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Innovation

Grand Seiko does not just make beautiful-looking watches; there is also a lot to say about the movements driving them. They are all in-house and range from their 9F quartz, 9R Spring Drive to the 9S mechanical. Given the amount of engineering that goes into each movement there is a lot to unpack here, but essentially there is something for everyone and it allows for broad pricing allowing as many people buy into the brand as possible.

Grand Seiko movements (L-R): 9f Quartz, 9R Spring Drive, and 9S Mechanical

Each one of these movements has something special about them. The 9F quartz is more than just regular quartz. To start, Grand Seiko grows and ages its own quartz, selecting only the best for the final product. The movement features a “Backlash Auto-Adjust Mechanism” (their own words) that means the seconds hand lands perfectly on the indices, adding to the precision, as well as an instant date change mechanism.

Another underappreciated aspect is that it generates enough torque so that Grand Seiko can use the same hands as their mechanical models, as opposed to thinner, lighter hands found on other quartz watches. It is an extremely over-engineered quartz movement – again Grand Seiko looking to earn your business.

The 9R Spring Drive has enough to talk about for a whole post in itself. The concept and engineering that went into designing this movement are nothing short of extraordinary. It is unique to Grand Seiko, partly because no other brand has managed to achieve what they have done. The Spring Drive combines the best of quartz and mechanical into one. It generates energy like every other mechanical watch, but uses a quartz crystal to regulate the timing, creating a high level of precision.

What it also does is give the seconds hand a continuous sweep. No, not like other automatic watches, but a true continuous movement. It is quite something to see, and even if you don’t like the way the watches look, I would highly recommend going to see one just to see the Spring Drive in action. If you want to buy into their nature marketing, then the Spring Drive allows you to see the constant flow of time.

Automatic Spring Drive Caliber 9R86 powering the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph GMT

You can view the 9R in two ways. Either, it has quartz and therefore, is not a true mechanical movement, or, it is an engineering achievement and my watch is more accurate and unique for it. I am in the latter camp, and if I am ever in a position to purchase a Grand Seiko, it would be a Spring Drive for this reason.

With how much effort is put into their 9F and 9R movements, it should be no surprise that their mechanical 9S movement has received the same attention. As with the other two, there is too much depth to go into for this post, but the 9S can achieve 36,000 vibrations per hour (the Omega Co-Axial 8900 is 25,200 vibrations per hour for reference) and has up to 80 hours of power reserve depending on the exact model. Further, this is done with an accuracy of +4/-2 seconds per day.

That is incredible. To have a watch that uses more energy to power this high beat rate, but last as long, if not longer, then the competition should explain it all.

One large factor as to why they can achieve this is the use of MEMS technology (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems). This method uses technology initially developed for semiconductor manufacturing, and it fundamentally allows Grand Seiko to create some components perfectly and at a reduced weight. The escape wheel is 5% lighter, for example, reducing the energy required in driving it.

With a brief touch on each movement, you can see that the care that goes into each watch is amazing. You know that in buying one, from what you see to what you don’t, you have bought something of exceptional quality.

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