In many ways, Japan does things differently. In place of the mere four seasons that make up a year in much of the world, Japan has measured the passage of time since the sixth century with 24 annual seasons, which are then subdivided into some 72 micro seasons. They are nuanced and observational: uo kori o izuru, a five-day window when fish emerge from the ice in February, or kawazu hajimete naku, when frogs start singing in the early days of May. Time operates by a different set of rules here. Einstein be damned.
“It’s unique, the feeling of how we perceive time, because we don’t try to manage or control it,” says Shuji Takahashi, Seiko Holdings’ president, COO and CMO. “It’s more that we live together with time. We try to harmonize ourselves to the flow of time that exists.”
The Japanese may be onto something. Seiko Holdings’ Grand Seiko, along with its ultra-high-end sister brand, Credor, is increasingly gaining a worldwide cult status thanks to its dials and movements, many inspired by the island nation’s perennially changing landscape.
It’s certainly not the kind of romanticism you would imagine from two names born under the shadow of Seiko, the company that nearly killed the entire high-end watch industry with its cheap, battery-powered and ultraprecise quartz movements in the 1970s. But these two small-batch brands have been steadily building prestige beyond their borders as the digital age lifted the veil on Seiko’s best-kept secrets. Buoyed by its increasing popularity, Grand Seiko, founded in 1960, began selling outside Japan in 2010 and was spun off from the Seiko brand in 2017. It has since had massive growth and hype on a scale that many Swiss watchmakers can only dream of.
この記事は Robb Report Singapore の June 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Robb Report Singapore の June 2020 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、8,500 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
The World On Your Wrist
Vacheron Constantin goes globe-hopping for its latest Les Cabinotiers collection of one-of-a-kind timepieces.
The Man Behind The Glow
Lars Brittsjo, the visionary CEO and founder behind Nor Sken, discusses the evolution of anti-ageing solutions and the ethos of sustainable beauty.
Fresh Linen
Travellers seeking accommodation options that excite and inspire can approach 2024 with optimism.
Run For Cava
José Ferrer of Vins Familia Ferrer on what makes seriously good vintage cava.
Heart Of Africa
Great Plains Conservation blends bespoke luxury and mindful conservation, offering an African safari experience par excellence.
A Week In Switzerland
There is no better place for watch connoisseurs to get immersed in watchmaking than the birthplace of horology—and no better way to plan the journey than with Scott Dunn Private.
Welcome To The Club
The decadent new Global Ambassador hotel in Phoenix welcomes elite travellers of all stripes-but its most intriguing attraction is for members only.
Flights Of Fancy
The Un Air de Chaumet high jewellery collection soars with evocative expressions of birds in flight.
Signature Moves
An A. Lange Séhne watch can be identified from five paces away. However, for its truly distinctive features, we recommend that you reach for the loupe.
Counting It Down
Luxury watch brands are teasing collectors with new drops ahead of the anticipated annual Watches and Wonders exposition.