Seiko

SPRING DRIVE

The Spring Drive movement was chosen to power Seiko's masterpiece watches - the Eichi, the Sonnerie, the Minute Repeater. Why?? 

As they explained, "It's the very best we have. It's totally silent, so it's suited to the watches that create a sound". 

Seiko also developed a governor that is silent. Listen to recordings of minute repeaters and you will often hear the whirring or even sort of grinding noise that they make as an undertone to the ring. Not on a Spring Drive. 

Someday I might get my act together and post the sound of it ringing. But not today. Today we are concerned with the Spring Drive production line. It's possible for one of the technicians to assemble 8 standard watches a day or perhaps 2-3 chronographs. Like Aston Martin engines, each person assembles each movement, from start to finish.

This person lifted a screw with her right hand, started turning it with the left, and while still turning, reached for another screw with tweezers in her right ... come on - who can do that?

Most people had their personal Seiko watches on the shelf for ready viewing; a few were wearing them.

The "Tri-Synchro Regulator" is visible here on this pair of movements

Ready to insert the gear train

A couple of bridges have been added. Plain finish but still neat and clean.

Seven different kinds of lubricants, if I recall correctly.

She is lubricating the aperture where the stem is inserted.

Partially completed movements awaiting the winding rotor.

A closer look at the thirty-jewel movement - decorated inside and out, from what I could see.

Here's a slightly fuzzy look at the decoration.

Putting lube into the gear set with a brush (maybe so the gears would stick together for assembly?) 

Spring Drive watches ready for packaging. I forgot to take a photo of the women packing them in cardboard boxes, with rice paper, blue velvet inner boxes, etc.

OK, now let's kick it up a notch and visit the Micro Artist Studio, where people are actually hand-building watches at a rate of 3-10 watches a year. 

Yes, you read that right. And that explains why the Eichi I & II are priced about $50,000. 

Here's the model I - all sold out. You can read reports about it HERE.

Here's the new model, just now going on sale.

This watch was released on October 10, 2014. That's uh, one week ago. HOT off the bench. Gads it's beautiful in pictures and better in person.

Here's what its special Spring Drive movement looks like. This incorporates a unique ratchet arrangement that takes unneeded power from the movement and feeds it back into the barrel. 

I'll have to look up the patent and figure out how that's done. In any case, it adds more than 12 hours running time to the watch (remember COMPACT, ENERGY-SAVING, PRECISION).

This movement is beautiful. The barrel represents a flower that grows in this region.

Decorating the plates, the old fashioned way. Above this guy's head was an autographed picture of Philippe Dufour.

Some other angles - sorry for the light and "dirty" background but the master is doing his work, his way. He's cleaning the movement circuit board in this shot.

Movement with the plates on, cased and running, it's beautiful. I showed you that at the beginning of this post. But now we come to the dial. 

It's done in the same room. Back to back with assembly of the movement. It takes an entire day to do those 13 lines and CREDOR

Oh my, how do they do this? By hand, with a brush, using ground pigments and painting on porcelain. BTW, I just got this shot off when my camera battery died. So sorry, it's 1/2 second late.

The painting is not done in some artisan's cave in the mountains, but there on the bench, only 100 meters or so from the high-tech Astron GPS laboratory.

Nice mill in the background. I'm sure these guys can make everything they need.

This is a tiny piece that is being formed by hand in a little clamp. The blueprint is above the lamp, and our artisan is cutting a corner off the piece. It's about the size of a staple.

Here are some completed models, in the Hall of Fame.

They took the Minute Repeater, Grand Sonnerie and Eichi I out of the locked cabinet and insisted I wear them.

 (Hmm, maybe as much money as I earned in my entire career? The price of my house?) 

Hey, they are just watches, and they are born to be worn. And they have been worn enough to look used even though the straps are pretty flat.

What do you think?

I was a bit dazed, I must admit.

Ding Dong My head was spinning.

OK, we are almost finished but the last episodes will have to wait until tomorrow. Thanks for sticking with me so far ...

Please go on to number 6 in this series.