Down With the King

Now I would not claim to be the hippest cat out there. Tik Tok and its allure is still elusive to me. I depend on Instagram and like, everyone else born before the 80s, Facebook for a sense of what might might be cooking in the watch world's collective subconscious. And I've noticed a rather curious trend. Grand Seiko is still a very much the darling of the media arm of Watch Town, and fair enough. But what I've seen bubbling up lately is... well you can't really call it a cult as that would require membership, organization (and occasionally a saffron robe and bargain Nikes). No, this is very much a watch sub culture that exists in an organic state, feeding off passion, not hyperbole.

Now having said that, there is one non-Grand Seiko that is a bit more upmarket. At an MSRP of $3,300 it is decidedly a bit more aspirational than the Seiko 5 Sports or the Presage. And proof positive that the right design and concept will capture hearts and minds regardless of what Seiko clique you identify with.

Courtesy of Seiko

This is the King Seiko SJE083. And as mentioned, it has caught the eye of both my well-heeled colleagues in the Fourth and Fifth Estate, as well as the guys and gals who passionately collect the Grand Seiko's more affordable cousins.

Courtesy of Seiko

This is one is limited to 3,000 pieces.

And here are the pertinents -

MOVEMENT
Caliber Number
6L35
Automatic with manual winding capacity
Accuracy
+15 to -10 seconds per day
Power Reserve
Approx. 45 hours

26 jewels
Date display
Stop seconds hand function

CASE
Stainless steel (super hard coating)

Screw Down Case

Thickness: 
11.4 ㎜
Diameter: 
38.1 ㎜
Length: 
44.7 ㎜ 
Water Resistance:
5 bar
Crystal:
Box shaped sapphire crystal
Crystal Coating
Anti-reflective coating on inner surface

STRAP:
Crocodile leather

Where Evangelism Meets Retail - A Few Minutes with Jeff Hess

Believe it or not, all is not doom and gloom in "Watchville".

Courtesy of Jeffrey Hess

I started out late last year (yes, a week or so ago) wanting to do a story about Jeff Hess and what he has built not only with Old Northeast Jewelers but with three of the brands he has championed as a distributor in North America.  My reasoning behind this was that Jeff has frequently decided to adjust his sails in what might be considered a contrary manner to some.  He is not a "churn and burn" type of guy.  He has two PHYSICAL stores, he goes to BaselWorld every year, and if there is an equivalent in the watch business to that phrase in Ocean's 13 - "He shook Sinatra's hand", he would definitely be one of those people.

Jeff and I go back a wee bit, longer than some, and not nearly as long as others, and one of the things I truly appreciate about him is his refusal to simply take things at face value, and his willingness to consider alternative points of view.  Curious to relate, the more we got to talking about his experiences in the watch business, the more and more I got drawn into a deeper discussion about Grand Seiko.  So, gentle reader, a few minutes with Jeff Hess -

Tempus Fugit:

So what got you into the watch business in the first place?

Jeff Hess:
In a word - Vintage. I started collecting watches as a high-schooler, I even went so far as to enroll in watchmaking school. But I found out that I liked buying and selling vintage watches much more than I did watchmaking. One thing led to another... and here we are.

TF:

You've seen a lot of changes in the business, particularly in the retail sector - what has been the most positive?

JH:

In the long term it is the realization from the brands and the manufacturers, that the USA is completely different animal in the world of marketing than every other world market. There is a new awakening on this issue especially with brands like Breitling who, in my opinion, "get it" and proceed accordingly. Mr. Kern has it figured out. On a more immediate level it is the idea that smart watches have actually saved the Luxury business. Our business has thrived on Boomers and Gen X-ers. But now we see successful Millennials in their mid to late 30's graduating to luxury in huge numbers. From wearing nothing on their wrist, to smart watches and then maturing to luxury watches. We''ve even noticed Generation Z's are now having an interest.  I also want to give a nod to smaller brands and micro-brands who are leading the 21st century renaissance in collector/ design interest.

TF:

And the most negative?

JH:

It would likely be the age-old practice of "over production" from the big manufacturers. Overproduction is not new. It has been going on since the 1880's when Waltham "dumped their dogs" on the English market in Birmingham when too much stuff piled up. The big manufactures have not figured out a way of dealing with this. It puts great stress on retailers, distributors and on the manufacturers bottom lines. And it sends a confusing message to the end-user/buyers.

