Hodinkee
Inside Grand Seiko: The Evolution Of The Spring Drive Movement
In the second installment of our three-part series in partnership with Grand Seiko, we go in-depth on the history and development of Spring Drive.
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614 articles · 5 videos found · page 5 of 21
Hodinkee
Hodinkee
Inside Grand Seiko: The Spring Drive Comes To Life
It takes the skill of many craftsman to produce a complete Grand Seiko Spring Drive – and the dedication and talent of a single watchmaker.
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Worn & Wound
Worn & Wound
Windup Watch Shop Spring Lookbook 2025
Spring in the City. Bursting through the gloomy greys and harsh weather of the winter, we finally get greens and all the pastel colors that announce warmth is just around the corner. That feeling, that vibe, doesn’t only extend to our clothing but also touches the accessories, home decor and everyday carry that play a supporting role in our lives. Find the perfect pieces to match this seasonal transition below. The post Windup Watch Shop Spring Lookbook 2025 appeared first on Worn & Wound.
![[VIDEO] Grand Seiko Redefines Accuracy - Again: Introducing the 9RB2 U.F.A. Spring Drive Caliber](https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2025/03/GS_WW_UFA_021WR.jpg)
Worn & Wound
[VIDEO] Grand Seiko Redefines Accuracy - Again: Introducing the 9RB2 U.F.A. Spring Drive Caliber
2022: the Kodo constant force tourbillon. 2023: the Tentagraph hi-beat mechanical chronograph. 2024: the 9SA4 manual wound, hi-beat, dual-impulse escapement caliber, and Kodo Daybreak. It’s easy to forget that Grand Seiko has brought the proverbial heat to Watches & Wonders every year since the fair started, unveiling something that one could call “revolutionary” for the brand, if on varying scales. Well, it’s looking like 2025 will continue the trend with the introduction of Spring Drive Caliber 9RB2, the first caliber with U.F.A., or Ultra Fine Accuracy, designation. Before proceeding, there are two important concepts to understand: Spring Drive and Grand Seiko’s history with acronyms (which, if you know, feel free to jump two paragraphs ahead). Starting with the former, the elevator pitch, which I will take from our article dedicated to the topic is “Spring Drive combines the best of mechanical watchmaking and the best of quartz timekeeping to create a state-of-the-art caliber that lacks the weaknesses inherent to both of these movements.” A bit deeper, Spring Drive movements use the energy stored in a traditional mainspring to drive their proprietary “Tri-synchro” regulator, which replaces the classic lever escapement. It consists of a glide wheel, the rate of which is controlled by an electromagnetic brake, and is essentially regulated by an integrated circuit with a quartz oscillator. The result is a mechanical movement with quartz-like accuracy and...
Fratello
Grand Seiko Steps Into The Future With New Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB001 And SLGB003
Seiko founded Grand Seiko to pursue watchmaking excellence. Most commonly, this mission translated into creating the most accurate watches possible. Later on, aesthetics also played an increasingly important part thanks to the Grammar of Design. Grand Seiko was Seiko’s answer to the Swiss domination of the industry, and the line offered watches that could compete […] Visit Grand Seiko Steps Into The Future With New Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB001 And SLGB003 to read the full article.
Time+Tide
Grand Seiko SLGB001 & SLGB003: 37mm case, Spring Drive U.F.A. movement, and a micro-adjustable bracelet
Finally.The post Grand Seiko SLGB001 & SLGB003: 37mm case, Spring Drive U.F.A. movement, and a micro-adjustable bracelet appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Monochrome
Editorial - Who Invented the Balance Spring? Reaffirming the Crucial Role of Christiaan Huygens
An article by Rob Memel, antiquarian horologist, professional certified watchmaker since 1984, and author of the book The Development Towards Huygens’ Spiral Spring (1660-1676), from which this article is a summary. About two years ago, I embarked on an in-depth investigation into another watch-related invention by Christiaan Huygens: the spiral spring on a balance wheel. […]
Quill & Pad
The Omega Spirate System: A New Idea in Balance Spring Technology
The Omega Spirate is a new type of balance spring. It isn’t just a flashy concept piece, it is a practical advancement capable of improving horology.
