Messages: 25238 Location: Citizen of Nowhere
Registered: September 2004
BASELWORLD 2018: The 10th anniversary of the Credor Spring Drive Eichi...
Thu, 22 March 2018 17:11
The original Eichi, created in 2008, and its successor Eichi II, 2014, won high praise worldwide for their simplicity of design, the exquisite finishing of the movements, the innovative torque return system and, most of all, for the hand-painted, pure white porcelain dials. Today, ten years after Eichi first appeared, a new version of Eichi II brings all these attributes together in a new 18k rose gold interpretation. It will be available in August at selected Seiko Boutiques and retail partners worldwide.
A cold forged gold case and Zaratsu polishing
The rose gold case has a precision and brilliance that could only be achieved by combining a cold forging process with meticulous hand polishing. Thanks to the greater density created by the cold forging of the gold, every surface shines with particular brilliance and the case is more resistant to scratches. The elegantly curved surfaces are Zaratsu polished, a task that requires a consummate skill which is fully rewarded in the sharpness of every surface and the complete absence of any distortion.
Eichi II, a hand-made masterpiece
Eichi means wisdom in Japanese. The name reflects the fusion of traditional Japanese watch- making skills with the highest and most advanced Spring Drive technology. From the design of every component to the hand painting of the dial, Eichi II is made by elite watchmakers at the Micro Artist Studio in Shiojiri in central Japan. Founded in 2000, this studio has developed a worldwide reputation with masterpieces like the Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie (2006), the Credor Spring Drive Minute Repeater (2011), Credor Spring Drive Eichi II in 2014 and the Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8 Day Power Reserve (2016).
Spring Drive and the Torque Return System
Eichi II is not only a masterpiece of watch craftsmanship, it also delivers truly remarkable performance. Unique among spring-powered watches, Spring Drive offers a precision of one second a day. The Torque Return System is a proprietary mechanism that maximizes the ad- vantages of the Spring Drive movement's high torque. After the mainspring has been fully wound, the torque output is at its highest and approximately 30% of the available power is not needed to maintain the precision of the watch and is effectively wasted in a normal move- ment. However, the patented Torque Return System uses this energy to rewind the main- spring, resulting in a 25% increase in the power reserve, which is a remarkable 60 hours.
Credor Spring Drive Eichi II 18k Rose gold: GBLT998
Caliber 7R14
Driving system: Manual winding with torque return system
Power reserve: 60 hours
Accuracy: +/- 1 second per day (+/- 15 seconds per month)
Power reserve indicator
Number of jewels: 41
Specifications :
18k rose gold case and clasp, white porcelain dial
Dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
See-through case back
Water resistance: 3 bar
Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
Diameter: 39 mm, Depth: 10.3 mm
Crocodile strap with three-fold clasp with push button release
Recommended retail price in Japan, without tax: ¥4,300,000
"Nationalism is power-hunger tempered by self deception" - George Orwell
Messages: 1054 Location: Connecticut
Registered: July 2012
Perfect simplicity!
Thu, 22 March 2018 17:52
As I have said about the prior Eichi watches, it is hard to imagine a more elegant dress watch. One might prefer the aesthetics choices for the movement finish on the highest of the high end of other makers, but I challenge anyone to fault the execution. There was a review article a few years back comparing the prior Eichi to Ferrier and Dufour and can absolutely hang in there very well under extreme magnification with both. Just simple perfection.
Messages: 1054 Location: Connecticut
Registered: July 2012
I'm jealous!
Thu, 22 March 2018 18:17
I've seen Ferrier in person at a wonderful dealer in NYC but sadly I don't imagine I will ever have the chace to see an Eichi in the metal. I'll keep my fingers crossed though. Perhaps someday.
Messages: 3173 Location: Texas
Registered: December 2003
It is a very fine watch indeed...but keep in mind that this model
Fri, 23 March 2018 00:13
has existed since 2014 and not a model that Seiko has just now introduced for the 10th anniversary of the Credor Eichi. Only the precious metal of the case is new for the 10th anniversary of the Credor Eichi.
The Credor line was introduced in 1974 and the Credor Eichi was introduced in 2008, a platinum cased, 25 piece run with the beautiful Spring Drive 7R14 hand winding movement that you see here. That watch had a 35mm diameter case and the movement filled it to the brim. I had purchased that watch in 2010 and did not keep it for long due to its diminutive size.
