Damster shares an in-depth look at his Credor Spring Drive Moonphase GCLL997, a 'day' counterpart to his 'night' version, the GCLL999. His detailed observations cover the watch's presence, bracelet comfort, and the nuanced dial treatment, offering valuable insights for collectors considering these exquisite pieces.
Hi all,
Just wanted to share some shots and notes about the last watch I received : the Credor Spring Drive Moonphase GCLL997.
I sort of needed to balance the "night" version of it : the GCLL999, in accordance with the spirit behind the "Node" collection.
But first let me to thank our sensei Ken who made it all possible. I now believe that he is the guardian angel of the Seikommunity!
As this particular model is regularly shown by Mike (Cazalea) I will not go into details about it, but will try to give some practical or useful info.
The watch is rather large on my wrist (17.5 cm), it is 41.3 mm in diameter and 13.4 mm thick, the lug-to-lug distance is 48 mm.
It has great presence, and the convex back "sinks" onto the wrist, decreasing its visual height and holding it in place.
The bracelet is beautifully finished and very comfortable; the polished parts between the links are acting as central pivots to ensure flexibility with the brushed elements, half-links are also available. When set for my wrist on this bracelet, the watch weighs 151 g.
The feeling of this bracelet is qualitative to say the least, personally I love it!!!
Also for info, originally the GCLL997 was mounted in series on alligator strap and deployant buckle.
The bezel is typical to the node collection with its 4 polished facets:
The blued hands are very well made. From comparison with online pictures, the seconds' hand and the minutes' one look exactly the same as the ones on the Eichi II.
The treatment on the dial is identical to the GCLL999, only the color differs. Naturally, the reflections are less contrasting and therefore less "spectacular" but everything is there.
Also the 997 is less demonstrative or shiny, more subtle and really makes me think of the "toolwatch" version of the 999, say the daylight one.
On the periphery, the sunray pattern is also present on the curved surface sporting the 5 minutes indices, only the inner bezel does not have it (like on the GMT Grand Seiko's).
On the surface the dial has a varnished satin texture, and under the surface in direct light it will display a glittery / powdery effect, impossible to reveal on a picture ...
The hue varies from straight white to bright gold depending on the lighting; a new hue is to be discovered every day.
This watch is very easy to wear and so appealing that I've been wearing it every day since I received it!
When studied in details, it is very interesting to see all the common points with the other productions from the Shinshu Watch Studio.
So despite the differences in style, one feels in known territory compared to other Seiko models, clearly in the same "family".
This is a great watch that really deserves to be discovered, I'll wear mine and truly enjoy it very often for sure.
Cheers!
Damien