Worn & Wound
The Greatest Horological Inventions of All Time: How The Invention of Balance Spring Changed the World
Editor’s Note: Today, we bring you the second part in the new series from Andrew Canter, the Greatest Horological Inventions of All Time. In this installment, Andrew examines the invention of the balance spring, a watchmaking advancement that not only charted a path for the watch industry, but can be said to have legitimately changed the world, enabling accurate, reliable, and portable timekeeping for the first time in human history. Who actually invented it, though, is still a matter of some debate, even after 350 years. You can find more of Andrew’s work at the Mr. Watchmaster website here. Prior to the Balance Spring Early watches were powered by a verge escapement which was the same type of movement used in the early clocks. The verge is the earliest known type of mechanical escapement that controlled its rate by allowing the gear train to advance at regular intervals or ‘ticks’. Verge escapements were used from the late 13th century until the mid-19th century in clocks and pocket watches. Drawing of a verge escapement (bottom) and balance wheel (top) from an early pocket watch from an encyclopaedia c.1820 In the earliest watches a plain wheel, known as the balance, was used to control the rate of going of the mechanism. There wasn’t a consistent restoring force (such as a fusee), so consequently, its period of oscillation and, hence, the rate of the timekeeper were dependent on the driving force. Oval verge escapement watch movement by William Petit, Londo...
Fratello
Introducing: Two Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Star Bar Limited Editions And A Lacquer-Dialed GMT
You can find inspiration in tradition and at the bottom of your glass. Seiko found it in both places. The SPB447 is a watch in the Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Series that presents itself with a glossy urushi (lacquer) dial and a GMT function displaying two time zones. Seiko also presents two new Presage Cocktail Time […] Visit Introducing: Two Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Star Bar Limited Editions And A Lacquer-Dialed GMT to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Singapore Micro-Brand Fair “Spring Sprang Sprung” Returns
A fair dedicated to micro brands, Spring Sprang Sprung returns for its third year and will take place at the National Library Singapore from October 18-20, 2024. Now bigger than in previous years, the annual event will play host over 43 exhibitors this year, mostly micro brands like Singapore-based Zelos, but also including bigger names like Oris. Spring Sprang Sprung was founded Sugiharto Kusumadi of Singapore retailer Red Army Watches and Yong Keong Lim of micro brand Feynman. As in past years, the event will be more than just a watch exhibition. It encompasses talks and classes, including a leather-crafting workshop, as well as live music by local musician Sheng Li. Tickets are required to attend and can be obtained online via registration on Spring-sprang-sprung.com.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Marks 20 Years of Spring Drive 9R
Grand Seiko’s debuted its first-ever Spring Drive movement in 2004 with the cal. 9R65. Now the brand is marking 20 years of the 9R Spring Drive movement family with the Elegance Collection SBGY035 and SBGA499, both sporting striking red dials inspired by the sunlit autumn scenery around Mount Hotaka. Part of the Thin Dress Series, the SBGY035 is flat and elegant, with a domed, textured dial. On the other hand, SBGA499 employs the classic Grand Seiko case and bracelet, matched with a sunburst-brushed dial in red that has the signature Spring Drive power reserve indicator at eight o’clock. The SBGA499 Initial thoughts I am a Grand Seiko fanboy. The brand offers a strong value proposition across its catalogue. Furthermore, Spring Drive is synonymous with Grand Seiko. The hybrid approach of Spring Drive means it boasts quartz-level accuracy despite being having an entirely mechanical mainspring and gear train. The new pair are perfect representations of Grand Seiko’s approach to horology, both good and bad. The two watches are striking, especially since red isn’t a colour often employed by Grand Seiko. The SBGY035 in particular stands out since the textured red dial is uncommon for Grand Seiko and dress watches in general. The SBGY035 That said, Grand Seiko’s limited editions feel too frequent, especially since many are only colour variations of each other. This is a regular criticism of Grand Seiko, but it hasn’t dampened sales of such limited editions, which pro...
Worn & Wound
Grand Seiko Celebrates a Big Spring Drive Anniversary with a Pair of Limited Editions
How long would it take you to invent an entirely new kind of watch movement? Five years? Ten years? If your answer was 27 years, you’d be on the right track. That’s how long it took the Spring Drive movement to go from idea to reality at Seiko. Initially conceived of by Yoshikazu Akahane in the 1970s, the development of the Spring Drive movement grew out of efforts to solve problems endemic to early quartz movements, though the project would not bear fruit until Baselworld 1999 when the first trio of Spring Drive watches was released to the public (something Akahane would, tragically, not live to see). Five years later, Spring Drive would finally reach Grand Seiko with the introduction of the 9R series of movements in 2004. 20 years later, the 9R series of Spring Drive calibers remain a core pillar of the Grand Seiko catalog, and GS is ready to celebrate that anniversary with the introduction of two profoundly autumnal limited editions. Each of these limited releases is powered by a Grand Seiko 9R series movement and each is inspired by the fiery red tones found throughout the Hotaka mountain range come fall. First up, we have the SBGY035, driven by a hand-wound Caliber 9R31 Spring Drive movement. Similar in execution and design to the popular SBGY007 Omiwatari, this thin dress watch claims inspiration from the vibrant leaves that coat the landscape of Hotaka each fall. An ombré finish made up of deep red tones is paired with a textured dial, and is accented by sparin...
