SEIKO, WHITE GOLD CREDOR WRISTWATCH, REF. GBLH999, 7R88-OAAO

This ingenious hand-wound quartz-regulated watch epitomizes a meeting of minds from the worlds of traditional watchmaking and state-of-the-art high-tech wizardry. The rise of Japanese fine watchmaking is no secret to the serious collectors of the world, from Grand Seiko gaining credible market share and recognition, to the likes of Hajime Asaoka operating as an independent watchmaker from his apartment in Tokyo.

Introduced at the Basel Fair in 2002, one of the differentiating factors of the Credor is the spring driven electro-mechanical escapement, that combines many of the best parts of a standard mechanical movement with a quartz oscillator to ensure absolute accuracy. These sorts of Japanese ideals, combining the greatest artisan skills with the absolute evolution that technology will allow, are evident everywhere in the watch offered here.

The Credor movement caliber 7R88A 2 has no battery or electrical storage device, the power comes from the mainspring and it requires winding in the traditional manner, However, rather than having an escape wheel, balance and balance spring, a series of wheels run at high speed so that the minute amount of electricity required to run the quartz system is constantly generated. The very high level of finish throughout the watch can be seen not only in the movement, visible through the transparent back, but in the fine engine turning of the dial and the solid beautifully curved lines of the white gold case.