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SalonQP - London calling
SalonQP brings together over 90 exhibitors from the world of watchmaking, including a large contingent of home-grown UK watchmaking talent that watch fans can usually only see at this annual London event. Three new brands will launch at the show, including Czapek & Cie. which was presented only yesterday on WorldTempus.
Urban Jurgensen is one of 15 brands that will be exhibiting at the show for the first time, with a further twelve brands choosing SalonQP for new product launches. Traditionally, SalonQP is also the first opportunity to see the exhibition of all the winning watches from the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve.
A separate exhibition entitled "Gems of Time: The Art of Colour" looks specifically at the use of coloured gemstones in fine watchmaking and two of the informative seminars during the event will be devoted to the subjects of high jewellery watches (13th November at 12.30pm with Sasha Slater of and Caragh McKay, editor of and coloured gemstones (13th November at 3pm with Daniel Struyf, International Jewellery Director at Bonhams).
Watch fans will be spoiled for choice with the broad selection of big names and smaller, independent brands and will have a rare chance to see a Grand Seiko Hibeat movement being assembled by one of the brand's master watchmakers, Mr Hiraga, who is travelling all the way from Japan. An even rarer delight is the opportunity to see a Roger Smith timepiece. The master watchmaker from the Isle of Man, who worked with George Daniels, produces only 10 pieces of his Series 2, which uses a single-wheel version of the Daniels Co-Axial escapement.
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Seiko - Premium Boutique
The first Seiko Premium Boutique was inaugurated in Ginza, a high-end shopping district in Tokyo on July 30. This is the first boutique carrying Seiko's three luxury brands exclusively： Grand Seiko, Credor and Galante.
The previous day, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a press conference was held with the attendance of Wang Leehom, a famous Chinese-American singer and actor who he has been Seiko's brand ambassador in Asia since 2011.
"Showcasing our prestigious collections, this boutique will offer a true window to the Seiko world, and visitors will experience the uniqueness of Seiko's craftsmanship and Japanese hospitality" announced Shinji Hattori, President & CEO of Seiko Watch Corporation at the press conference held at Wako, a landmark specialty store in Ginza.
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Grand Seiko - 55th Anniversary Edition
In 1960, Seiko launched Grand Seiko, a collection of the finest watches Seiko could manufacture. Having been manufacturing mechanical movements since the company was founded in 1881, Seiko knew what was needed to create the best movements and this experience was directly applied to Grand Seiko.
"Grand Seiko was launched at a time when Seiko's watchmakers were continually and rapidly enhancing the precision of Seiko mechanical watch technology," explains Robert Wilson, European Marketing Director of Seiko UK Ltd. "The aim then, as now, was to make the 'ideal' watch. It was a deceptively simply objective - in reality it meant setting new standards in the precision, durability, comfort and usability of a luxury watch. Today, 55 years later, the idea that inspires each new Grand Seiko creation is exactly the same as was the case in 1960. And it always will remain so."
For most of its life, Grand Seiko has been reserved for the Japanese market, yet it still gained fame around the world with the spread of information via the Internet. Seiko finally bowed to customer pressure and made Grand Seiko available outside of Japan in 2010.
"There was already great demand from all over the world for Grand Seiko, but we needed to increase the production capacity especially for mechanical calibers, which are assembled in the Shizuku-ishi Watch Studio, and we were ready to launch Grand Seiko internationally in the autumn of 2010," Wilson says. "Today, Grand Seiko is available in over 30 markets around the world and, just in Europe, we already have over 40 retailer partners, with more wanting to join us all the time. Of course, Grand Seiko is also presented at the Seiko Boutiques in Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid and most recently in our new boutique in Frankfurt, where Grand Seiko will be the focal point of the store."
This year, Grand Seiko is celebrating its 55th anniversary with the introduction of the first of several limited editions, a chronograph powered by the ground-breaking Spring Drive movement. With enhanced accuracy (+/- 0.5 seconds a day, +/- 10 seconds per month), 12 hour elapsed time measurement, a vertical clutch and a column wheel and a power reserve of 72 hours, the Grand Seiko 55th Anniversary Spring Drive Chronograph Limited Edition is truly a special piece. The Seiko lion emblem in 18K yellow gold on the oscillating weight symbolizes the greater accuracy of this limited edition. Assembled by hand, the Grand Seiko 55th Anniversary Spring Drive Chronograph Limited Edition is limited to 400 pieces.
