The Flow

 

Every now and then, we ask for your opinion in the form of a survey. Yes, your views and opinions matter. But there are certain topics where a survey is not required. For example: what do you value more, and what is more important - the external appearance or the mechanism inside the watch? Hands down, the overwhelming majority would choose the look and feel. And that is how it should be. After all, the role of the mechanism is simply to make things happen - efficiently, reliably, and quietly. Yet there are certain horological gems where the opposite is quite true. Where the complexity and ingenuity of the mechanism outweigh, by far, every other reason for the watch’s horological importance. And that too is exciting and revolutionary, and worth celebrating. And then, only very rarely, we are faced with masterpieces where the maker miraculously achieves something seldom seen: a perfect balance. A watch with an exceptional mechanism, fitted with a dial and hands that simply take us to the next level. Grand Seiko Spring Drive is such a masterpiece.

While Grand Seiko Spring Drive has been around for 25 years, conceptually it is one of the least understood watches. To an ordinary watch enthusiast, how it works is still a bit of a mystery. And so it is for serious collectors, watchmakers themselves, and - surprisingly - even for those who make a living selling high-grade watches. There are a few reasons why. Firstly, detailed technical descriptions and data are not readily available to the general public. Until recently, Spring Drive was primarily a Japanese domestic watch for the Japanese domestic market, with only about 7% sold outside Japan. Most of what we know comes from translated documents, which are merely simplified sales diagrams. The second reason is this: Spring Drive is designed to be repaired and serviced by Japanese in-house watchmakers only. We have never seen a broken or non-functional example on our bench - ever. The third reason is denial. We - and that is literally every watch enthusiast out there - simply refuse to accept that the Japanese might do horology better than anyone else on the planet. We are unable, and perhaps unwilling, to accept Grand Seiko’s superiority. To accept that Japanese watchmakers have elegantly solved a 350-year-old problem. That their attention to detail and perfectionism exceeds anything produced in Switzerland. And that such a masterpiece can be had for less than a fairly average, mass-produced Swiss watch. Or to put it simply: when faced with facts, we still value luxury and branding more than horology. To liberate ourselves and drag us out of this denial, the starting point is to understand how Spring Drive works. The basic concept is flow. The flow of sand in an hourglass. The flow of a river turning a waterwheel. The uninterrupted passing of time. The one who controls the flow makes time. And this is precisely how Spring Drive works: it makes time by controlling the flow of energy. There are no ticks and tocks - just a mesmerizing, uninterrupted glide, regulated to absolute perfection, controlling mechanical, electrical, and magnetic forces. It took Grand Seiko almost 35 years of development to turn this idea into a working Spring Drive watch. When Spring Drive was first revealed to the world in Geneva in 1999, and again in 2000, Swiss watchmakers were not just puzzled - they were speechless. The video published on Friday explains, in simple terms, the concept of flow, how time is generated by its control, and which units are necessary to make the magic happen. It also talks about the nanoscopic amount of power generated - and required - to run the control system. We even take the liberty of suggesting how Grand Seiko might improve Spring Drive further. Just for fun. If you are patient and keen to learn, then this brief introduction to the inner workings of Spring Drive is an absolute must. Dare I say - the best explanation in plain English out there. For your enjoyment: https://youtu.be/q-tG0wPQtxQ?