A Modern Interpretation of the Grand Seiko 45GS
JX Su and Jason Lee, for Watches by SJX, on the faithfulness of the limited edition reproduction of this historic Grand Seiko reference:
The dial is identical to that on the original, right down to the Daini Seikosha lightning bolt logo just above six o’clock. It was employed to distinguish watches made by Daini Seikosha from those made by Suwa Seikosha, both factories making Seiko watches but rivals within the wider Seiko-Hattori group of companies.
The free-sprung balance wheel in the caliber 9SA4 that powers these new Grand Seiko references (SLGW004 for the gold and SLGW005 for the stainless) are a welcome improvement over the pin-regulated balance wheels employed in the 4520A, 4522A, and 4580A calibers found in the original 45GS family of references.
Image credit Grand Seiko
The Balance Spring Cartel
Stephen Foskett, writing for Grail Watch, provides an in-depth look at how Switzerland's Société des Fabriques de Spiraux Rèunies came to corner the market for hairspring production in the late 1800s, paving the way for future cartels like ASUAG and its successor, the Swatch Group.
A "Vintage" Co-axial Escapement
An obsolete Flash animation of George Daniels' co-axial escapement, created by Volker Vyskocil around the turn of the millennium, resurrected and made functional again in modern browsers thanks to the Archive Foundation's Ruffle translation layer.
Image credit Volker Vyskocil
Leschot Pantograph
The Leschot pantograph was developed by Georges Auguste Leschot, a master watchmaker employed by Vacheron Constantin, in the 1840s. The tensioned array of pulleys allowed for a drill or mill bit to be operated on the copying-end of the pantograph array.
Precise pantographs are one of the keystone tools that first enabled watch manufacturers to develop calibers with interchangeable parts—a practice pioneered largely by now-defunct American watch companies.
Image credit Jack Forster
Riverside Sundial
Crafted by Hungarian-born horologist, Imre Kalincsak, in the 1960s and gifted to the city of Riverside California.
He wanted to give back to the community, so, in 1965, he proposed to design and construct an unusual sundial that could be placed in front of what was then the new library building downtown.
His proposal, though, was no ordinary instrument. In addition to telling time (both true solar time and time of day), Kalincsak’s sundial would also tell the position of the sun in relation to the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, the day and month of the year, and which sign of the zodiac is prevalent.
It is a highly-crafted instrument that was said to take Kalincsak nearly 3,000 hours of work to build over three years.
Image credit Steve Lech
Fading Hours
Norifumi Seki returns with an aesthetically restrained, but far from quiet, debut piece from the Quiet Club. The Fading Hours features a novel, mechanical alarm designed and crafted from the ground up by Seki. Taking a page from F.P. Journe's book, the movement eschews traditional wire gongs in favour of a broad, highly-resonant, flat arc for the hammer to strike—fitting, given that Seki was bestowed with the F.P. Journe Young Talent Award in 2020.
Given the soothing, bell-like tonality of the gong that Seki has been able to achieve, akin the to striking works of the Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie, I am curious if he has opted to leverage one of the copper-tin alloys passed down through generations of Japanese craftspeople that forge the nation's esteemed Sahari Orin singing bowls, in lieu of the more traditional steel favoured by European masters of the art.
Image credit Quiet Club Watches, Inc.
Mid-tier Swiss Watchmakers Seek Aid
Amidst a slump in sales on the heels of exponential growth, some mid-range luxury watchmakers have applied for government assistance in order to retain jobs.
I understand the economic incentives of keeping employment up and recognize that there are very real people, with families, on the receiving end of this aid. However, bailing out the luxury sector hardly feels like a judicious use of taxpayer dollars.
Régleur Extraordinaire
Tania Edwards, writing for Collectibility, delves into the provenance of Zibach's work, including his invention of the Patek Philippe Gyromax balance wheel.
Referred to affectionately at Patek Philippe as “les anciens”, adjusters were superstars and reportedly received about three times the pay of other watchmakers. They made their own hours, worked their own way, had their own individual methodology and did whatever was needed to win the coveted Observatory ratings.
The value encapsulated in that second sentence should not be underestimated. The freedom to work in that manner was undoubtedly integral to Zibach's successes, undergirding his ability to make creative connections and technical leaps others lacked the clarity to see.
Image credit Patek Philippe SA
The Watchmaker & the Guillocher
Pierre Maillard, reporting for Europa Star, on Kari Voutilainen and Georges Brodbeck's efforts to perpetuate the art of guillochage:
Since the end of the 1950s, no hand-operated rose-engine lathes have been built and there are no schools that teach the art. As a result, master engine-turners or guillocheurs have become an endangered species.
Kari Voutilainen has played a significant role in the revival of guillochage. The modesty of his output–60 to 70 watches per year–is inversely proportional to the influence that his timepieces have had and continue to have on the industry.
Brodbeck's tools and talent could not have found a better home.