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SEIKO's Shizukuishi Watch Studio Visit - Appendix
Here is the appendix to SJX’s comprehensive report on SEIKO Shizukuishi Watch Studio – Trivia Version.
See SJX's report here: home.watchprosite.com /
The season has changed. This part of Japan tends to have relatively lots of snow. But this year is heavier than average, I hear.
The plate that signifies the area of "Shizukuishi Watch Studio".
Now, let me dig some trivia about this SEIKO Factory.
I. Geography and History
(1) Where is Shizukuishi, Iwate?
Iwate is one of 47 prefectures (like the States in the US) of Japan and located in the northern part (Tohoku or Northeastern Region) of Honshu island which is the biggest one of Japan. Morioka City is the capital of Iwate, and Shizukuishi is one area around Morioka. The legal name of this big factory is Morioka SEIKO Instruments Inc. (“MSI”) and “Shizukuishi Watch Studio” is the name of a division within MSI.
(from MSI's PR package)(2) SEIKO history and Morioka Factory
SEIKO was established in 1881 – as "K. Hattori", from the founder’s name. This year, 2011, celebrates its 130th Anniversary (there will be some Anniversary models, I am sure). Then, "SEIKO-sha" was established in 1892 as a CLOCK manufacturing factory for "K. Hattori", and later in 1932 "Dai-Ni (The Second) SEIKO-sha" was established as a watch factory. (by the way, "SEIKO" means "Precision Manufacturing" to begin with... "sha" means "company"...)
[fast forward...]
...then it came out with GRAND SEIKO in 1960 while SEIKO had already commercialized its first quartz CLOCKS for broadcasting use since 1959.
In 1964, SEIKO introduced the world's first portable quartz chronometer, and SEIKO served as official timer of the 18th Olympic games in Tokyo and provided 1,278 stopwatches.
In 1968, SEIKO achieved the highest ever score in the Geneva competition and was awareded the "best mechanical wrist chronometer".
And then, in 1969, SEIKO introduced the world's first quartz watch, "SEIKO Quartz Astron".
MSI was created in such timing to accommodate the need for massive quartz movement manufacturing in 1970. The location was picked for its environmental advantage – weather, clean water and air. Unfortunately, in early 70s, Grand SEIKO line disappeared.....
[fast forward...]
In early 90s, SEIKO started restoring its prestigious mechanical watch production in Chiba prefecture (next to Tokyo), and then all the equipment and skill/ talent were transferred to MSI in around 2000, and Shizukuishi Prestige Watch Studio was created in 2004. Between its inception in 1970 and 2000, MSI was making mostly quartz movements. MSI still makes 100,000,000 (100 million) quartz movements (for SEIKO group brands as well as for the third party brands) while 10,000 (10 thousand) mechanical movements are hand-assembled per annum. Quartz manufacturing is almost completely automated and I did not have chance or time to see the facility.
It is SEIKO’s philosophy and approach that the pursuit of accuracy comes from pursuit of precision of each parts. Even the world’s best watchmaker cannot make the watch more accurate than the sum of the parts. SEIKO today uses MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) to manufacture certain parts in its “Prestige” watches. MEMS utilizes Photoresist technology (just like the semiconductor manufacturing) and the result is super precision. For example, the escape wheel and the anchor striker used to be made with machine cut and shave but the center hole of the escape wheel must be exactly in the center; otherwise of course it affects not only its accuracy but also durability. By using Photoresist technology, this parts is now made exactly as drawn by CAD, and does not need to be polished at all.
Furthermore, thanks to MEMS, for 10-beat caliber, this parts is made with harder material, made much lighter (notice lots of “holes”) and has “pockets” to store extra lubricants so that the higher speed would not result in more frequent servicing.
This approach goes for any parts of the Prestige models from caliber base to escape wheel, balance wheel to spring.
III. People
There are a few watchmakers schools in Japan. But almost all of SEIKO's watchmakers are young fresh graduates from other normal schools with no experience whatsoever in horology. New hires are equally educated and trained from scratch. Requires at least three years of training even for the experienced new hires (i.e. graduated watchmakers school) to be in the clean assembly room (the youngest watchmaker in the clean room is 21 years old!), or at least five years for engraving. All are home grown watchmakers and so far there has been no turnover from or to other brands.
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For the rest of Ken's report in HoMe forum, home.watchprosite.com