\n
While Grand Seiko Spring Drive has been
\naround for 25 years, conceptually it is one of the least understood
\nwatches. To an ordinary watch enthusiast, how it works is still a bit of
\n a mystery. And so it is for serious collectors, watchmakers themselves,
\n and – surprisingly – even for those who make a living selling
\nhigh-grade watches.<\/p>\n
There are a few reasons why.
Firstly, detailed technical descriptions and data are not readily
\navailable to the general public. Until recently, Spring Drive was
\nprimarily a Japanese domestic watch for the Japanese domestic market,
\nwith only about 7% sold outside Japan. Most of what we know comes from
\ntranslated documents, which are merely simplified sales diagrams.<\/p>\n
The second reason is this: Spring Drive is designed to be repaired and
\nserviced by Japanese in-house watchmakers only. We have never seen a
\nbroken or non-functional example on our bench – ever.<\/p>\n
The third reason is denial. We – and that is literally every watch
\nenthusiast out there – simply refuse to accept that the Japanese might
\ndo horology better than anyone else on the planet. We are unable, and
\nperhaps unwilling, to accept Grand Seiko\u2019s superiority. To accept that
\nJapanese watchmakers have elegantly solved a 350-year-old problem. That
\ntheir attention to detail and perfectionism exceeds anything produced in
\n Switzerland. And that such a masterpiece can be had for less than a
\nfairly average, mass-produced Swiss watch.<\/p>\n
Or to put it simply: when faced with facts, we still value luxury and branding more than horology.<\/p>\n
To liberate ourselves and drag us out of this denial, the starting point is to understand how Spring Drive works.
The basic concept is flow.
The flow of sand in an hourglass.
The flow of a river turning a waterwheel.
The uninterrupted passing of time.
The one who controls the flow makes time.
And this is precisely how Spring Drive works: it makes time by
\ncontrolling the flow of energy. There are no ticks and tocks – just a
\nmesmerizing, uninterrupted glide, regulated to absolute perfection,
\ncontrolling mechanical, electrical, and magnetic forces.<\/p>\n
It took Grand Seiko almost 35 years of development to turn this idea
\ninto a working Spring Drive watch. When Spring Drive was first revealed
\nto the world in Geneva in 1999, and again in 2000, Swiss watchmakers
\nwere not just puzzled – they were speechless.<\/p>\n
The video published on Friday explains, in simple terms, the concept of
\nflow, how time is generated by its control, and which units are
\nnecessary to make the magic happen. It also talks about the nanoscopic
\namount of power generated – and required – to run the control system.<\/p>\n
We even take the liberty of suggesting how Grand Seiko might improve Spring Drive further. Just for fun.<\/p>\n
If you are patient and keen to learn, then this brief introduction to the inner workings of Spring Drive is an absolute must.
Dare I say – the best explanation in plain English out there.<\/p>\n
For your enjoyment: https:\/\/youtu.be\/q-tG0wPQtxQ?<\/a>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While Grand Seiko Spring Drive has been around for 25 years, conceptually it is one of the least understood watches. To an ordinary watch enthusiast, how it works is still a bit of a mystery. And so it is for serious collectors, watchmakers themselves, and – surprisingly – even for those who make a living […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7029821,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[135739,101923,193485,135740,135352],"tags":[3313,101925,13076,3288],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-7029820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-grand-seiko","category-nicholas-hacko","category-sbgc001","category-spring-drive","category-watchmaker","tag-flow","tag-hacko","tag-nicholas","tag-watchmaker"],"yoast_head":"\n
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