When one thinks of a Seiko, one thinks of a mass produced digital watch with a bunch of cool functions, but not the dressy impressive watch used to enthrall ones friends. So when I happened upon Seiko's latest achievement, Seiko Premier Kinetic Perpetual Calender, I immediately liked the style. First off, the material color combo is one of my favorites - rose gold toned steel (not actually rose gold, thus making this watch affordable), black dial and white numbers.
This watch is great for dressy occasions and fits nicely in the corporate world. A perfect watch to start a new management career, not outrageously expensive (about 980 Euros), but exuding a refined sense of style and a commitment to time management.
Seiko powers its timepiece utilizing its Seiko Kinetic Perpetual Auto Relay which is an expansion and improvement on the general idea of the quartz movement, as well as integrating a form of the traditional mechanical techniques. An "accumulator" stores energy created by a rotor in the back of the watch, a variation of a rechargeable battery - except the power is derived from motion rather than another source of electricity. This is a relatively new concept first introduced by Seiko in the 1990's; although extremely innovative it did not have the monumental impact dealt by the introduction of the quartz watches in the early 1970's.
The Kinetic Perpetual Auto Relay watch has the perpetual calendar complication which accounts for leap years and will need no adjustment till the year 2100 (better let your great grandchildren know). Mechanical watches with the perpetual calendar complication require an enormous amount of additional components and are usually exceedingly expensive some running into the hundreds of thousands. In addition, if one forgets to wind the watch or the power reserve is depleted, the watch stops. Perpetual Calender watches take some time to reset. Seiko has invented quite a clever idea. The watch can lie dormant for up to four years; the hands will not move, but the watch will still keep track of the date and time. As soon as it is picked up and placed on the wrist, the hands on the watch face and sub dials will swing into place and continue displaying the correct time. The is achieved via Seiko's Auto Relay System; part of the efficient Seiko Caliber 7D56 movement. 100 meter water resistant (seems to be the standard nowadays), black leather strap imprinted to achieve a crocodile skin texture, sapphire crystal.
Seiko is a company established in Japan in 1881 by K. Hattori. This time in Japan's history was a time of rapid westernization, as the Edo period had ended in 1868 and the Meiji period had begun. The Western influence took Japan by storm, as did the Western Societies obsession with
time and precision, the perfect environment to start a successful watch company: Seiko.
