Shokunin:
Grand Seiko & Perfection
Defining the Brand
Shokunin:
Grand Seiko & Perfection
Defining the Brand
Shokunin, the Japanese word for a master artisan or craftsman, is a title of great admiration in Japanese culture. To be a Shokunin is to possess a degree of social responsibility, to work for the welfare of the people, and to do so with an exacting perfectionism that takes decades and great love to truly master.
Since their first release in 1960, Grand Seiko has been dedicated to this same pursuit of perfection. From the invention of an entirely new movement technology in their Spring Drive, to their signature use of a specialized polishing technique, the brand does some of the best work in watches. So, to better understand this brilliant Japanese manufacturer, let’s take a closer look at some of their defining terms.
Grand Seiko & The Nature of Time
The Nature of Time is Grand Seiko’s brand philosophy. In traditional Japanese fashion, it embraces the spirit of time and Earth, specifically through the seasons, giving a more holistic view of the way we move through the world. For Grand Seiko, this means imbuing their artisans with the spirit of Takumi, the art of pursuing perfection in every single element of something, in this case watchmaking.
For the brand’s 60th anniversary, they’ve chosen to embody this in a few ways. The first and most obvious is their Four Seasons collection, which takes four of the twenty five Japanese seasons (the four most familiar to non-Japanese cultures) and embodies their spirits in some incredibly textured and colored dials that have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Another example, outside of the Seasons collection, is the SBGK005. Its dial’s intricate texture was modeled after Mt. Iwate, which is visible from Grand Seiko’s Shizuku-Ishi Watch Studio. And of course, there’s a Grand Seiko signature – the Snowflake, with a dial surface finished with the same layered, complex aesthetic of freshly fallen snow.
Clearly, then, Grand Seiko is a brand who derives much of their philosophy from the world around them, the natural world.
Zaratsu
Another signature of the Grand Seiko philosophy is Zaratsu polishing, a style of finish that has become something of a Grand Seiko exclusive. When Taro Tanaka introduced his “Grammar of Design” philosophy to the brand, one of the elements that stood out most is the use of a mirror-like polishing process known as Zaratsu. However, the tin-plate polishing machines that Grand Seiko first used were actually of German origin, from the company “Gebr.Sallaz” or “Sallaz Bros.” The word “sallaz” is phonetically pronounced “zarats” which is, of course, how the Japanese came to the term “Zaratsu.”
So what does the process actually involve? In short, a rotating polishing disk is held against the components meant to be polished, most often watch cases for Grand Seiko. This process is executed by hand, and takes artisans years to master effectively enough to produce cases the brand can use. The Swiss actually use a similar technique, though they call it “black polishing,” on some movement components, but only the Japanese use this method on larger components like cases and bracelets. It’s technically impressive and creates a truly unique look for a brand that’s all about offering something different.
Grand Seiko 44GS
Like previously mentioned, Grand Seiko is all about doing things their own way. This is perhaps no better exemplified than by their “Grammar of Design,” a set of rules for how their watches should look that includes the aforementioned Zaratsu polishing, but also a rule outlining the geometric shapes that their cases should be focused around. In 1967, the first watch to really take this ideal and run with it was released, the Grand Seiko 44GS.
It was uniquely Japanese in its design, with sharp, almost sword-like edges and hardly a rounded surface to be found, and has defined the design language the brand carries with it to this day. 44GS cases show up in a range of modern Grand Seiko timepieces, often in the form of limited editions, which just goes to show the staying power of this interesting and incredibly special case design.
Spring Drive
Spring Drive might just be Grand Seiko’s most notable contribution to the field of horology. It was released in 2004, despite a development process that started almost 30 years earlier. As a movement, it is as complex as it is exciting, fundamentally combining the best of quartz movement accuracy with the soul (and smooth sweep) of a mechanical movement. In short, the traditional lever escapement has been replaced with a quartz oscillator. It still features an automatic winding rotor, which powers the mainspring and transfers energy through this oscillator and the in-house grown quartz crystal inside (no, seriously). To explain in more depth requires a visual aid (courtesy of Time & Tide), but the point remains – the Spring Drive calibers provide unparalleled accuracy in a movement that is still powered by the motion of your wrist.
The Grand Seiko story, which is far from completed, is about artisanship. The house has been dedicated to pursuing perfection for 60 years now and, with new developments, like their constant force tourbillon, always coming, they seem to never cease in their pursuit of the perfect watch.
Their priorities are informed by Japanese tradition, like you’ll see above in our short film “Shokunin.” The craftsmanship exhibited by Grand Seiko is of the highest order, a testament to their embrace of Shokunin philosophy and how the Japanese view the art and craft of watchmaking.
