme conditions? What if “great” meant good quality in relation to price? What if “great” meant practical and functional? What if “great” meant some combination of all of these things? Would we even mention Swiss watchmakers in this context?
Over 50 years ago, the Seiko Corporation brought the Swiss watch industry to its knees with the first quartz (battery powered) wrist watch. This new technology allowed the Japanese company to produce quartz watches at a fraction of the cost of their mechanical counterparts with infinitely better accuracy, reliability and maintenance costs. And Seiko achieved this after already making some of the world’s most accurate mechanical timepieces. I would certainly consider this as a “great” accomplishment.
In the half-century since turning the watch industry on its head, Seiko has taken quartz technology to new heights, while developing solar-powered technology as well as the revolutionary Spring Drive movement. In fact, one could easily argue that Spring Drive is the only real revolution in watchmaking since the co-axial escapement, which was invented by an English watchmaker… Seiko and its subsidiaries have made mechanical watches for (literally) any budget or purpose. Meanwhile, Rolex gets the headlines for introducing a new shade of green on a decades old watch. Sure, Rolex makes quality products which are refined in subtle ways over time. But they are not the only watches worth following. And if you factor value and price into the equation, there is really no comparison between Seiko (or Citizen) and a top Swiss watchmaker.
The big Swiss “maisons” have distinguished themselves in certain areas such as grand complications - think, minute repeaters and flyback chronographs. Japan, however, offers its own rich variety of high-end mechanical watches, while also offering every other variety of wrist watch one could imagine. And while people get excited about Swiss brands’ claims of “in-house” movements (made with Chinese components in many cases), Seiko produces all of their own components as well as their own tools and equipment! I will ask a question to which there is no answer - is the greatest watchmaker one who masters ALL types of movements and watches? Or is the greatest watchmaker one who makes watches with the most hours of finishing and then charges more than your annual salary for said watches?
I recently had a family vacation in Costa Rica and felt like it needed a mechanical watch to enhance the experience. I wore a Seiko Monster that I had bought in 2019 for under $600, including taxes. The watch has never been serviced or tested for water resistance. For ten days, I wore the Seiko in the pool, in the ocean, on the hot beach, around town and while exploring some wildlife. My Seiko ran flawlessly and provided great joy while its day-date display proved to be very practical. The 2019 Seiko Monster will enter no one’s mind as a “great” watch, although mine was absolutely epic on holiday… for less than 600 bucks and after years of reliable service. For me, the Seiko represents a different type of “great” - a rugged, practical and reliable watch that most of us can afford.
At the other end of the spectrum is my Grand Seiko Heritage Spring Drive. After 4 years, my Grand Seiko is running steadily at plus 0.5 seconds… per week! That is simply unheard of for a Vacheron Constantin or Audemars Piguet. While priced in the luxury watch segment, the Grand Seiko is still far less expensive than the least costly Rolex. And a Grand Seiko is actually hand-finished using the legendary Zaratsu technique which takes over a decade to master. Remember - while Rolex makes over one million watches every single year, Grand Seiko only produces about 250,000 units. A Grand Seiko Spring Drive is an example of traditional watchmaking and craft blended with truly revolutionary timekeeping technology. As such, my Grand Seiko enters territory never even explored by the household names of the Swiss Holy Trinity.
Like everyone else, my watch wish list includes names from the Swiss icons such as Parmigiani-Fleurier, Omega, IWC and Breitling. And for my wife’s big timepiece gift, we chose a Rolex which we both love. But I have developed a passion for Japanese watchmaking and my next real target is another Grand Seiko model. The fact that these watches are less understood and often less appreciated makes me want them even more.
My last watch purchase was a limited-edition Seiko diver from Atelier Lou. For a modest price, this sexy, retro-inspired piece features the 6R35 movement with 70 hours of juice and all the panache of 1960’s Japanese watches. No one can ever tell you that one watch or genre is better than another, but I can certainly tell you that the world of horology extends far beyond mainstream Swiss watches…
Yours truly,
TimeCaptain