The Future for Grand Seiko
55 years old, Grand Seiko is poised for even greater things. "We will continue to widen the international collection of Grand Seiko, especially with more models using our unique Spring Drive calibers, of which the 55th Anniversary Chronograph is an outstanding example," details Wilson. "Second, we will market the Grand Seiko brand more widely, expanding its appeal beyond the watch collectors who are the core consumers for the brand today. We will bring Grand Seiko to the attention of all those who appreciate fine watchmaking through more advertising and a higher profile at watch events.
"Slowly but surely, we will make Grand Seiko better known, all over the world, as one of the very best watches in the world," Wilson continues. "Grand Seiko is absolutely central to the future of Seiko Watch Corporation. For several years now, sales have been increasing at double digit pace and the success of Grand Seiko in Japan is already beginning to be replicated in other markets, including the USA and Europe. In the long term, Grand Seiko will be one of the central pillars on which our company's success is built."
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Seiko - Marinemaster Professional 1000m Diver's
It was in 1965 that Seiko made its first ever diver's watch. From the first use of a titanium case for a diver's watch to the invention of the accordion-style strap and the twolayer case to the design of dial markers and hands of unparalleled legibility, Seiko has been a pioneer in the field. In 2015, the brand welcomes two new timepieces in the Marinemaster series. Today, we are introducing the Marinemaster Professional 1000m Diver's.
Like its 1975 predecessor, the new Marinemaster Professional 1000m Diver's has the two-layer case construction that is now the trademark of Seiko's professional diver's watches. Thanks to the strength of the inner case structure, the specially designed L-shaped gasket and the screw-down glass fixing ring, the watch is effectively impermeable to helium and can be safely used for saturation diving to great depths. The use of ceramic for the outer shell enhances shock resistance and also prevents any unintentional rotation of the bezel. In September 2014, Seiko professional diver's watches of the same case construction were subjected to the most extreme test imaginable. Affixed to the exterior hull of KAIKO 7000 II, a remotely operated undersea research vehicle, they performed perfectly down to a depth of 3,000m.
This new creation incorporates a mechanical caliber specially adjusted for a diver's watch. The movement is caliber 8L35, and it is made and assembled, as is the complete watch, by Seiko's leading craftsmen at the Shizuku-ishi Watch Studio. The hands and markers are coated with a new version of Seiko's Lumibrite, which glows for 60% longer than in the past. The strap is made of extra-strength silicone for greater durability.
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Seiko - Prospex Aviation Solar Chronograph
The Prospex Aviation Solar Chronograph is a modern reinterpretation of a Seiko classic. In 1972, the Seiko Flight Computer set a new standard in aviation watches and began a tradition in this area that is today renewed with a solar aviation chronograph of high specifications.
The slide rule allows calculations of distance, fuel and oil consumption and speed, while the chronograph measures elapsed time for up to 60 minutes. Powered by light alone, this remarkable watch delivers what pilots need most, complete reliability throughout their flight.
The case is 46.1 mm in diameter, stainless steel screw back. Water resistant to 10 bar, the timepiece features approximately 6 months of duration of operation after fully charged. Strap in stainless steel with three-fold clasp with push button release, all at an affordable price of 610 euros.
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Seiko - Prospex Kinetic GMT Diver
The new Prospex Kinetic GMT Diver's uses the same double case system as the legendary 1975 model, but it does so in a modernized and stylish way. As the name Prospex implies, it has a professional specification, with 200m water resistance, but it also has a design flair that makes it unique, as is clear from the window in the side of the outer case through which you can see the inner case.
The dial is designed uniquely with legibility in mind. The professional level of the specifications becomes clear when you study the details, the 3 dimensional hour markers, the anti-reflective coating on the sapphire crystal and the precise and secure operation of the uni-directional bezel.
The caliber is Kinetic, the perfect technology for diving as it combines 1 second a day precision with the certainty of Seiko's unique no-battery-change Kinetic technology.
It is available with a steel bracelet or with a silicon strap, designed for strength, flexibility and longevity. The Kinetic GMT Diver's is true to the Seiko tradition, but is updated with the very latest in design and technology.
Prospex collectionThe collection is broad in the range of sports watches it includes, incorporating all Seiko's technologies, Kinetic, solar, quartz and mechanical, and in its price range, with models starting at 300 Euro and going up to 3,000 Euro for the 1000 meter saturation diving watch. Seiko Prospex is Seiko's first new mainstream Elite collection for seven years and takes its place alongside Sportura and Velatura as an important new reference point in the world of sports watches.
