Of all of Grand Seiko’s technical achievements, most likely essentially the most distinctive is Spring Drive – I’d have mentioned unconditionally essentially the most distinctive besides, in fact, that is the 12 months that Grand Seiko’s given us the brand new 9SA5 Hello-Beat caliber, which has a brand new kind of escapement. Nonetheless, Spring Drive offers a visible expertise of the passage of time which is exclusive not solely in Seiko’s portfolio, however in fashionable watchmaking usually, with its easily and silently sweeping seconds hand. This fluid illustration of the passing of time represents, I believe, an particularly efficient foil to Grand Seiko’s nature-inspired dial designs.
