Grand Seiko Spring Drive 9R Series

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Movement 

It is without a doubt true that Grand Seiko is cherished by watch fans worldwide. The Seiko Collections have made its name in such a short span of time and is now considered as a separate brand. The traditional heritage combined with the elegant aesthetics running on supreme mechanical precision is what defines Grand Seiko as the brand puts it, “honoring our origins, embracing our future” 

History of Grand Seiko Spring Drive Movement 

The aim behind creating the special movement Spring Drive, by Grand Seiko was to create something that was “everlasting”. The dream of this seemingly impossible watch was executed by a young engineer Yoshukazu in 1977. The idea was to make a timepiece powered by the traditional mainspring but would also provide the high precision that was signature of the company’s electronic timepieces i.e. one second per day. Almost after 28 years and testing 600 watch prototypes, the dream finally came true in the form of Grand Seiko Spring Drive Movement and thus the first Spring Drive Chronograph saw the light of the day. 

Characteristics of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Movement 

Spring Drive is unique in its creation as it combines the mechanical power plus electronic precision that no one else does. The movement is unbeatable in performance and is designed to last forever. Some important characteristic features of the movement are:

High Precision and Accuracy 

The movement features a regulator which is tri-synchro and thus, helps to gather and control energy generated by three sources that work together to give the movement its significant mechanism. Electrical energy from the Quartz/IC oscillator, mechanical energy from the traditional mainspring and as well as electromagnetic from the rotor. In the absence of escapement, the motion of the movement being one way is extremely accurate, precise and durable i.e. one second per day. 

Glide Motion 

The motion inside the movement is all circular and in one way with the IC rotor and no escapement which ensures the second-hand moves not with either the “tick” or an upright beat but in a continuous silent glide motion of the hands and time flow. 

Lengthy Power Reserve 

The Seiko developed special in-house highly elastic “Spron 510” alloy to provide power to the Spring Drive movement which is not only durable and heat resistant but also guarantees a long 72 hours power reserve.    

Rapid Winding

The Grand Seiko employs a “magic lever” in its Spring Drive movement which utilizes the swing energy of rotor from each swing in the dual direction. The system of “magic lever” is directly installed to the shaft of the rotor which boosts its efficiency and delivers fast and rapid winding. 

Mechanism of the Spring Drive Movement 

The Spring Drive acquires its power from the traditional mainspring of the mechanical watch system. The power thus acquired is transferred through the gear train to the regulator of the movement and also to the hands of the timepiece. The regulator, being tri-synchro manages the glide wheel’s speed and movement of hands with the usage of the electromagnetic brake systems. 

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph 

The chronograph of Spring Drive is mounted on a perfect platform provided by the Spring Drive movement. The Spring Drive Chronograph is accurate to one second per day with a duration of 12 hours. The column wheel and the vertical clutch in the chronograph make for the excellent operations of buttons. The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph is hand-assembled consisting of 416 components, 140 points for oil, 50 jewels, and five diverse lubricants that provide a whopping 72-hour power reserve to the movement even during the usage. Being one of the greatest chronographs the world has ever seen, the Spring Drive records the elapsed time with extreme precision.  

Notable Timepieces of Grand Seiko Spring Drive 

Some very notable and loved timepieces launched by Grand Seiko with its exquisite Spring Drive movement are : 

Grand Seiko Snowflake SBGA211

The Grand Seiko Snowflake is a timepiece that gained immense popularity in such a short time (since 2010) due to its iconic Spring Drive Movement with a lavish dial and comfortable fitting that is easy to carry around. The Grand Seiko SBGA211 timepiece gets its name “snowflake” from the subtle light texture play of the dial resembling to freshly fallen snow in a field beneath the special gliding movement of its steel blue seconds hand and reflective diamond-bright hours hand. The texture composition is maintained by installing a date window at 3 o’clock and an indicator for power reserve at the lower left side which prevents things from going too monotonous.    

The outer case of 41mm diameter and 12.5mm thickness is formulated with the titanium of high-intensity rendering it 30% lightweight than the stainless steel and comfortable to wear on the wrist. The inner crystal is the sapphire which is curved dually and comes with the interior anti-reflective coating. The material of the bracelet also corresponds with the watch exterior consisting of a three-fold clasp released with the push button. 

The extremely precise Spring Drive movement of 9R65 Caliber runs the timepiece providing an accuracy of ±15 seconds in a month. The 100 gram Grand Seiko Snowflake assures a 10 bar water resistance, 3 days of power reserve, magnetic resistance, crown with the screw-down and transparent back of the case with the emblem of the lion. 

Grand Seiko Snowflake is certainly the best timepiece you can wear on your wrist to show off class and elegance with the dexterity of watch-making. Grab yours at Exquisite Timepieces. 

Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT  

The Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT launched after two years of the initial chronograph uses the fourth hand of GMT 24 hour time with the Caliber 9R66. The reference SBGE227 is the GMT model by Grand Seiko featuring the sweeping exclusive mechanism with the placement of 24-hour simple scale in the traditional rail track that provides the GMT indication while remaining formal and classic. The dial of the timepiece comes with the smooth black finish featuring the white- plated GMT hand over the top that stands out on the timepiece. 

The exterior of the timepiece is made with stainless steel in a diameter of 40.2mm and 14mm thickness. The inner is the sapphire box-shaped crystal with anti-reflective coating. The 9R66 Caliber Spring Drive movement provides 10 bar water resistance, 3 days of power reserve and function of dual display of time. The transparent back of the case has six screws with the emblem of the lion. Equipped with magnetic resistance, the Spring Drive watch features the function of the stop-seconds hand and a date window at 3 o’clock. The strap of the watch is made of pure crocodile leather and a three-fold clasp. 

SBGE227 is priced at 6,025 USD and is considered an extremely good value.  The Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT collection consists of several luxurious models with a similar movement and classic designs that you can shop at Exquisite Timepieces. 

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver 

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver watch is yet another masterpiece in the Grand Seiko Spring Drive collection. The reference SBGA231 has the exquisite 9R65 Caliber which brings together the high precision of Quartz with the mainspring power. 

The timepiece is made with the titanium of high intensity which not only reduces the weight to 137g but also makes it resistant to corrosion and scratch, a perfect combination for a diver’s watch. The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver is exceptionally designed for a diver including the lightweight exterior, indexes, and hands treated with LumiBrite for elevated visibility, removable rotating bezel for simple maintenance, easily washable crown area for the prevention of dirt and sand. The case is given a mirror finish achieved with the polishing of Zaratsu with indices being cut and multi-faceted along with a lustrous bezel. The diameter of the case is 44.2 mm with the 14mm thickness and the band perimeter of 196mm. The bracelet is also high-intensity titanium with a triple folding clasp and a slide adjuster. Equipped with magnetic resistance, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver’s 9R65 Caliber is ornamented with 30 jewels, a three-day power reserve, a date window at 3 o’clock with an emblem of the lion on the screw back of the case. The movement provides an accuracy of ±15 seconds in a month and ±1 seconds per day rendering it extremely precise. 

SBGA231 is certainly attractive on the wrist and perfect in the functioning of a diver’s watch. Get it in your watch closet by buying at Exquisite Timepieces.

Wrap Up: Grand Seiko Spring Drive Movement Review

Grand Seiko Spring Drive collection is definitely your ultimate go-to watch collection when you want the classy minimalistic design combined with extreme mechanical precision. The Grand Seiko Spring Drive timepieces are designed to be the everlasting beauties that you never get tired of wearing on the wrist. Shop this elegant collection at Exquisite Timepieces, the number one store for the purchase of luxury timepieces.