Fratello
Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGA507 And SBGA509-A Pair Of USA-Exclusive Spring Drive Models
Grand Seiko is the unofficial master of finding inspiration in natural phenomena. Many of the brand’s dials are crafted to resemble skies, waters, and landscapes found all over Japan-these two new USA-exclusive limited editions are no exception. The Grand Seiko SBGA507’s blue dial is inspired by the sky over Lake Suwa at dusk. In turn, […] Visit Introducing: The Grand Seiko SBGA507 And SBGA509-A Pair Of USA-Exclusive Spring Drive Models to read the full article.
Fratello
To Fold Or Not To Fold? That Is The Question This Monday: Going Hands-On With The Delugs Spring Deployant Clasp
Look, I’m a simple guy. Life is complicated enough, as are some of the finest watches in the world. Why the way you strap your watch onto your wrist also needs to be complicated eludes me. And when I say complicated, I mean anything other than the tried-and-tested, highly functional, and relatively simple pin buckle. […] Visit To Fold Or Not To Fold? That Is The Question This Monday: Going Hands-On With The Delugs Spring Deployant Clasp to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Unveils the Spring Drive GMT SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion”
Following last year’s SBGA481, Grand Seiko continues to expand the Sport Collection “Tokyo Lion” series inspired by the big cat in the Grand Seiko emblem. Like its predecessor, the Sport Spring Drive GMT SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion” sports a stylised, angular titanium case inspired by a lion’s paw and a textured dial modelled on a mane, now joined by a red GMT hand. Initial thoughts The “Tokyo Lion” is one of the most distinctive case designs in Grand Seiko’s large catalogue, and also the flagship given its complex finishing (and accompanying price). While most Grand Seiko watches opt for patterned dials and conservative, even bland, case styles, the “Tokyo Lion” makes a statement with its is generous dimensions and angular styling. The design is also particularly suited to Grand Seiko’s signature flat-polishing technique. With their wide, flat surfaces, the claw-inspired lugs are an excellent medium to showcase zaratsu polishing. It is, however, a large case at almost 45 mm wide and 15 mm high, so it’s catered to someone seeking a bold sports watch, and not an old-school Grand Seiko dress watch. The texture of the dial is striking, even though Grand Seiko has no shortage of dial patterns in its offerings. The dial artfully mimics a lion’s mane, giving it more visual depth than the typical Grand Seiko dial. Though few, the red accents on the dial add just enough colour and complement the ivory dial well. The dial might have been slightly dull without th...
Worn & Wound
3 Standouts at the Backbone Media Spring Showcase: Gerber, Wiley X, and Thule
Backbone Media has been a long-standing force in the outdoor industry as a media and PR agency representing some of our most beloved gear brands. Each spring they bring a curated selection of their clientele to NYC for their Spring Showcase. The Worn & Wound team was on the scene and here are 3 standout products that we couldn’t stop talking about. Gerber – ComplEAT Cook Set We likely all know the Portland, OR-based brand Gerber for their multitools, as well as their folding and fixed blades. However, their new modular camping cook and dining set was a show-stealer. The 16-piece ComplEAT Cook Set has everything you need to easily feed a group of hungry campers. It features a stock pot and sauté pan, both with generous cooking surfaces. The dining set comes with space-maximizing designs that complement their custom utensil sets perfectly. Best of all, when it’s time to break camp, everything packs together in the storage bag for ultra-compact stowing between destinations. Wiley X – WX Founder Sunglasses It’s not only great to visit Backbone’s Spring Showcase to see what’s new from some of your favorite brands, it’s great for discovering new brands as well. One of those discoveries for us was the sunglasses brand Wiley X out of Texas. They have been creating tactical and safety lenses for military and tactical use since 1987 and now have a stylish line of daily use sunglasses that don’t sacrifice any of the safety and ballistic ratings of their professio...