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Seiko - The Alien Seiko - when childhood dreams come true.
When I was a kid, a digital watch was as cool as an iPhone is today. You could for example grab people's attention by wearing the latest Seiko with chronograph and alarm. Seiko nonetheless stood for much more than just innovative digital watches with brightly-lit LED displays, as was proven in 1986 when I watched the movie Aliens starring Sigourney Weaver as the fearless Ellen Ripley. She wore an amazing Seiko 7A28-7000 featuring distinctive chronograph pushers on the side - a watch dreamed up by renowned Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and that certainly looked like the perfect timepiece in the futuristic SciFi surroundings. Ripley was however not the only one sporting a cool watch that kept me glued to the screen. The android Bishop, played by Lance Henriksen, also wore a spectacular Seiko ref. 7A28-6000 aka Speedmaster designed by Giugiaro. And that model soon became object of my teenage dreams. It was however a pricy watch back then and my salary as a messenger boy didn't allow me to become an owner.
Both watches were launched in 1983, three years before the Aliens movie hit the theatres. It so happens that Seiko decided to relaunch the Bishop version in 2013 as a limited 30th anniversary version - a move I only recently learned of by coincidence while surfing the internet. I was very disappointed to realize that it was issued as a 500-piece limited edition and released for the Japanese market only. Thankfully, friendly contacts in Japan aware of my passion for watches were able to help me out and a few weeks later I received a wonderful second-generation Bishop Speedmaster. The relaunched model looks pretty much like the original from 1983, although now available not only in a black and red version, but also in black/green and black/yellow variations - the latter being the only one I was able to get my hands on.
The diameter is still 40.8 millimetres, the movement still quartz, although now offering a 24-hour indicator on the right instead of a 1/10th seconds indicator. But most importantly, it not only looks exactly the way it did on the wrist of Bishop in the Aliens movie, but also like the model that haunted my dreams for so many years when I was a watch-loving teenager running errands for my father. Some dreams do come true...
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Seiko - Wearing the Astron GPS
WORLDTEMPUS - 24 December 2012
Billed as the "watch that understands time zones," earlier this year Seiko announced its first solar-powered GPS watch. The Astron GPS uses a patented low-energy receiver that picks up GPS signals and identifies the time zone, time and date using at least four GPS satellites. It covers all 39 time zones, and updates automatically once a day (as well as on demand) to the correct local time when it picks up your location.
The technological developments of the Astron GPS Solar are incredibly important to Seiko, who ranks it up there with the company's most groundbreaking developments: the Spring Drive (1999), the Seiko Kinetic (1988), its first solar-powered watch (1977) and of course, the world's first quartz watch launched in 1969, the Astron - after which this is named. The Astron GPS' moniker came about both because Seiko sees it as similarly innovative to its first quartz, and because it is seen as a horological descendent.
When you think about the fact that Seiko has accrued some one hundred patents for this watch, including for micro GPS technology, it's really quite an astonishing little bit of wrist wear. Many people don't realize that Seiko is a true watch manufacture, and one that takes innovation seriously. It is totally vertically integrated and makes all of its own movements, dials, bracelets, cases, hairsprings and mainsprings.
Technologically complex, easy to use
So, how is the GPS reception in the Astron activated? By pressing on the pusher at 2 o'clock for six seconds, at which point the seconds hand will jump to 6 o'clock to let you know that it is ready to receive the signal. The seconds hand will then jump to the hour number indicating how many satellite signals it is trying to get reception from: for example, if it jumps to 4 o'clock, it is trying to receive information from four satellites. It will then take between 30 seconds and two minutes to receive these signals, at which point your watch will sync. How accurate is it? To one second. If for whatever reason you don't receive a time signal, the accuracy is +/- 15 seconds per month.
The pusher at 4 o'clock is for setting the time zone. A quick push will show your current time zone and then jump back to regular timekeeping. If you push and hold it for more than 4 seconds, you will be able to manually adjust the time zone - use the 2 o'clock (or 4 o'clock) pusher to scroll through the cities listed and then the hands can calibrate to the selected time zone. Press the 10 o'clock pusher to reset to your current time zone. Helpfully, if you need help with operating your watch, Seiko has a dedicated Astron GPS website with instructions.
