Seiko

New York City welcomes master watchmaker Mr. Akira Oohira -- Who could imagine that in 1881, a 22 year old watchmaker and the company he founded would eventually boast the very first commercial quartz watch in the world? 133 years ago, Mr. Kintaro Hattori...  

Excellent post, thank you for sharing!

Seiko is a respected brand , and thanks to people like Mr. Oohira it made its mark on both Quarts and Mechanical markets. I wore Seiko Sports from 1991 to 2011 without any probems , only changed batery once every couple of years at the some watchmaker. He... 

Hi Edward, Thank you for the response. Seiko is truly a brand filled with heritage and history.

NT

This is exactly what SEIKO is, and exactly what/ who Ohira-san is..... He is really a great guy, beyond any watchmaker I can think of. Thanks for the rare interview report of him. He is the treasure of Japanese watch making scene...... Ken

It was an incredible experience to be able to interview the master himself. Just watching him work was breathtaking.

Ampurist, Thank you very much for your article. I especially appreciated your words and images on the "balance wheel magic" as I recently watched another Master in Shizukuishi Watch Studio. Again in just moments he completed the balancing task on the hair...  

. . . of balance poising perceive our adulation. Undoubtedly, a few people have superior natural skills at the task, but as with practically any endeavor, it's practice that makes the difference. One of the 8-ball matches I played last night had my table ... 

... notice that Saito-san, another super watchmaker for Grand Seiko does NOT USE LOUPE. I have seen him assemble and dissemble the movement without any magnifying tool many times and each time I was amazed....... Well, the balance wheel thing is of course... 

Hi Cazalea, Great pictures! I'm glad you were able to witness how delicate the adjustments were. There really is no way to explain it.

I was particularly interested in the questions and answers comparing Swiss and Japanese watchmaking. Very enjoyable read.

The conclusion. Bravo!

Nice pics, and very good interview with Mr. Oohira. Interesting about the question on the tourbillon. Did you pick up a nice GS while you visited the boutique? Regards, ED-209

Ha! I wish! Present giving is just around the corner though.....

I enjoyed reading about your visit with the Master. A Seiko was my first mechanical watch 30 years ago. I have yet to buy a Grand Seiko but posts like yours push me one step closer. Thanks for posting! Dave