SJX Watches
Editorial: Geneva Auctions Spring 2024 Part II
The spring auction season in Geneva started dramatically enough with a cyberattack at Christie’s that took down its website and app. Only Watch went ahead as scheduled, however, and raised over CHF28.3 million, with most of that coming from the Patek Philippe Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301A that sold for CHF15.7 million. What transpired at Only Watch also played out in the subsequent auctions over the weekend. The live sales at the four auction houses, Antiquorum, Christie’s, Phillips, and Sotheby’s, sold almost CHF85 million of watches, including fees (excluding Only Watch). This compared to over well CHF110 million for Geneva’s fall season last year. Although the sale season six months ago was buoyed by an extra live auction at Christie’s (that was subject of much chatter), the diminished total for this season reflects the state of the market. The waning sentiment was palpable in all the salerooms. That said, the auctions did throw up a handful of grand surprises, including CHF3.13 million for the Patek Philippe ref. 605 HU world time pocket watch with cloisonné enamel dial at Antiquorum, and CHF1.16 million for the Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain I at Phillips. Christie’s sold the most expensive wristwatch this season with CHF2.47 million for a Patek Philippe ref. 1518 “pink on pink” (above), though Antiquorum claimed the title for most valuable timepiece with its ref. 605 HU pocket watch. Image – Christie’s The good and great indies One of the ...
Worn & Wound
Five Digital Watches for Spring Running and Fitness
Spring has sprung, and the warmer weather is a great excuse and motivation to get outside and get moving. Of course, having the right timepiece for the right occasion is paramount. A digital watch comes easily to mind thanks to its simplicity, legibility, and functionality, and to that end, here are five digital watches we’d consider excellent fitness and running pals. All are available right here in the Windup Watch Shop. As always, the Windup Watch Shop Team is ready to answer any questions you have. You can even arrange a consultation at your convenience. Spring has sprung, and the warmer weather is a great excuse and motivation to get outside and get moving. Of course, having the right timepiece for the right occasion is paramount. A digital watch comes easily to mind thanks to its simplicity, legibility, and functionality, and to that end, here are five digital watches we’d consider excellent fitness and running pals. All are available right here in the Windup Watch Shop. As always, the Windup Watch Shop Team is ready to answer any questions you have. You can even arrange a consultation at your convenience. The post Five Digital Watches for Spring Running and Fitness appeared first on Worn & Wound.
Fratello
Nomos Gets Ready For A Colorful Spring - Introducing The Club Campus In Nonstop Red And Endless Blue
Even without mentioning the name, if I tell you these watches have an all-polished 36 or 38.5mm case, Roman and Arabic numerals, a hand-wound movement, and colorful dials with a contrasting sub-seconds hand, you’ll probably already know what watches I’m talking about. The Nomos Club Campus has become quite an icon for the young Saxon […] Visit Nomos Gets Ready For A Colorful Spring - Introducing The Club Campus In Nonstop Red And Endless Blue to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Grand Seiko Celebrates 20 Years of 9R Spring Drive
Grand Seiko is celebrating the 20th anniversary of 9R Spring Drive movement with a pair of limited editions featuring dials inspired by the sunrise at Mount Hotaka, a peak near the Grand Seiko workshop in Shiojiri. The first model is the Heritage Collection Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary “Pink Snowflake” (SBGA497) that revisits the first ever watch model with the 9R but with the trademark “snowflake” dial in pink. And the second is the Sports Collection Spring Drive GMT Caliber 9R 20th Anniversary (SBGE305) combining a black ceramic bezel with a dark red sunburst dial. Initial Thoughts The invention of the Spring Drive calibre is arguably one of Seiko’s most important achievements. It encompasses most of the advantages of mechanical movement while retaining the accuracy of quartz. Similar to a fully mechanical movement, it is powered by a spring rather than a battery, while timekeeping is regulated by a quartz crystal. As the first-ever commercially available Spring Drive variant, 9R marks an important feat for Grand Seiko. Nevertheless, despite the two new releases being celebratory models for the 20th anniversary of the 9R Spring Drive movement, they don’t seem to offer anything remarkable or unprecedented. Rather, the choice of a Hotaka mountain-inspired dial for both watches seems cliche, considering how pink and red colour dials have been relatively common in the brand’s catalogue. Plus, the inspiration behind Grand Seiko’s dial seems rather repetitive, a...
Monochrome
First Look - The Grand Seiko Pink Snowflake SBGA497, Celebrating 20 Years of the 9R Spring Drive Calibre
Even though its development started during the 1970s, it took some years for Seiko and Grand Seiko to finally present their first movement equipped with the Spring Drive technology (the very first was a Seiko in 1999). In 2004, after more than 2 decades of research, the first generation of Grand Seiko Spring Drive was […]
Fratello
Hands-On With The New Grand Seiko SBGA497 - Celebrating 20 Years Of Automatic Spring Drive Watches
Automatic Spring Drive technology turns 20 this year! That seems like a fair reason for celebration. Grand Seiko felt the same and introduced this SBGA497 to mark the occasion. We get a high-intensity titanium creation with a familiar case shape and dial texture. Both pay homage to important references in Spring Drive history. The SBGA497 […] Visit Hands-On With The New Grand Seiko SBGA497 - Celebrating 20 Years Of Automatic Spring Drive Watches to read the full article.
