Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Plans & New Calibers
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Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Plans & New Calibers

By cazalea · Mar 5, 2020 · 15 replies
cazalea
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Cazalea shares a significant message from Grand Seiko's CEO, Mr. Hattori, detailing the brand's ambitious plans for its 60th anniversary in 2020. This post outlines key developments, including new calibers, global expansion with a Paris boutique, and the opening of a dedicated manufacturing studio, marking a new era for Grand Seiko.

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A message from CEO!

Dear friend of Grand Seiko,

2020 is a very special year for Grand Seiko as it is the 60th anniversary of its creation.

Of course, the number 60 has great resonance in our industry as one of the fundamental numbers in horology but, for us in Japan, it has another and even more important significance.

When a person reaches 60, he or she has gone full circle through the traditional zodiac calendar cycle and has arrived back at the beginning. It is a moment of new energy and re-birth and, for Grand Seiko, a golden opportunity that we are embracing wholeheartedly.

We are celebrating the 60th anniversary of Grand Seiko in several ways throughout the year.

2020 began with the launch of a series of four commemorative watches and, embodying the spirit of renewal and new energy, we are launching in the summer two important new calibers which will take Grand Seiko forward into the future. 

  • Caliber 9SA5 is an entirely new movement and the foundation upon which a whole new generation of Grand Seiko mechanical watches will be created. 

  • Caliber 9RA5 takes our unique and greatly respected Spring Drive technology to a new, higher level of functionality.


Our confidence in the future of Grand Seiko is further expressed in the creation of two new and important facilities and teams.

the perfect moment to open a new global showcase: We are opening a Grand Seiko Boutique in the Place Vendome in Paris with a European marketing and sales team.



There could be no more potent symbol of the fact that GS is at the start of an exciting new era than opening a new manufacturing studio. 

In June 2020, an entirely new studio, dedicated exclusively to Grand Seiko, will open its doors alongside the existing facilities of Morioka Seiko Instruments. The studio will be home to the watchmakers who assemble and adjust Grand Seiko’s mechanical watches and has been created with a view to greater production capacity in the future and the expansion of the collection. It will also house an exhibition space where visitors can learn about the ideas, collections and personalities that have made Grand Seiko over the past six decades.


The new studio is an entirely new free-standing building of 1,975 square meters and is surrounded by trees, through which the slopes of Mt. Iwate can be seen. Throughout the studio, the importance of the facility’s natural surroundings as an inspiration for Grand Seiko is evident.

The studio was designed by master architect, Kengo Kuma who is known worldwide for designing buildings that respect the natural world. In 2009, he summed up his architectural philosophy: 

“ I think my architecture is a kind of frame of nature. With it, we can experience nature more deeply and more intimately. Transparency is a characteristic of Japanese architecture; I try to use light and natural materials to get a new kind of transparency.” 

The studio he has created for Grand Seiko is a perfect example. Of wooden construction, with its roof pointing towards Mt. Iwate, the studio allows visitors to feel the beauty of its natural surroundings even from inside and is in elegant harmony with the Grand Seiko philosophy, The Nature of Time. 

The Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, as it will be known, provides the perfect environment for the craftsmen and women who will create new generations of Grand Seiko watches within its elegant walls.




An overview of the facility

-Name: Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi
-Address: 61-1, Itabashi, Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate-gun, Iwate Prefecture
-Building: two floors of wooden construction
-Design: Kengo Kuma & Associates
-Construction: Daiken Sekkei, Kajima Corporation
-Inauguration: June 2020

An Exciting New Chapter

With these two new calibers, the new boutique in Paris and with the new manufacturing studio, I am certain that Grand Seiko is at the start of an exciting new chapter in its history.

Grand Seiko was created exactly one hundred years after the birth of our founder, my great-grandfather Kintaro Hattori. 

Today, building on his legacy, I have the honor of setting Grand Seiko on the path to further success in its second sixty year cycle.

Our history inspires us. Our future excites us. We look forward to your joining us on the next stage of the adventure that is Grand Seiko.

Yours sincerely,


Shinji Hattori
Chairman & CEO








About the F.P. Journe Chronomètre à Résonance Ref. resonance

The Chronomètre à Résonance represents F.P. Journe's entry in the Souveraine collection, distinguished by its resonance complication. This reference utilizes the principle of resonance between two independent escapements to enhance chronometric precision.

The 40mm case is crafted in 18k rose gold with a fixed bezel and sapphire crystal. The silver dial houses the manual-winding caliber 1499 movement, offering a 42-hour power reserve. Water resistance is rated to 30 meters, and the watch is completed with a leather strap.

This reference appeals to collectors focused on haute horlogerie complications and independent watchmaking. The resonance mechanism positions this piece as a technical showcase within F.P. Journe's manual-winding offerings. Production began in 2000, establishing this as part of the brand's contemporary catalog for collectors seeking advanced chronometric functions.

Specifications

Caliber
1499
Case
18k Rose Gold
Diameter
40 mm
Dial
Silver
Water Resist.
30m
Crystal
Sapphire

Key Points from the Discussion

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The Discussion
CA
cazalea
Mar 5, 2020

I ask your indulgence for posting in more or less exactly how I received them, but I felt you all would like the information quickly and completely. Have a happy day thinking about the new watches you could buy to help Mr Hattori celebrate this 60th birthday of Grand Seiko. I am trying hard to remember MY 60th birthday... Cazalea

CA
cazalea
Mar 5, 2020

Not of your 60th but mine My (some, anyway) cars in my driveway! My attempt to see if a million dollars would fit in my briefcase My chance of getting a million dollars in cash to try it out: My latest watch buy (for my birthday) My white-dialed Grand Seiko collection at that time: The years go by this fast: Even though my personal speed is now more like this: Here's to your 60th Ron Cazalea

TH
TheMadDruid
Mar 5, 2020

I missed it. Might have missed mine as well. I think it’s great GS will have a Boutique in Place Vendôme. They have the stature and deserve the recognition that comes with a piece of that real estate.

KT
KtWP
Mar 5, 2020

GS keeps outdoing itself. While in the past it was clear that GS dials were way better finished than Rolex/Omega, it is now clear that the finishing of their movements also achieve high horology heights. Just from the rendered image, it looks to be on par with BP's FF and entry JLC, if not better.

PA
patrick_y
Mar 5, 2020

And Thank You Cazalea for your post! Happy 60th Anniversary to the Grand Seiko line! That new building looks nice! And I look forward to visiting Seiko at the Place Vendome boutique.

CA
cazalea
Mar 5, 2020

Looks like you bought one!

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