The original Grand Seiko watch and the subsequent series of watches will change the pattern of Japanese watchmakers. The Grand Seiko series will prove Seiko’s ability to produce high-quality watches that can compete with or even exceed those produced by Swiss watch manufacturers.
Before the launch of Grand Seiko, high-end watch consumers did not rate Seiko high, although Seiko produced quality watches and bag awards. [1] The Seiko crown and Chronos movement are the pinnacle of Japanese technology, but Seiko has transformed it from an inferior watch manufacturer to a major player in the luxury watch market.
The nickname “Great” will be very important for this change. It reflects the company’s goal of creating “the best luxury watch in the world”. In 1960, the company’s Suwa department was tasked with creating the best watch at the time.
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Olympic Seiko Competition
The timing of Grand Seiko’s launch on the market also proves the key to its success. Seiko chronograph Cal. Launched in 1964 in 5722, Tokyo hosted the 18th Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Seiko acts as the official timer of the event. The company brought a simple countdown chronograph with Cal 5718A movement and a single push chronograph with Cal 5717 and Cal 5719 movements.
Since Seiko successfully participated in the Olympic Games, Seiko finally gained international respect and credibility.
Compete for the highest accuracy
The 1964 Olympics was just the beginning of Seiko’s search for a permanent brand in the high-end best price watches market. From the year the model was released to the end of the test, the company incorporated Grand Seiko into the Neuchatel astronomical clock test. The Neuchatel Observatory ranks and ranks the movements tested so that you can view the most accurate movements.
When Seiko first participated in an international competition, it ranked 144th. Three years later, in 1967, Seiko entered the top ten. When the test stopped in 1968, Seiko won the first place. There are rumors that the test is over, so Neuchatel can avoid announcing Seiko as the winner of the Swiss astronomical watch competition.
Seiko participated fearlessly in the same Geneva competition to win the first place. This time, this is not disappointing. Its Grand Seiko watches rank 4th to 10th, making this series of movements among the most accurate in the world.
Grand Seiko Production
The Grand Seiko production line has been in operation for 12 years. The first Grand Seiko was produced on December 18, 1960, and the last one was produced in 1972.
The Suwa Seikosha division produces most Grand Seiko fake watches for sale, except for the 44GS, 45GS and 45GS VFA movements produced by the Daini Seikosha division. These two companies are subsidiaries of Seiko. In fierce competition, Seiko’s subsidiaries produce a brand to increase technology and hedge risks. If one person encounters problems in production, the other person will only increase production. Suwa Seikosha became Seiko Epson, and Daini Seikosha became Seiko Instruments.
Seiko started production of its first-generation Grand Seiko 3180 model at the company’s Wawa factory in Nakasato, Japan in December 1960.
Subsequently, the 57GS movement produced 81,000 pieces in 1963.
After that, Seiko produced 44GS and 62GS movements. Seiko released in December 1967, creating 36,000 61GS series. This was followed by the 45GS, 45GS VFA, 19GS and 19GS VFA movements from 1968 to 1970. Finally, Seiko released the last model in the series, the mechanical 56GS, in 1972.