Grand Seiko Snowflake: A Comprehensive Review
The Grand Seiko Snowflake is one of the watches that you must observe carefully to truly appreciate. In fact, it takes time to observe the full beauty of this iconic watch because it has many subtle techniques. Just like a snowflake, the more time you observe the small patterns on it, it will only get better.
Although it has the most iconic design of Grand Seiko, this watch offers more than just aesthetics. Internally, it uses a technology that will make every watch lover drool. Because of its uniqueness, it often sparks controversy about whether it is a mechanical watch or a quartz watch. We will learn the answer to this question in some time.
Yes, it is named after the exquisite snow crystal, but it has an avalanche-like characteristic. Read on to find out what surprises this watch has prepared for us.
Snowflake dial
One of the distinguishing features of the swiss watch is its dial. From a distance, people might think of it as an ordinary white dial, nothing special. But don’t let it fool you. If you do not observe carefully, you will miss a lot of things.
Snowflake’s dial is faithful to the winter theme, imitating the texture of freshly fallen snow. But for people living in places where it doesn’t snow, it can also be compared to textured white paint. As far as we know, so far only Grand Seiko can achieve this texture.
It also shows a simple style. Despite two complications, namely the power reserve indicator and the date window, the dial is still clean and simple.
In fact, Grand Seiko attaches great importance to their design. So, let’s take a look at how they make the dial.
How Grand Seiko makes a snowflake dial
As you might have guessed, the dial of Grand Seiko Snowflake has gone through many stages. In fact, it was carefully crafted by experts at Shiojiri Dial Workshop. As for the first step, the manufacturer printed the pattern on the dial blank. After that, they added multiple coatings. This is what caused the final dial to be translucent.
Beautiful from all angles
At the same time, the hour markers are cut using diamond edge rotary cutting equipment. This is done manually by a technician, who is responsible for ensuring that the surface of the indicator reflects light in a good way. Usually, this is done with a small mirror. Finally, when the time scale passes a rigorous test, each time scale is manually applied to the dial.
It may seem like a trivial matter, but this is why enthusiasts are happy to observe the watch when the light shines on the watch from different angles.
Handle with care
As mentioned above, the production of every Grand Seiko dial is labor-intensive. The workload of every small detail is huge. This can be said to be one of the reasons that makes Grand Seiko unique.
Due to the high degree of attention the technicians pay to each watch, Grand Seiko can only produce a relatively small number of models. If you value exclusivity, or if you firmly believe that quality trumps quantity, this can be considered good news.
Case and bracelet
The Grand Seiko Snowflake case uses what Grand Seiko calls “high-strength” titanium. Compared with ordinary titanium, this titanium is more resistant to corrosion and scratches. In addition, it has the lightness and hypoallergenic characteristics of metal. Those who are allergic to nickel will find this message comforting.
In terms of size, the case diameter is 41 mm and the height is 12.5 mm. This size is in the mid-range, and people usually find this watch very suitable.
Like the case, the bracelet of the Grand Seiko Snowflake is also made of titanium. This makes the watch more comfortable because the material is relatively light.
Spring-driven motion
The interior of the Grand Seiko Snowflake is as impressive as its exterior. If there is another thing that can define a watch besides the snowflake dial, it is the Spring Drive movement.
The brand’s popular movement has a long history behind it. The project was conceived by Yoshikazu Akahane, an engineer at Seiko Epson. In the late 1970s, he began to develop the sport. Finally, he issued a patent for this concept in 1982.
Despite the patent, it was not until 1997 that the company publicly launched the movement at the Baselworld. The following year, they released the first commercial Spring Drive watch.
Is it quartz or machinery?
One of the common mistakes people make is to call the Grand Seiko Snowflake a quartz watch. Yes, the Spring Drive movement exhibits some quartz-like characteristics. However, if you dig deeper, you will find that it is far from the quartz movement.
To be honest, the only similarity between it and a quartz movement is the use of a quartz oscillator. In addition, these two movements are diametrically opposed. First of all, Quartz needs a battery, but Spring Drive does not. In addition, Spring Drive is powered by a mainspring that is not found in quartz copy watches.
What is special about Spring Drive?
Now, we have solved the problem that Spring Drive is a mechanical movement. However, it is important to note that it is a unique type.