As well as the time, world time and daylight saving indicator, the Astron GPS boasts a perpetual calendar (correct until February 2100). Its water resistance is 10 bar and magnetic resistance is 4,800 A/m.
Technological advance in a classic Seiko look
At 47 mm in diameter and 16.5 mm thick, it is not a small watch, but it feels more like a 44 mm watch to wear, especially the titanium models, and it sits easily and surprisingly lightly on the wrist. One thing that was harder to pick up in the original launch photos is that this is a very architectural watch. The dial has a lot of actual physical depth, the hour markers stand up in sharp three-dimensional contrast to the rest of the dial. The dial itself is clear and easy to use, the subdials well placed. The dial is a solar panel, but to look at it, you couldn't tell. The Astron GPS is not like the techy watches of the 1970s and 1980s, which were less about the aesthetics and more about the technology; it is very much about technological development, but is a good looking watch as well, its style conservative but classic.
In addition to five regular production models in steel or titanium (including two titanium models with ceramic bezels), there is a special model with a ceramic bezel created in a limited edition of 2,500 pieces (Ref SAST001) that comes on a silicone strap. All of them have the same functions and specifications, including a dual time subdial, in-flight mode indicator and sapphire crystal with Super-Clear coating. The silicon straps are soft and very comfortable to wear, and make the large case less pronounced a presence on the wrist.
If you are under any illusion of how popular this watch already is, check out this statistic: Seiko had sold a truly astonishing one thousand odd Astron GPS watches in Japan alone in the first week of its launch.
As Seiko puts it, when you step off your plane all you will have to do is to press a button and the time zone adjustment will be virtually automatic, taking approximately six seconds for the time to self-correct and 30 seconds or so to find the time zone. As if this wasn't cool enough, it also includes a perpetual calendar accurate until February 2100, which is plenty of time for most of us.
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Seiko - The Ananta 'Kumadori' Chronograph
From its first launch in 2009, the Japanese inspiration of the Ananta design has captured the imagination of watch enthusiasts throughout the world. With its sword-shaped Katana profile and the super-flat Zaratsu polishing, Ananta has carved out a distinctively Japanese position in the luxury watch market.
The art of 'Kumadori' and Kabuki
From modest beginnings in 17th century Kyoto, Kabuki theater has grown to become one of the most distinctive and popular aspects of Japan's culture. With its highly stylish sets and costumes, its ritualised dancing and declaratory style of acting, today's Kabuki reaches back into Japan's ancient traditions. 'Kumadori' is an art within an art; all the actors on the Kabuki stage wear an elaborate form of make-up which accentuates their emotions with dramatically exaggerated lines and vivid colors. It is this art of 'Kumadori' that has inspired the new Ananta chronograph.
The Ananta 'Kumadori' Chonograph
This remarkable watch unites several different aspects of Japan's rich heritage. The watch itself is a mechanical chronograph, using Seiko's celebrated 8R28 caliber which has, of course, a column wheel and vertical clutch system for precise chronograph operation, and incorporates Seiko's unique three-pointed hammer which ensures the perfect synchronization of the hands' fly-back.
The uniqueness of this chronograph lies in the lacquer dial. The dial is painted by hand with pure black lacquer by Isshu Tamura, a noted and expert lacquer artist. Tamura is a master of the Kaga Makie style and paints the dials in his studio in Kanazawa on the western shores of the Japanese mainland. Once the black dial is painted, the red inner rings, also in lacquer, are applied. The effect is startling - the jet black of the lacquer dial is as deep as the night sky, making the red highlights stand out in sharp relief - a look that is as dramatic as Kumadori itself. This unusual and highly collectable piece is offered in a Limited Edition of 800, each with its individual serial number engraved on the case back.
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Seiko - Sensational world record
The IAAF World Championships in Daegu, Korea drew to a close a week ago with a day of high-class competition that culminated in a breath-taking world record of 37.04 seconds for the 4 x 100 men's metre relay team from Jamaica. This astonishing time provided a fitting end to the great Championships that captured the imagination of the world, with over 200 countries watching the competition unfold over nine thrilling days.
