And the gold medal goes to: The Crown

The other week I attended a typical ethnic wedding. And by 'ethnic' I mean a wedding with too much food, too many overdone bridesmaids and music so loud that we went deaf after the first song. The kind of wedding non-ethnic people can only dream of. And it was fantastic. Sat next to me was a man my age or there about, wearing a Rolex GMT in gold and steel. A flashy brand new looking piece which perfectly complimented the fine suit, white shirt and gold tie.  "I like your watch" - I said. "Yes, thank you, I like it too. I don't wear it often - actually, special occasions only." And that was it. Neither of us mentioned the word 'Rolex' or 'money' or 'impossible to get'. That would be unnecessary, and rude, even at a wedding reception where excess and opulence was a key ingredient of the night. Yes, some people still buy watches because they like them. Not because of the brand name or investment potential. But for many collectors, it is the story behind the watch that matters the most. Here is the story of a very unique timepiece worth sharing.  On May 29th, 1959, it was announced that Tokyo would host the 1964 Olympics. Shortly after, Shoji Hattori (Seiko President from 1946 to 1974), decided that Seiko should handle the official timekeeping at these Olympic Games. After extensive research and development, Seiko was notified in May 1963 that they were chosen to be the official timekeepers for the Olympics, which would take place only 17 months later. "We are not assigning official timekeeping to a Japanese manufacturer because the Olympics will be held in Tokyo, but because these are actual functional stopwatches, backed up with solid theory" was the statement given by the technical committee after declaring Seiko as the official timekeepers. The 1964 Crown Chronograph was developed with an Olympic theme in response to this milestone, becoming the first Japanese wristwatch to include a stopwatch function.

The latest Seiko Chrono SRQ037J was inspired by the original 1964 Seiko Crown Chronograph. It features beveled hour markers, sharp hour and minute hands with coloured Lumibrite, and chronograph pushers and markers on the outer dial ring. The seconds counter hand curves gently downwards so that the tip of the hand is as close as possible to the dial markers, and extends to the tachymeter markings at the very edge of the dial to ensure that elapsed time can be read as quickly and accurately as possible.

Make no mistake: this is a high-end watch made for a watch collector who is ready to venture out and beyond the usual Swiss offering. Completely made in Japan, it is as close to perfection as you would expect it to be. Yet the most remarkable feature is its look: a fusion of vintage and modern; a watch that 'reminds you of a watch from a certain era' yet you would be unable to pinpoint it to a year, or even a decade; a watch that 'reminds you of another chronograph' - yet you won't be sure of which one. And this is the beauty of it - it is a watch that stands for itself despite being inspired by the most handsome chronographs of the 1960s. The retail price of $4,695 places the watch well below the cheapest Omega chronograph and on par with run of the mill Swiss mechanical chronos. Yet I would rather have a Seiko with a story than a Swiss watch that is merely a product of clever advertising. The 1964 Tokyo Olympics was a global event of international importance, and the honour of being an official timekeeper was of huge importance to SEIKO. Proof that SEIKO has arrived to the global scene. A gold medal in my books. 42.5mm case size. Automatic movement - calibre 8R46. Water resistance 100 metres.