Comments:
Seiko may build millions of quartz movements a month for its bread and butter watches, but it takes the Grand Seiko movements very seriously, indeed. This production is NOT on an assembly line, but rather it takes place in the Seiko Epson Shiojiri plant known as the Shinshu Watch Studio.
You might wonder how quartz movements are assembled - well, they are built just like the mechanical ones, but with a few twists. Like the machine that winds the coils at 60,000 RPM. Stand back!
The room is ultra-clean. In addition to ceiling outlets and floor inlets, the rows of desks were divided by filter machines. We wondered if the workers ever catch colds, because the air inside seems so very fresh.
Here's a tiny- two person assembly line. Henry Ford would be proud, I guess.
This guy is creating a special anti-kickback spring, a patented device that makes the second hand jump just SO and STOP on the second marks, not jump sort of so-and-so and wobble around next to the markers.
Here she is laying down the insulator that keeps the battery from touching the movement parts.
Installing the gear train
Partially finished quartz 9F movement - accurate to 10 seconds a year, or 1 a month.
Now the middle plate is in place (yes, plastic for insulating and lubrication purposes) and installing the keyless works.
Dial in position and hands being set.
A group of movements are starting life like eggs in a carton.
Don't forget that Seiko makes beautiful women's watches, and many of them are quartz. Their movements are lovely too.
Hands, made by Seiko, of course.
Checking installation of the blued second hand. Looks good to me!
After assembly the watches are tested for timekeeping, water resistance, at temperatures, etc. This is extra-extra clean (notice the floor is all vents).
Here you go. All ok.
and this belongs to Mrs Cazalea
Stay tuned for part 5 of my report. This message has been edited by cazalea on 2014-11-16 20:53:43
Since it seemed that all the Astron stuff is developed and built there, and all the Spring Drive developed there, why not do the "programming"?
VISIT TO SEIKO PART 4: High-End Quartz Watch Movements
Also 2-3 hours from Tokyo by train, Shiojiri is home to some of Japan's wine and sake industry. For the sake of PuristS who are interested primarily in food and not in watches, we tried our best to accommodate you. Stay tuned for a formal FOOD & DRINK report, later. This is also the area of the Nagano Winter Olympics.
You might wonder how quartz movements are assembled - well, they are built just like the mechanical ones, but with a few twists. Like the machine that winds the coils at 60,000 RPM. Stand back!
The room is ultra-clean. In addition to ceiling outlets and floor inlets, the rows of desks were divided by filter machines. We wondered if the workers ever catch colds, because the air inside seems so very fresh.
Here's a tiny- two person assembly line. Henry Ford would be proud, I guess.
This guy is creating a special anti-kickback spring, a patented device that makes the second hand jump just SO and STOP on the second marks, not jump sort of so-and-so and wobble around next to the markers.
Here she is laying down the insulator that keeps the battery from touching the movement parts.
Installing the gear train
Partially finished quartz 9F movement - accurate to 10 seconds a year, or 1 a month.
Now the middle plate is in place (yes, plastic for insulating and lubrication purposes) and installing the keyless works.
Dial in position and hands being set.
A group of movements are starting life like eggs in a carton.
Don't forget that Seiko makes beautiful women's watches, and many of them are quartz. Their movements are lovely too.
Hands, made by Seiko, of course.
Checking installation of the blued second hand. Looks good to me!
After assembly the watches are tested for timekeeping, water resistance, at temperatures, etc. This is extra-extra clean (notice the floor is all vents).
Here you go. All ok.
Running watches awaiting their bracelets or straps.
A final touch-up buffing on this case. There must have been a visible mark, our guide commented.
Well, that's the process for quartz. I own (counts on fingers, one, two, three, four GS quartz models). So IF you want a beautiful watch that you can use for reference for the rest of the collection, I'd recommend a GS.
A final touch-up buffing on this case. There must have been a visible mark, our guide commented.
Well, that's the process for quartz. I own (counts on fingers, one, two, three, four GS quartz models). So IF you want a beautiful watch that you can use for reference for the rest of the collection, I'd recommend a GS.
We took these two to the Shinshu Studio. The guys and gals really appreciated seeing their handiwork on a customer's wrist.
This one is mine.
and this belongs to Mrs Cazalea
Stay tuned for part 5 of my report. This message has been edited by cazalea on 2014-11-16 20:53:43
I see that Mrs Cazalea has great taste. No date watch. ;)
More seriously, thanks for your great work, here, Mike.
That is what I call a report!
Best,
Nicolas
Interesting! I have never been to Shinshu Studio yet!
Okay, now I see how they make GS in Suwa or Shinshu.... Yes, although not mechanical, it DOES have SEIKO DNA...
Thanks for the report!
Ken
This message has been edited by KIH on 2014-10-20 08:18:46
I'm not certain the quartz crystals...
are made there at the factory, or where the ICs are programmed.
Can you find out?
This message has been edited by cazalea on 2014-10-20 15:14:16
We talked about the crystals
and they had a sample there, but I don't think they are grown there. Apparently they grow to about the size of a house brick, then small slivers are shaved or cut off.
On the other hand, many of the 8 million a month quartz watches are produced by other Seiko plants around Asia.
I guess I could ask and find out.
Mike
After all the problems I had . . .
. . . with that vintage IWC, and am beginning to have with a similar vintage Omega, maybe I should get a quartz GS, if only to appreciate the limits of timing accuracy.
I've long admired GS's reply to the Milgauss and Railmaster; Ken has one, if not mistaken.
I have one
Perfect for Nico "no-date"
This message has been edited by cazalea on 2014-10-21 12:41:28
I want to say that Ken's is . . .
. . . the more utilitarian SBGX045. I'd forgotten about yours; not unusual, given my recent pattern of losing track of just about everything.
Here's an image of yours I took . . .
. . . just over six years ago.