TF:

In our conversations leading up to this interview, it became more and more apparent that Grand Seiko holds a special spot in your heart not only as a retail partner, but as a watch enthusiast.  At times I thought I'd accidentally walked into a revival meeting, you are quite the evangelist!  What is it about Grand Seiko that attracts you as an enthusiast?

JH:
Great question! I am a watch guy. Perhaps a ten percent fashion guy, but absolutely a 90% watch guy. As mentioned, I got my start in vintage back in the 80's when acquiring that proverbial old "box of watches" from an estate. It seemed the only ones that ran upon picking them up after years of neglect and abuse would be the Rolexes, The Seiko's and the Breitlings. Shake them and they ran, no matter how weather beaten. 

Courtesy of Jeff Hess

When one of the watch magazine publishers brought Grand Seiko to my store in 2010 (yes we were one of the first three retail stores to take on the brand in the US) asking us to carry an 8000 dollar Seiko, well... let's just say I got a little push back from my wife, my staff and just about everyone else. "An 8000 dollar Seiko? Absurd!" was probably the most often heard type of comment. But I brought my wife around and we brought Grand Seiko in. It was not easy but the design and the quality was over-the- top insane. As a vintage guy I remembered the lion medallion series and the old Diashock Chronometers. And honestly?  While I knew that converting our Swiss and German watch aficionado clientele would not be easy, I knew it was doable. I am an equal opportunity watch guy. The Swiss in many ways "own" this space. But I felt there was ample room for the Germans and the Japanese in the luxury space as well. 

Courtesy of Old Northeast Jewelers

Our little store was visited by the head of Seiko Japan in 2012 and he promised great things to come. And we stuck with it. I was surprised at the push back from some of the bigger Swiss brands I carried. Some of them were insistent that I not put Grand Seiko in my larger store. But I eased them in anyway. Needless to say, it has been a terrific partnership. The Japanese have a decidedly different way of dealing with authorized retailers. It is a cool brand with a cool factor that has an "outsider" appeal to collectors. And Grand Seiko collectors are truly "rabid". Akin to Patek and Rolex collectors but in many instances a younger demographic. Once and still small and streamlined, now also bold and beautiful. (Some at 44mm! )But all the Grand Seiko styles are held together by one constant - accuracy.

TF:

Retail, as we both know, is a different proposition than many watch fans think it is.  You have to seek out the new and exciting, but you have to balance that with the reality of customer appeal, reliability of the brand to deliver in a timely manner, and the overall dependability of the watch itself.  How does Grand Seiko compare to the other brands in their price category?

JH:
As I mentioned, the demographic is a bit different with Grand Seiko. 

Courtesy of Old Northeast

It seems to occupy a comfortable space between the handsome rugged flyer/adventurist/ Breitling owner and the ever-gentlemanly Patek owner. The old "watch cliche" of "looks as good with jeans and a t-shirt as it does with at a black tie event" is apropos. One might argue that the Godzilla model might not work with suit. 

Courtesy of Old Northeast

But I'd do it! In short, maybe not as rugged as a Breilting, but as attractive as a Blancpain.

TF:

You are one of the most well-known and sought-after retailers in the US.  You have the ability to pick and choose what you want to carry.  What was it about Grand Seiko that caught your eye?

JH:

It's a simple answer with several components - It's different, its accuracy is beyond reproach, and the design is unique.  And probably, most importantly is its history. 

Courtesy of Old Northeast

Just about every brand we carry has a story. From Carl F Bucherer's early coziness with Rolex, to the fine enamel and robust military watches that Ulysse Nardin for the US Army Corps of Engineers, Heuer's patented oscillating pinion and Hamiton's American heritage... all of my store's brands have "historical aspects"that appeal to me.

It's not Sayonara for Seiko

and Grand Seiko...

Shamelessly borrowed from the worldwide info web

News reached the offices of Tempus Fugit that Seiko and their upmarket brand, Grand Seiko, have decided not to participate in BaselWorld this year.  

Now it would be easy to grasp at yet another straw saying that BaselWorld is doomed.  But in fact, I would like to posit another theory.

Yes, some big brands are opting not to participate this year, and it seems clear that the SWATCH group is not assembling booths like so many Christmas toys.  But for the first time in some time, I am actually seeing some very real possibilities for both the fair and the brands that participate in 2020.  And the absence of some of the big dog brands is, believe it or not, just what might help BaselWorld regain its footing.