On the one hand, you won’t see escape wheels, levers, and balances in it. Instead, it uses three synchronous regulators. As the name suggests, it refers to the three types of energy in the regulation system. They are magnetic (pulley), mechanical (mainspring) and electrical (quartz crystal).
The system generates an electric current, which then flows to the quartz crystal and integrated circuit. When current passes through it, it generates vibrations that are seen as oscillations. Finally, the energy is fed back to make the pulley rotate 8 times per second. This is very similar to the working principle of an ordinary mechanical watch.
In other words, the power source of Grand Seiko Snowflake is the traditional mainspring. It’s just that they regulate energy in different ways. This is why Spring Drive is considered a mechanical watch.
Spring drive accuracy
This technology from a Japanese brand makes Grand Seiko Snowflake extremely accurate. In fact, it has been adopted by the famous Swiss brand Piaget. You may also encounter gossip about other major watch brands showing interest in it.
Speaking of its accuracy, the source said it has an average rating of +/- 1 second per day. In fact, this is a very ideal number that many watchmakers dream of.
Grand Seiko Snow Special Edition
There is no doubt that Snowflake is a miracle in watch design. However, the people of Grand Seiko like to add interest to things from time to time. Having said that, here are three great Seiko snowflakes. But despite the slight differences, it is impressive that these models still show the must-haves in the bible of brand style. replica aaa watch price
- Heavy snow (winter)
Taisetsu is part of the Grand Seiko Four Seasons series. As the name suggests, it consists of four models based on each season. Two of the seasons are based on Grand Seiko Snowflake. One is heavy snow (winter) and the other is Chunwen (spring).
At first glance, especially in low light conditions, this looks no different from the original Grand Seiko Snowflake. In fact, their designs are all inspired by the same thing-snow. However, after spending a few minutes comparing the two models, you will notice subtle differences.
On the one hand, the dial of Daxue is darker, while the dial of the original model has a snow-white tone, which represents the calm of winter. This one uses light gray to remind you of a cloudy sky during a snowstorm.
Another unique feature of this version is its border or no border. This means that the crystal must be fixed directly on the case to improve readability. In addition, its lugs have also been redesigned to make the watch more comfortable to wear.
- Chun Wen (Spring)
Once all the snow is gone, it is time for spring. As mentioned above, this model is part of the Four Seasons series. In fact, along with the winter version, this one was assembled at Shinshu Watch Studio.
The dial is light pink and has a soft texture. In fact, it is so light that it can only be seen from certain angles. Under certain light conditions, the dial will emit off-white tones. This represents the famous cherry blossoms in Japan.
Except for the color, Shunbun is the same as the winter version of the series. It has the same proportions and shell. In addition, it also uses the Spring Drive 9R65 movement.
Shunbun is Grand Seiko’s first widely used pink dial watch. Because of this, it attracts watch lovers around the world, making it relatively difficult to obtain. buy watch copy
- Blue snowflakes
Grand Seiko Blue Snowflake has the title of the first special edition of the original Snowflake ever. As the name suggests, it has a unique soft blue dial that stands out while keeping it clean.
Unlike the original model that used titanium, this case uses stainless steel. This material gives the watch a thicker feel. But in order to compensate for the added weight, this version is slightly smaller. From the original 41 mm size, this size has been reduced to 40.8 mm.
Another subtle change is the hour markers at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock. Instead of using the usual trapezoid, it uses a thick rectangle that looks a lot like other markers.
4.Golden snowflakes
Grand Seiko Golden Snowflake is arguably the most elegant. Its hands and hour markers are shiny gold. Although the watch did not add much, but the choice of colors exudes a warm atmosphere. This is in stark contrast to the calm and cool color scheme of the original variant.
Apart from the new color, nothing has changed. It has the same dimensions, materials and movement as the Grand Seiko Snowflake.
Final notes
Grand Seiko Snowflake is outstanding in appearance and performance. In terms of aesthetics, it follows the Grand Seiko Style elements that embody Japanese beauty.
On the other hand, this watch uses a unique and innovative technology called Spring Drive. It combines the best qualities of a quartz movement and a mechanical movement. This really proves Japan’s technological excellence. http://www.cheapestwrist.co