In 2014 (40th anniversary of Credor line) Seiko introduced the Eichi II, which was now a 39mm diameter model and as before encased in platinum, hand made with hand painted porcelain dial and housing the same Spring Drive movement. The power reserve indicator was moved to the back of the movement however. The Eichi II has been in production of about 20 units per years since 2014.
For 2018, the 10th anniversary of the Eichi II line, it is now available in pink/rose gold which is what you are reading about here, which makes it significantly less expensive than its platinum 950 counterpart. Everything else in the watch is the same as it has been since 2014, which is no bad thing except that the hand painted hour markers are in gray instead of the blue of the platinum model.
While it is truly one of the finest that Seiko has ever produced, a step above the Grand Seiko offerings, it is good to keep the little background information above to truly appreciate the model but also to keep it in perspective. The platinum model first offered in 2014
was approximately $45,000. The PG version for sale in August of 2018 will be about $40,000. At this price, this watch while not terribly overpriced, especially given that only 12 artisans have the ability to manufacture less than two dozen units per year, it begins to compete with some very viable alternatives with pedigrees of their own.
No one who purchases and owns the Credor Eichi II will feel shortchanged as long as they know the reasons they preferred it over any alternatives.
Messages: 3173 Location: Texas
Registered: December 2003
I must agree. Also,
Fri, 23 March 2018 10:10
I think a truly elegant dress watch should be thinner and while 10.3 mm is not very thick it is almost twice the thickness of some very commonly available and very fine dress watches with mechanical movements from Europe.
The 35mm version that I had was also 10.3mm thick and in that smaller diameter the watch felt quite thick.
The Spring Drive system has its advantages but I agree that a watch of this caliber with such details and hand applied dial markings, such polish of the movement and such amazing case work, a purely mechanical movement is a must.
Messages: 3173 Location: Texas
Registered: December 2003
I do not think the master watchmakers at Seiko consider their mechanical movements as
Fri, 23 March 2018 15:48
merely "250+ year old technology" compared to their relatively recent hybrid Spring Drive system.
I suspect the truth to be quite the opposite.
In fact that is why, in your own words:
"The GBBD961, GBBD981, GBBY989, GBBD963 are all fitted with mechanical calibre's, finished to a very high standard and priced accordingly."
Yes, Seiko championed the Quartz watch revolution, the Kinetic watch and the 2008 introduction of the marvelous marriage of the
mechanical and the Quartz watch in their acclaimed Spring Drive technology, but some of their own finest and most expensive models are purely mechanical and some of the most acclaimed and respected watches from around the world are still using centuries old technology of the purely mechanical movements which only make those watches timelessly interesting and desirable.
Messages: 25238 Location: Citizen of Nowhere
Registered: September 2004
It's a fact that traditional balance wheel movements...
Fri, 23 March 2018 16:01
...feature technology that is 250+ years old.
As for the examples I gave, that in no way invalidates my position, it merely highlights that if you want 250+ year old technology in your watch Credor - finished to a far higher standard that GS - can accommodate your needs.
The flagship however features Seiko's finest, which just happens to be hybrid.
"Nationalism is power-hunger tempered by self deception" - George Orwell
I have noticed that Roger W Smith, Kari Voutilainen, Roman Gauthier, and Greubel Forsey all have thicker watches than this one.
The most finely hand made and hand finished watches tend to be thick because they are made to last (Kari explicitly talks about this, having the thickness of mainplate to take larger screws that you can really screw in without deforming them, etc.).
Of course, there are very finely finished ultra thin movements as well, but that the big names of hand made haute horology tend to all make thick watches is either a real challenge to the idea that a dress watch must be ultra thin, or that these ultra high-end watches exist in their own category that is obviously not sporty, nor is it "a real dress watch". They are casually dressy, yet ultra finely finished. Hmmph. Anyway, I think it is very clear that this category, whatever one calls it, is what the eichi II is aimed at.
Now, the real question for me(which you or another dear reader may be able to help with) is: Is this spring drive really built to last in the same way the natural escapements of Kari and co-axial of RWSmith are? If so... well maybe I should start saving up!
...patented in the early 80's and commercialised in the late 1990's.
Seiko are renowned for reliability so it's safe to say that this movement has been throughly tested and built to last.
And natural escapements are either oil-free or low-oil but tend to be super duper non-tolerant of shocks. Maybe the spring drive stacks up well. It's not as if any but the rarest watchmaker of the future is going to fix an rwsmith co-axial or voutilainen and seiko has as good a bet as anyone to last another lifetime...hmm.
