I was on a trip to Asia last fall, and I planned to make a
stop in Tokyo to meet a japanese friend who is a great vintage GS guru.
I want to share my impressions on this memorable experience.
As
a long time Seiko fan, who appreciate the brand and its history, this
trip was a kind of return to the roots, to the country where the Grand
Seiko watches that I appreciate so much were born.
I really hesitated to choose the watch that would be on my wrist.
For
this very special occasion I needed a special watch. Finally there was
no better choice than my SBGJ005: GMT for the trip, and HiBeat for the
visit to Morioka.
I was accompanied by another Grand Seiko fan from my close entourage.
Arrival to Tokyo : lets talk about vintage GSAs soon as we arrived in Tokyo, we had a diner with our great guru.
It was a great opportunity to talk about some iconic models that are significant milestones in the Grand Seiko story.
57 GS (aka Self Dater Chronometer, the second Grand Seiko), and 45 GS (HiBeat)
44 GS (the first GS compliant with Taro Tanaka's Grammar of
Design, 1967, and also the first GS from Daini), SBGW047 (reissue of
44GS, 2013)
6186 VFA (the VFA from Suwa, probably the best GS ever, 1969), and SBGJ005 (Hibeat GMT, awarded at GPHG 2014)
Our Japanese stay started very strong.
The very first hours in Tokyo were already amazing.
The Morioka tour : back to the roots of 44GSThere are several watches in my collection with a case directly inspired from the 44GS produced by Daini.
As a great fan of Grammar of Design, visiting SII (formerly Daini) with SBGJ005 on my wrist was a very special experience.
On a rainy day, we took the inevitable Hayabusa Shinkanen in the direction of Morioka, in northern Japan.
The SII factory (Seiko Intruments Incorporated) is about 30 minutes away from Morioka railway station, outside the city.
The road leading to the factory is lined with hills with vegetation and trees that had the colors of autumn.
We were warmly welcomed by a member of PR department, in charge of the organisation of the factory tour with us.
Our visit was different from those usually organized for the press and journalists.
After
a presentation of the activities of the Seiko group, in a private room,
the visit started with the ground floor of the main building.
There is a space arranged like a mini museum.
9S55 was used when Grand Seiko came back on mechanical calibers in 1998
A part of the building houses the production unit of Seiko quartz calibers.
These are not high-end calibres, the 9F Grand Seiko are produced in Shiojiri, in the Epson factory.
I have been very impressed by this chain production line, fully automated and robotized.
At
the entrance of the chain there is a metal band which is cut to form
the plate of the movement, and quartz calibers are recovered at the exit
of the chain.
The machines and robots were designed and manufactured by Seiko.
Photos were not allowed on this area.
The
visit continued in another part of the building, dedicated to the
production of parts used by the 9S Grand Seiko and the 8L Seiko
calibers.
100% of the parts are manufactured by Seiko, in different
areas of the factory, from the main plate, to the balance weel and the
hairspring.
I was surprised to see a small team, composed of women, in charge of hairspring adjustment.
Women are probably very qualified for this delicate tasks.
The
parts are transfered to the Shizuku-Ishu Watch Studio, where the
assembly of calibers and watches is achieved by few watchmakers.
Each
watchmaker works on a bench specifically made according to their
physique, from a dark wood species used in the region of Morioka.
Although watchmakers still use magnifying glasses, I saw that binocular microscopes are systematically used.
I was able to observe Tsutomo Ito in action, the leader watchmaker in charge of the hairspring adjustment process on the 9S calibers.
Ito
San has the title of "Mechanical Watch IW Meister" from Iwate
prefecture (only 2 watchmakers have been awarded this prestigious title
between 2006 and 2013).
He is the most advanced expert in hairspring adjustment, at Shizuku-Ishi Watch Studio.
Ito san came to meet us and we were very honored to discuss with him.
We were able to examine a few parts ... with Ito's personal magnifier.
The
discussion with Ito san was really interesting, and we had a great
opportunity to have his point of view on various subjects : Grand Seiko
4520 HiBeat vintage, the specifics parts of HiBeat 9S8x movements,
polishing indexes, black polishing techniques, ...
Back on the ground floor of the main building, the tour ended at the small boutique.
Some special Grand Seiko and Credor are available at the boutique.
These pieces are from the regular production, but they are customized with a see-through case back and a golden rotor.
These models are only available in Morioka, and are sold in very small quantities.
As a big fan of GS Limited Editions, I could not imagine leaving Morioka without one of these models.
I choosed a SBGT00M, as this ivory dial was missing in my GS collection.
This rotor is engraved with the inscription "Shizukuishi Highend Watches Studio".
Visiting the Seiko Museum : jump in Seiko history
The visit of the Seiko Museum is a mandatory step for any Seikoholic who makes a stop in Tokyo.
On
the ground floor are a beautiful collection of very old clocks, and
some famous analog chronographs that are part of the tradition of the
brand in sports chronometry.
I really enjoyed the first floor, where are located all the iconic pieces that have marked the history of the brand.
The very first Grand Seiko 3180 produced by Suwa, 1960
Grand Seiko 6186 VFA, Suwa, 1969
Lord Marvel, first commercial 36000 watch, 1967
Beautiful SBGW044
Seiko Astron 35 SQ, first commercial quartz watch, 1969
Seiko Laurel, first japanese wristwatch, 1912
Seikosha Railway Watch, 1931
Dauphine hands 
SBGR051 sunburst dial
SBGR051 case
Ginza
Any Seikoholic stopping at Tokyo should go to the Seiko Premium Boutique in Ginza.
The Premium Boutique really has the most incredible and complete collection, much more than any Seiko Boutique.
Most of high end models from both Grand Seiko and all Credor are available at Ginza. 
I saw the gorgeous SBGJ021 for the very first time in real life at Premium Boutique.
The color variations on the dial made me think about the trees seen the day before, on the road to SII.
IMHO this watch has all of the spirit of SII:
. a case inspired by the 44GS (tribute to Grammar of Design),
. a HiBeat caliber (tribute to Daini's tradition),
. GMT complication (sign of constant innovation),
. and the dial's pattern and color are a tribute to nature on Mount Iwate.
This was a really great moment at the Seiko Premium Boutique.
The Wako boutique with the famous Seiko clock tower on the roof is another place to go at Ginza. 
We really had good time at Ginza.
We didn't only appreciate fine watches, but also
Kobe and Wagyu beef ...
Grilled fugu ...
Japanese style eel ...
Fine japanese beverages ...
This trip to Japan was really a great and unforgetable experience.
Thank you to the Seiko Morioka staff for making this possible
Special thanks to Tsutomo Ito san for his time. Arigato gozaimasu Ito san
And many thanks to our vintage guru.
I'll be back, for sure.
;-)
This message has been edited by KMII on 2017-02-03 21:24:15 
