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cazalea
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VISIT TO SEIKO PART 9: Mrs. C on Seiko and Collecting Watches

MRS CAZALEA says:

Being the wife of a watch “junkie" (Who, me?), I have often sat at the elbow of my husband when he opens a box with a new watch inside, or when he shows me an article from a watch website, or when he wants me to see all the fantastic photos of a beautiful timepiece. 

While I am not mechanically-inclined by nature, I am developing a growing appreciation and a fascination with the world of watches. So, when a vacation to Japan with some members of the watch and clock enthusiasts group (NAWCC) was proposed, I was asked if I wanted to go. In addition to the the obligatory watch museums and factory tours, I was assured there would be some historical and cultural sights as well. Little did I know that the watch, clock, and music box tours would be among the highlights of our trip.

After we arrived in Tokyo one of our first visits was the Seiko museum, packed with many fine examples of very early clocks and watches. The history of how Mr. K. Hattori and his descendants have developed the Seiko brand is fascinating. I loved seeing the old photographs and other memorabilia as well. A great exhibit!

Having been a collegiate track and field coach, I especially appreciated the sports timing equipment display. 

Then we visited the Wako store in the Ginza district.  Although I am not much of a shopper, the high quality of incredibly beautiful watches and the displays of fine art and clothing were mind-boggling. A very gracious (and beautiful) clerk took the time to show us new models of Grand Seikos, Astrons, and Credors. It took a lot of restraint to leave the watch counters without buying. 

What next caught our eyes were the grandfather clocks of crystal, wood, chrome, brass, or gold. We spent a good hour or more viewing all the timepieces here at Wako.

At the end of the first week, we traveled to the top of Mount Rokko to visit a music box museum.  The examples ranged in size from about pair of dice to one about as big as a motor home. We listened to dozens of them being played. We even got a chance to turn the crank and play a piece ourselves. Finally, we watched as some were being assembled and tuned.

After we returned to Tokyo at the end of our trip, we spent two days enjoying traveling by train to two different Seiko factories.  But to call them factories belies the fact that they are more like research laboratories surrounded by beauty.  White coats, paper booties, and hair nets were worn in the most sterile environments where delicate procedures were underway. In some places photographs were prohibited, so there was a sense of secrecy. Always, precision was evident. We were treated as high-ranking, foreign diplomats, with much fanfare and respect.

Seiko can create almost everything that is needed for a watch. Okay, so they don't have a herd of cows for the leather straps, but that is about all that's missing!  We saw pieces of metal being cut, bent, shaped, filed, heated, cleaned and polished by hand and by machine. "Surgeons" were at work behind high-powered microscopes performed "surgery" on Grand Seikos. Skilled artisans carved the cases and others hand-painted the markers. And everywhere, it seemed serene and unhurried.

Both our hosts, Mr. Noboru Miyadera and Mrs. Keiko Naruse were so very generous with their time setting up appointments for us, and for spending the greater part of each day whisking us through the maze that is the train station, and arranging wonderful meals.  These two days would not have been possible without them. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Over the past 40 years, I have seen the evolution at our home workshop from bikes and bicycle repair, to exotic cars and car repair, to stereos, computers, cameras, and these last ten years to watches and watch repair. (Yes, when my husband gets involved, he wants to know how things work.) 

Along the way, I have been the one to hand him a wrench, help bleed the brakes, crimp the wires, hold the flashlight, or find the hairspring that bounced off the table. Now, after this journey to Japan, I have a new and greater appreciation for the inner workings and the beauty of our watch collection.

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