I?ve always had a fascination for peeking behind the curtain. Whether it was tearing apart broken electronics, rebuilding car engines, or opening the caseback of my first Seiko, I?ve always wanted to see and know how things work. As I?ve gone deeper into the horology rabbit hole, I?ve become more interested in the physical process of assembling a movement. While I can watch any number of YouTube videos, there?s something special about seeing it done in person, especially when you get to watch a Grand Seiko Watchmaker at work. Last week, I was invited to Grand Seiko?s boutique for a live assembly of their new 9SA4 movement, a high-beat, manually wound high frequency movement featuring Grand Seiko?s proprietary dual impulse escapement and 80 hours of power reserve. If you?d like to learn more about the 9SA4 and how it was created from the 9SA5, Zach Kazan covers that in detail here.
This event was hosted at Grand Seiko?s Madison Avenue boutique (we celebrated the grand opening of this boutique in March, click here for the recap article) which features a gorgeous open concept main level, and an intimate lower level they?ve dubbed ?The Cellar?. Unlike any cellar I?ve ever been in, this lower level features multiple lounge spaces, a full bar, a dedicated presentation space and, of course, plenty of watches. You?ll also find various items of cultural significance from the towns surrounding the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, which inspire the design of many Grand Seiko timepi...