Seiko

A visit to Seiko’s Shizukuishi Watch Studio

Seiko has man facilities across Japan, and the world, producing watches and watch components. One of the main production sites is located in Morioka, in the north of Honshu Island and about three hours from Tokyo by train. It is an area famous for its hot springs as well as Koiwai Farms, a farm and theme park that is apparently very popular with the Japanese.

Located in a serene, wooded area, the Morioka factory is owned by Seiko Instruments Inc (SII) – a distinct entity from Seiko Epson which runs the other facility in Shiojiri. The Morioka factory produces a whopping 10 million movements a month, most of which are quartz and destined for brands other than Seiko. 

Also located in Morioka is the Shizukuishi Watch Studio. Established in 2004, the Shizukuishi Watch Studio is best known for its high-end mechanical Seiko watches, including Grand Seiko, Credor and Prospex.

Producing only mechanical watches, the Shizukuishi Watch Studio produces every component of the mechanical watch – it is the only fully integrated mechanical watch factory in Japan. For the mainspring and balance spring, for example, the raw wires are made 50 miles south of Morioka at another SII facility before being processed into the required parts in the Shizukuishi Watch Studio.

About two dozen types of mechanical calibres are made at Shizukuishi. Two highlights are high-end mechanical movements: the 1.98 mm high ultra-slim cal. 68 hand-wind found in Credor and the 9S series found in Grand Seiko. Annual output at Shizukuishi is in the region of 20,000 units.

The assembly area in Shizukuishi 

Shizukushi Watch Studio is unlike any production facility for a luxury watch in Switzerland. The reception area is drab with late 20^th century dull carpeting and all staff, even management, are wearing uniforms. But these cosmetic differences distract from the substantive, philosophical differences with European watchmaking.

For one, there is a tangible emphasis on individual quality and achievement. Scattered across the factory are boards with employee certificates of achievement, noting the different ranks with “Meister” being the highest (adapted from Germany’s apprenticeship system perhaps?). And within each department there are monthly performance charts for each craftsman showing the productivity.

This is not unique to the watch industry, in fact it is a national obsession in Japan. The Japanese government gives out honours to the best craftsmen, the best known type being the Living National Treasure bestowed on artisans. Some Seiko employees, both at Shizukuishi and in Shiojiri, are prize winners at the National Watchmaker Skills Competition while others like Mamoru Sakurada and Kenji Shiohara are “contemporary master craftsmen”. Shiohara-san and Sakurada-san have also been awarded "Medal with Yellow Ribbon" by the Emperor of Japan for their skills. 

But the differences run deeper than that. There is a key philosophical divergence in Seiko’s approach to watchmaking versus its European peers. There is a focus, no, obsession, with perfect functioning and as a consequence all the processes that affect that are rigorously designed, like the clean room assembly for instance.

The focus on aesthetics on the other hand, is also different. Beauty for Seiko lies in legibility and elegance, hence the conservative but easily readable designs of Grand Seiko. The sharp, diamond-cut hands and indices characteristic of Grand Seiko are intentionally made that way so that they catch the light, improving legibility. Luminova, on the other hand, is not favoured since it is not quite timeless or elegant.

- SJX

As is to be expected from Seiko, the factory is impressively large and vertically integrated, producing nearly every component of the movement. Parts that are not made on-site are made at other Seiko facilities, and I think that is limited to the jewels of the watch. The only thing that goes into a watch Seiko doesn’t produce itself is the straps and movement lubricants.

At Shizukuishi, all the requisite equipment is present – CNC controlled milling, drilling and turning machines – and in huge numbers. There seem to be dozens of them.

Above and below: Charts explaining the manufacturing processes for some parts

Some of the parts made here

There are also awesomely large hydraulic presses making tiny parts.

There really isn’t much to be said about the production capability here. Shizuikushi Watch Studio can make practically anything.

Production capacity at Shizukuishi is 20,000 to 30,000 units a year. But while those facts and numbers would imply industrial production on a heroic scale, devoid of the human touch, that is the converse of the truth.