Monochrome
Introducing - The Seiko Presage Cocktail Time Star Bar SRPK75 & SRE014 with Gradient Dials
Not a habitual fountain of inspiration, the dials of Seiko’s Presage Cocktail Time watches are inspired by Japan’s famous cocktail culture. If cocktails might not strike you as a typical Japanese product, the scenes filmed in the skyscraper bar of Lost in Translation reveal how consolidated the cocktail scene is in Tokyo and the extreme […]
Deployant
Spring Sprang Sprung 2023 - our picks for Best in Show
Our Best in Show top picks from the recent Spring Sprang Sprung show in Singapore - a showcase of micro-independent brands.
SJX Watches
Microbrand Fair Spring Sprang Sprung Returns to Singapore
Following on from its inaugural event last October, Spring Sprang Sprung (SPRG) is set to return to XM Studios in Singapore from October 20-22. With a growing roster of microbrands exhibiting, the exhibitors will also be joined by Oris. Founded by Yong Keong Lim, owner of Feynman Timekeepers, and Sugiharto Kusumadi, founder of Red Army Watches, the concept behind SPRG is a community-minded watch fair that is casual, welcoming and inclusive. With a number of talks and practical workshops planned over the three days to accompany the 36 exhibiting brands, there will be plenty to do. With a focus on local and regional microbrands, leather-goods makers, and watch storage specialists, the exhibitors include Behrens, Boldr, and Yi Leather. A number of brands will also be using the fair as a platform to launch new products. Hoping to make the fair open to as many people as possible, entry is free with tickets available through an online registration. SPRG will be open from October 20-22, 11 am-6 pm daily, apart from the last day when it closes at 5 pm. XM Studios Kitchener Complex, Level 3 809 French Road Singapore 200809 To register for a free ticket, click here.
Quill & Pad
Dubai Watch Week 16-20 November, 2023: The World’s Greatest Watch for Collectors Fair Bar None
Baselworld is no more, Watches & Wonders, while open to the public, is focused on press and retailers, and Geneva Watch Days (GWD), while growing, is still relatively small. In less than 10 years, Dubai Watch Week (DWW) has developed from relatively modest beginnings into the world’s greatest watch fair for collectors bar none. No other fair comes anywhere close in terms of access to brands, watchmakers, and fellow watch aficionados.
Time+Tide
Going for a ‘Spring Drive’ with Grand Seiko
Jamie and Borna were lucky enough to go driving supercars with Grand Seiko. Must be nice.The post Going for a ‘Spring Drive’ with Grand Seiko appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 5: Seiko/Epson Shiojiri Studio Shinshu - home of all Spring Drive, 9F quartz, and the Micro Artist Studio
Editor’s note: We have finally reached the end of the Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour series. In part one I detailed my visit to Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, the home of all things 9S mechanical, in Morioka. Part two detailed my return to Ginza and my visit to the incredible Seiko Museum Ginza. After leaving the … ContinuedThe post Grand Seiko Manufacture Tour Part 5: Seiko/Epson Shiojiri Studio Shinshu – home of all Spring Drive, 9F quartz, and the Micro Artist Studio appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Editorial: Happenings at the Geneva Spring Auctions 2023
The Geneva auction weekend is typically a good barometer for where the market is headed in the near term because it’s the opening act of the season, with the Hong Kong and New York sales following later in spring. At the same time, the Swiss city is also where many of the serious players and would-be players turn up during the auctions, perhaps because its more central location compared to its North American and Asian counterparts. Inching downwards Trends that became clear last season – six months ago – continued into the spring sales. Most obviously, the values of “hype” watches have continued to creep downwards. This was exemplified by the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5980/1400G – white gold and entirely set with diamonds – that sold for CHF533,400 including fees. While times were good, the model was a million dollar (or franc) watch – the exact same watch sold for CHF937,500 a year ago at Phillips. More notably, the last time an example, before the pandemic at Christie’s in 2018, it achieved CHF612,500. Prior to the auction season, independent watchmaking appeared to be resisting the forces of gravity, with demand and prices for such watches continuing to be robust. Now it appears the genre is enduring the same decline as sports watches with integrated bracelets. Take for example the unique Voutilainen Minute Repeater 10 with a steel case and open dial sold at Phillips for CHF342,900 – a solid result but more or less its original retail price. Just ...