Martin
In working on my own watches, the question of whether a repair or restoration is justified rarely elbows its way into the conversation because by and large, I am driven by whimsical considerations such as: do I like it? does it present an interesting challenge? will I use it? However, in working...
Martin
Just as the birth of the Marvel in 1956 marked the beginning of a long line of Suwa-conceived models that was to define the main navigational course of Seiko’s development as one of the most important watchmakers in the world, so the Cronos two years later marked the beginning of its own parallel...
Martin
In 1963, Seiko’s luxury goods line-up spanned no fewer than seven sub-brands within a pricing structure in which the most expensive model was more than three times the price of the cheapest. At the zenith, the Grand Seiko 3180 chronometer at a hefty 25,000 Yen. At the base, the Seiko Crown...
Martin
Two years before the introduction of the first Grand Seiko, the pinnacle of the Seiko product tree was occupied by the Lord Marvel, introduced in 1958 as a luxurious refinement of the Marvel. The first Lord Marvel movement used as its basis the 11.5 ligne (25.6 mm) Marvel but with significant...
Martin
The early evolution of the King Seiko product line saw a number of slightly dislocated yet entangled strands emerging in a development strategy that looked rather improvised compared to the seemingly more deliberate, linear step-by-step development of Grand Seiko. The first version of the King...
Martin
The term ‘Trigger’s broom’ gained its place in the British vernacular following an episode of the sit-com Only Fool’s and Horses in which one of the characters, Trigger, a road sweep, earns a medal from the local council for saving it money through his careful twenty-year maintenance of his...
Martin
I have written on several occasions about the Seiko 62MAS and explored to some extent its place in the iconography of early Seiko dive watches. In spite of its position as the original ISO-certified Seiko diver’s watch, it played second fiddle for some time in the consciousness of Seiko...