An explanation of the various finishing processes

Monthly statistics on the productivity of each craftsman and woman

Watch making at Shizukuishi is carefully and meticulously performed. Finish of the moving parts in the movement, functional as opposed to decorative finishing, is top notch: pinion teeth are polished and so are the pivots. Even the teeth of the escape wheel are polished. To my eye that is the same standard of care given to the moving parts in movements that qualify for the Geneva Seal.

 
Decorative finishing, on the other hand, is done mechanically, resulting in very precise and unemotional decoration. Striping and spotting for example are both done by a machine. The resulting ‘Tokyo stripes’ are perfectly formed and deep, almost engraved into the bridges.

Bridge before and after striping

Contrast that with the finishing of pivots which is done by hand, as is the polishing of the leaves of the pinion.

One would think that the accuracy of the Grand Seiko is because of the rigorous testing done after assembly. That is only half the story. The process of assembly is quite extraordinary. The level of effort that goes into ensuring the environment is perfect, absolutely perfect, is unbelievable.

For a start, the assembly room is a clean room. Everyone going in has to dress up – coat, hat and shoe covers – and then pass through an air shower. As a result everyone inside resembles a cross between a nurse and a chef.

Saito Katuo is one of the few watchmakers who are able to assemble the 1.98 mm high cal. 6899A, a skeletonised, ultra-thin, hand-wound movement.

Comparison of the pallet fork from the cal. 6899 and a regular mechanical movement

The movement is slightly slimmer than a 500 yen coin but Saito-san makes it look easy.

The bridges, by the way, are hand-engraved by an in-house team of engravers, including contemporary master craftsman, Terui-san.

One of the most interesting steps in the assembly is the manual adjustment of bridges. The tolerances of the parts in this movement are unusually fine, so everything has to fit perfectly, especially the gear train. As a result, sometimes bridges have to be reshaped by bending them.

Tony

After assembly, the watches are inspected and tested for water resistance in an adjacent room. Once they pass, and I am pretty sure nearly all do, they are shipped out (mainly to Japanese destinations but that will change gradually).

very impressive setup Seiko has there.

Best

Andreas

Are they mechanically inferior to European watches, I don't think so, but I prefer to not answer as I don't know Seiko watches, so, I'm not in position to give my opinion.

Now, aesthetically speaking, I totally agree with you.

Their feeling and design let me very cold, but, as said, one's truth is as worth as anybody else's truth, when it comes to tastes.

Best,

Nicolas.

...you painstakingly adjust a watch for accuracy in vaious positions...and get that speck of dust on the hairspring....Not a reason for clean-rooms?

I get your points about the sterile atmosphere, but this place makes 20000units per year. Mass production is rarely glamourous.

and further elaborated on it showing us that these are actually people working on watches rather than robots

it may look industrial, antiseptic but the dedication is probably no less than their counterparts in Europe or the US.

hard to romanticize them when they're wearing those white suits... makes you think they're working in a Center for Disease Control facility

... that this whole thing is subjective.

To evaluate the watch, in all simplicity, there are three points - outside (case, design), inside (movement) and the passion/philosophy of the people behind it.  Well, at least there are, to me.  And certain brands/independents have followers because they like these three, particularly the last one - passion/philosophy, I think. 

So, I think it is just that one of Seiko's way to express its passion and philosophy is this manufacturing process.  Everybody has favorite brands or independents, while everybody has not-so-favorite brands or even hates some.  Like Nico said, this is all subjective....  Different religion, different creed, different people - I don't get MANY things, either.  But the variety or diversification is what makes the world we live in and the world of horology interesting.  After all, with all the differences, people are people (anyone remember Depeche Mode?)....  

Best,
Ken

"Production capacity at Shizukuishi is 20,000 to 30,000 units a year. But while those facts and numbers would imply industrial production on a heroic scale, devoid of the human touch, that is the converse of the truth.

Thanks for sharing.

Those movement assembly workbenches are beautiful!