ei8htohms
8555
some info
Jan 05, 2008,10:41 AM
Hi Guys,
While the facts in the Goodall book are not incredibly well documented and clearly somewhat suspect since they come from Seiko themselves, they are still useful as one reference at least.
According to Goodall, in 1967, Seiko took 2nd (Daini Seikosha) and 3rd (Suwa Deikosha) places at the Neuchatel international chronomoter competition (pictures of some official looking documents are printed in the book) and in early 1968 submitted a movement to the Neuchatel Observatory that bested the results of the previous year's winner.
According to Goodall, Seiko "then" entered the Geneva Observatory competitions (presumably later chronologically based on the wording, but no dates are given) and took every place from 4th through 10th, securing a first place overall for the company.
Goodall didn't make the claim (that I saw, it's been awhile since I read the book) that Seiko's successes were in any way related to the termination of the Observatory Competitions and it is somewhat telling that Seiko switched their research heavily away from mechanical chronometers to quartz at around the same time. I think this was indicative of the general direction of the industry (everyone could see the writing on the wall regarding the accuracy attainable with quartz) at the time and likely a leading factor in the termination of the competitions.
Did getting beat by the Japanese on their own playing field have something to do with it? It seems to me like it very well may have, but how large a factor it may or may not have been is really impossible to say. It does make for a GREAT story though and surely an interesting focus for further research. If I read either French or Japanese I'd be a lot more likely to actually attempt such research myself however. 
_john
Comments:
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A Short History of the Grand Seiko
By: SJX : January 4th, 2008-07:06
There is hardly any English language information available for Grand Seiko so I decided to put one together. I actually wrote a few words on this some years back, but never completed or published it. Since there has been substantial interest on the forum ...
Fantastic read!! Thank you!!
By: ks : January 4th, 2008-22:47
Do you happen to know if there is any dive watch series in Grand Seiko? Cheers! rgds ks
great read, but one particularly controversial passage
By: ei8htohms : January 5th, 2008-07:41
Hi SJX, This is a great read and will likely serve to educate many Grand Seiko newbies for years to come. Thanks! I wantred to mention though that the often repeated bit about Seiko's success at the Observatory Competitions in Geneva and Neuchatel being r...
Some thoughts on the controversy...
By: SJX : January 5th, 2008-08:08
Hi ei8htohms, Thanks for the input. That's a good point and I do agree with it; that the discontinuation of the observatory trials due to the success of the Japanese can never be proven with any certainty, whatever is said is conjecture and personal opini...
Great read, JiaXian, ....
By: SuitbertW : January 5th, 2008-09:42
and a worthy subject as well. Re. the observatory chronometer competitions - I don't share your view on this, and I'd be curious to see the data you seem to have found. In 1968 - to my knowledge the Geneva chronometer competitions were already gone - i.e....
some info
By: ei8htohms : January 5th, 2008-10:41
Like I wrote earlier Suibert...
By: SJX : January 5th, 2008-19:20
I appreciate your comments; I look forward to your posts because they are always very informative. Like I wrote earlier, in agreement with John, whether the demise of the observatory trials is due to the quartz revolution or Japanese watches or anything e...
Hi JiaXian, ....
By: SuitbertW : January 6th, 2008-03:57
...don't take me wrong, I'm not going to convince you or attempting to change your opinion. But I found the facts on which you obviously based this opinion a bit puzzling. As John pointed out the reference to J. Goodall's - I'm going to see where the data...
A reply
By: SJX : January 6th, 2008-04:31
The source I have read which somewhat addresses this
By: SteveG : January 5th, 2008-10:30
question, more in an informational rather than rhetorical fashion, is K. Seiya: At this page: www32.ocn.ne.jp .html#chrono ) "Chronometer appeal In the middle of 1960's, European Chronometer Official Association appealed that Seiko shouldn't use the name ...
Setting the record straight - I hope
By: ticktock : January 6th, 2008-16:36
As the author of "A Journey in Time: The Remarkable Story of Seiko" which was one of the references used by SJX, it seems appropriate to post here Seiko's official description of the Spring Drive mechanism, as quoted in the press release issued at the tim...
