No Flash in Japan
Seiko’s Toru Tsuchiya and William Hui of its local distributor Thong Sia explain why introducing the Grand Seiko brand to the broader market will be a gradual, long- term process
Highly respected in its home country, Grand Seiko is fast becoming a favourite worldwide
Switzerland, as all students of the history of timekeeping know, isn’t the be all and end all of horology. In fact, it was only in the 19th century that the small European nation became synonymous with fi ne watchmaking, with many key innovations having already been developed elsewhere. Clock and watch manufacturing also took root in other parts of the world. Far away in Asia, industrialisation only really came to Japan in the late 19th century, yet the process was so rapid that by the end of the Meiji era more than 20 companies around the country were producing almost four million clocks annually. Among them was a business founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori, a 22- year- old clock- and watchmaker and repairer in Tokyo; within 11 years he’d bought a disused factory where he began to manufacture clocks under the name Seikosha. By 1895 Hattori had made his fi rst pocket watch; a wristwatch – the Laurel – made its debut in 1913, with a timepiece bearing the Seiko name arriving on the market in 1924.
Today, the Seiko Corporation manufactures tens of millions of watches each year, from inexpensive mass- produced quartz models and workmanlike – but nonetheless well regarded – mechanical Seiko 5s, through its mid- market GPS solar Astrons and traditional mechanical Presages, to the luxury watches of Grand Seiko, which in 2017 was spun off as a high- end brand that’s aimed directly at Swiss competitors such as Rolex and Omega. Putting the lie to the notion that luxury timepieces must by defi nition be produced in Europe ( and thus, by extension, Switzerland), Grand Seiko watches are prized for their high precision and accuracy, with calibres ranging from high- beat
( i. e., 36,000vph) and quartz to the Spring Drive, an ingenious hybrid movement in which energy is generated mechanically but regulated electronically. Similarly superb are the levels of craftsmanship involved in their production, perhaps best typifi ed by the tiny number of watches sold under the Credor name, rare pieces that feature handmade and handpainted porcelain dials, and even minute repeaters – though sightings of these beauties beyond the domestic Japanese market are few and far between.
To those acquainted only with Seiko’s more affordable products, for which it’s much better known, it’s almost inconceivable that the company is capable of such a wide scope of offerings – indeed, it’s not so very long ago that Swiss watch enthusiasts ridiculed timepieces bearing the Grand Seiko logo. Given the growing respect for the luxury Japanese brand among collectors around the world, however, that’s emphatically no longer the case.
When it gained its autonomy more than two years ago, Grand Seiko relinquished the stylised “Seiko” that for years had adorned the upper half of the dial in favour of its own distinct logo. It also began projecting itself towards a younger audience and, just as crucially, watch buyers overseas, whereas formerly the brand had primarily targeted an older demographic of Japanese buyers in their fi fties and sixties. “What people see in watches has changed,” says Seiko Watch Corporation senior president Toru Tsuchiya. “For the same watch, young people now are also interested.”
That rippling reverberation is gradually being felt globally – and the new strategy has been welcomed by overseas fans who always wanted to see a greater availability of Grand Seiko watches outside of Japan. They, in turn, have been rewarded with a rash of dazzling new models as the brand has rolled out commemorative pieces that hit the zeitgeist bang on the nail, watches such as the Spring Drive Nissan GT- R Anniversary Limited Edition SBGC229 and the Spring Drive Godzilla 65th Anniversary SBGA405, which conveniently also help mark the innovative movement’s 20th anniversary. With its combination of conventional mechanical components and a quartz oscillator, the Spring Drive promises the exceptional accuracy of plus or minus one second a day, as well as a visually enchanting gliding second hand. Although one of the brand’s three movement technologies, it’s by far its signature.
“There’s only Seiko that uses three different mechanisms,” says Tsuchiya.
“We want to continue keeping these three pillars.” However, though Grand Seiko sales have grown appreciably in the Japanese domestic arena since the transition, he admits that the brand’s limited retail presence means “they’re still babies” on the international market. “For our fi rst task, we’re more focused on our own boutiques,” adds William Hui, managing director of Thong Sia Group, which is responsible for the distribution of Grand Seiko in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, as he explains the different levels of maturity across the three markets. “Our appeal is much higher, more mature in Hong Kong, because we introduced the Grand Seiko brand 14 here years ago – that’s the reason why we have a very solid customer base. Hong Kong customers are more knowledgeable about us.”
When introducing Grand Seiko to younger, fl edging markets such as Malaysia, Hui thinks it’s important to reach out to the current pool of Grand Seiko enthusiasts, rather than adopting a broader approach to capture the wider
group who may not yet be aware of what the brand is about. It’s a strategy that’s much easier to execute in a single- brand boutique, rather than a multi- brand retailer.
While the potential demise of Baselword hogged the headlines in 2019, less publicised at the embattled watch and jewellery fair was Grand Seiko’s unveiling of a pair of hand- wound Spring Drive movements. “As you know,” says Tsuchiya, “Spring Drive is unique and we don’t want to stop our evolution. We won’t take it for granted, and we want to establish it as our main calibre.”
In a 30- piece limited edition, the Spring Drive- powered Grand Seiko SBGZ001, for example, features exquisite snowflake finishing not only on its dial but also on its platinum case, and typifies the brand’s devotion to being distinctly Japanese – a pride in its Japanese origins that translates into beauty of craftsmanship. Encased within the SBGZ001 is a 9R02 movement with two mainsprings set in parallel within a single barrel and using a unique Torque Return System to deliver 84 hours of power. The mainsprings are contained in a bellflower- shaped barrel inspired by the symbol of Shiojiri, the Japanese city that’s home to Micro Artist Studio, which is responsible for the movement. “We believe our buyers are highnet- worth individuals who are knowledgeable about the differences between German, Swiss and Japanese watches,” says Hui. “When we talk about going deeper, we have to let our customers know about our core values. We need to be more active.”
Going deeper also means listening to – and repaying – his customers’ faith in the brand and it’s a responsibility that Hui takes seriously. Because once a client has collected every piece from the Grand Seiko line- up that’s caught his or her eye ( and enthusiasts of the brand are notorious for their fanaticism and loyalty), there’s only one thing left to do: sign up for a Credor Eichi II. The grapevine has it that the wait is five months minimum, because perfection takes time, but when it comes to exquisitely executed simplicity there’s almost nothing in contemporary highend watchmaking to touch it.