cazalea
[Seiko Moderator]
17058
It looks kind of boring, but here's why they do it
The intent in designing this version of the Spring Drive was to get maximum stability of timekeeping, and maximum run time (autonomy). Thus it has multiple spring barrels and when fully wound they produce quite a bit of torque (contain a lot of energy). Using only one or two plates on the back allows maximum stability of the gear train. No flex; no wasted energy or fluctuation in clearances of the movement.
You can see here the evolution of some manual wind spring drives. The first 7R87A & 7R88A is from watches that date back to around 2000 when Spring Drive was first released.
Credor 7R87A 1
7R08A 1 a few years later.
7R14A 1
7R14A 1
Current Grand Seiko manual wind movements
9R01A 2 Eight days running time with 3 barrels, main plate shaped like Mt Fuji
I found this quote and image from Seiko
"On the left is Caliber 9R02 by the Micro Artist Studio, and on the right is Caliber 9R31, made by the Shinshu Watch Studio. While they share many of the same technical specifications, they each have their own distinctive beauty that comes from the different cultures of the two studios."
More posts:
Grand Seiko New Engraved Platinum Spring Drive Masterpiece
A majestic white birch forest in the height of winter inspires a fully engraved Spring Drive masterpiece Today, Grand Seiko introduces a new manual-winding Spring Drive masterpiece from the Micro Artist Studio featuring a fully engraved case. Made one by ...
It looks kind of boring, but here's why they do it
The intent in designing this version of the Spring Drive was to get maximum stability of timekeeping, and maximum run time (autonomy). Thus it has multiple spring barrels and when fully wound they produce quite a bit of torque (contain a lot of energy). U...