The Championships grabbed the headlines right from the very start. The Kenyans announced their brilliance with victory in the women's marathon and their whole team continued to shine in the distance events, winning an amazing 17 medals overall. Then the Usain Bolt story got underway. After cruising through the heats, Bolt had the misfortune to do a false start in the 100 metre final before bouncing back into the record books with a stunning victory in the 200 metres and anchoring the Jamaican team to gold in the 4 x 100 metre relay. And in between all this drama, some great personal stories unfolded. The 21 year old French sprinter Christian Lemaitre surprised everyone with a brilliant national record in the 200 metres and then helped his team win silver in the relay. The German Robert Harting retained the discus title he had won so memorably two years ago in Berlin and the Australian, Sally Pearson, set one of three Championship records with a near-perfect run in the 100m hurdles.
The World Championships: the sports event of the year
The IAAF World Championships is the largest sports event of the year. It attracted 1,945 athletes from 202 nations and was watched on TV in over 200 countries. Over 400,000 spectators turned the Daegu stadium into a cauldron of noise on every day of the event. And the athletes rose to the occasion, setting one world record, three championship records, four area records and no less than 41 national records. The global popularity of athletics was proven by the wide distribution of the medals. No less than 41 nations won medals and a remarkable 14 nations won gold, including not only the established giants of the sport USA and Russia, but also several nations where success is not automatically expected, such as New Zealand, Botswana and Grenada.
SEIKO. At the heart of the action
SEIKO has had the honour of serving the IAAF at all its Championships since Rome, 1987. In Daegu, a team of over 50 specialist engineers delivered a full timing and measurement service to each and every discipline. The timing of the Championships required not only a large team of engineers, but also a vast amount of equipment, from huge field scoreboards to high-spec computers that generate TV graphics. 20 tonnes of equipment were shipped from the team's headquarters in Japan and the UK to Daegu. During the course of the 9 day event, the team measured over 15,000 individual times, speeds and distances, all of which were critical to the results and to the presentation of the sport to spectators, media, commentators and the TV viewer. And SEIKO continued to bring innovation to the sport with a new, video-based, system for measuring the long and triple jump events. The SEIKO VDM delivered results faster and more accurately than ever before at a major athletics event.
And the show goes on…
With Daegu drawing to its successful close, the SEIKO Timing Team turns its attention to future IAAF events, most notably the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul in March, 2012 and the next outdoor Championships which are now less than two years away, starting on August 10, 2013 in Moscow. The first planning meetings are already being scheduled!
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Seiko - Kinetic movement
Kinetic. A powerhouse of technological innovation
Like mechanical and quartz, Kinetic is a platform. Over the past 20 years, SEIKO has created on this platform a suite of Kinetic movements, each bringing unique features to the consumer.
It was at the 1986 Basel Fair that SEIKO unveiled its first Kinetic prototype. Introduced under the trial name of 'AGM', it was the first watch in the world to convert kinetic movement into electrical energy. It was the first step in a development that, 20 years later, has made Kinetic synonymous with environmental friendliness, high performance and long-lasting convenience to a generation of users worldwide. From the launch in 1988 of the first commercially available watch (then under the new name AGS) until today, over eight million Kinetic watches have been sold (as of 2007).
In 1998, Kinetic Auto Relay was released, extending the 'at-rest' operating period of the watch to a remarkable 4 years. 1999 saw the launch of the Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph, a masterpiece which fused the very best of SEIKO's mechanical and electronic watchmaking skills, and in 2003 another Kinetic Chronograph was launched. At Baselworld 2005, the Kinetic Perpetual made its first appearance, combining Kinetic convenience and longevity with a perpetual calendar, correct to the year 2100. In 2007, SEIKO's emotional technology Kinetic Direct Drive is introduced.
Kinetic Direct Drive
SEIKO Kinetic Direct Drive is an embodiment of the SEIKO's'emotional technology
Kinetic Chronograph
Unlike conventional watches, the time display dials are arranged in a position outside the center. The center hand is the chronograph second hand that can measure in 1/5-second increments.
Kinetic Auto Relay
Kinetic Auto Relay is equipped with Sleep Function and Wake-Up Function.
Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph
The SEIKO Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph 9T82 combines the reliability and high accuracy of Kinetic technology with the traditional attributes of the mechanical chronograph.
Kinetic Perpetual
Kinetic Perpetual combines the beauty of a classic mechanical perpetual calendar, correct until February 28, 2100, with the advantage of Kinetic.
Kinetic GMT
The marriage of Kinetic with a GMT function makes the perfect travelers'watch.
[Rating: 5 / 5 stars]
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