Grand Seiko Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary Limited Edition
Grand Seiko pays tribute to Seiko’s founder Kintaro Hattori on his 160th birth anniversary with a limited edition timepiece.
Seiko’s founder Kintaro Hattori was born in central Tokyo in 1860. In 1881, at the age of just 21, he set up his own company, “K. Hattori”, to wholesale and retail imported timepieces and, just twelve years later, he established a factory which he called Seikosha, ‘The house of precision’, to produce his own clocks and, later, watches.
To mark the 160th anniversary of his birth, Grand Seiko presents a limited edition Spring Drive watch, made by the elite team of watchmakers at the Micro Artist Studio. The watch features a softly rounded case made of Platinum 950 and it is Zaratsu polished to a perfect distortion-free finish. The dual-curved sapphire crystal glass ensures perfect legibility. With a thickness of just 9.6mm, the platinum case of the watch measures 37.5mm diameter.
The intricate pattern on the delicate dial surface offers varying depths. A tradition since the 1960’s, a star mark located at six o’clock denotes that the indexes are of solid gold. The interplay of light and shadow is an essential part of the signature of every Grand Seiko. The application of seconds markers enhance the legibility. The indexes and the hour and minute hands are in 14K white gold.
The watch houses the Spring Drive Caliber 9R02. It delivers a power reserve of 84 hours thanks to the Dual Spring Barrel in which two independent thin, long mainsprings are set in parallel in a single barrel, and the Torque Return System.
The barrel shape echoes the bellflower, the symbol of Shiojiri. The caliber also incorporates an 18k yellow gold plaque which carries the engraved words “Micro Artist”. These words can be replaced with any other words on request.
The Grand Seiko Kintaro Hattori 160th anniversary watch will be available in January 2021 as a limited edition of 50 in the Grand Seiko boutiques worldwide.
Technical details
Collection: Grand Seiko Masterpiece Collection
Model: Grand Seiko Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary Limited Edition
Reference SBGZ005
Movement
Spring Drive Caliber 9R02
Driving system: manual winding
Power reserve: 84 hours
Accuracy: ± 1 second per day (± 15 seconds per month)
Dual-Spring Barrel and Torque Return System
Power reserve indicator
Number of jewels: 39
Case
Platinum 950 case and clasp
Dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
See-through screw case back
Water resistance: 3 bar
Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
Diameter: 37.5mm, Thickness: 9.6mm
Strap
Crocodile strap with three-fold clasp with push button release
Price
Approximate recommended retail price in Europe: €106,000
Edition
Limited edition of 50 available exclusively at the Grand Seiko Boutiques