Think about it this way - with another very large dog moving out, it creates more potential for other, smaller brands to occupy space, and attention in the fair halls.  When I think back as recently as 4 years ago, there were a lot more mid-sized brands in the mix.  Eberhard, Paul Picot, Cuervo Y Sobrinos and the list goes on.  Who's to say that some of these brands won't make a comeback in 2020 and reappear in Hall 1?

While 2019 was not perfect, it was the first time in a long time that the organizers started trying some different things, and that is a great reason to have hope for 2020 and beyond.

And my suspicion?  I suspect that for Seiko and Grand Seiko, this is not so much Sayonara as it is -

じゃあね (jaa ne) – See you!

If the fair continues to seek out new ways to make BaselWorld as much an experience as it is a trade show?  Well the brands will come back, and more importantly?  The FANS will come back as well.  Let's face facts, the former cannot exist without the latter.

Viva BaselWorld!

    

The Power of Memory

As I spend the next few months getting ready to hit the half-century mark, I find myself more and more drawn to the past.  Some of it seems like ancient history now.  And some of it bubbles right under the surface, waiting for just the right visceral trigger to bring the memory out.

I grew up in Ohio, went to university in Oregon and spent several years living and working in Europe.  But when I think back on where my life really began?  It was Japan.  Japan was at once foreign, familiar, incredibly organized and maddeningly confusing all at the same time.  As a freshly minted English teacher it was all of that.  And magical.  

Japan was, and continues to be a country that reveres the past while embracing the future.  Japan was undergoing a pretty large transition, where many traditional craftspeople were coming to understand that their (in most cases) sons were not going to carry on in the family craft.  Such was the case with my neighbor Mr. Obara.  His family had been weaving straw hats and bags for generations.  But Mr. Obara the younger had his sights set on computer programming, and I suspect that little corner of Kasukabe is no longer making those things.

Every now and then I come across things that remind me of that time and place - and most of all that feeling.  And the Divido from Minase has managed to hit me with a memory sucker punch -

Courtesy of Minase

Yes, there is Citizen, Seiko, even Grand Seiko... and then there is Minase.

Courtesy of Minase

And what makes Minase special is the attention to the craftsmanship.  The bracelets can be disassembled down to their basic constituent parts.  This ensures that the bracelet parts can be replaced with the actual piece that is needed, rather than necessitating a need to purchase an entirely new bracelet.  

Courtesy of Minase

It also ensures that the bracelet can be adjusted to a more precise fit.


Rather than a nameless facility in Singapore or other place that is NOT Japan, Minase is based well north of Tokyo, in Akita Prefecture.  And this is not just another soulless industrial park.  Blink and you'd think you were in La Chaux-de-Fonds-

Courtesy of Minase

And in a place like this, you'll find real men and women doing real work in a very straightforward way -

Courtesy of Minase

Courtesy of Minase

Courtesy of Minase

Courtesy of Minase

While I have not seen or held one in person just yet, I am anxious to.  The care, time and effort that goes into the Minase Divido is unique in a place where volume for value is perhaps a growing misnomer.  More and more, for me at least, I am not so interested in the latest development from the big dogs.  I am more and more interested in something that I LIKE, not something that I like because I am bombarded with images and messages telling me that I should.  And I've lived long enough and seen enough to know what like.  And I like the Minase Divido.

Courtesy of Minase

Here are the pertinents, straight from the source -


Case
Stainless steel 316L. Domed box type sapphire crystal ( non reflective coating ) on top, see-through sapphire case back. Water resistant up to 50 meters ( 5 ATM ).
Diameter : 40.5 mm. Thickness : 12.0 mm. Weight : 110 / 150 g.

Movement
KT7001/1, automatic, power reserve 38 hours, Swiss ebauches, customized by MINASE with hand polishing and « perlage » on plates and bridges.

Dial
HiZ concept with individual components assembled to form a 3-dimensional dial. Together with the movement and the hands, this structure consists an independent entity inside the case.
Functions
Hours, minutes and central second hands. Date at 4.

Strap
Rubber ( EPDM ) with stainless steel deployment clasp or solid stainless steel execution featuring MORE concept.

Clasp
Deployment buckle with steel side pushers.

Mizu under the Hashi

Courtesy of Seiko