Close. It is a huge task to scan the catalogues, edit the scans, and then host them to freely share for the benefit of the wider community. Both 9581 and 9587 movements picked up where the 994x series left off, with an accuracy of +/-10 seconds per year. Both watches feature the same case and dial design of the QNJ020 and QHK040. Utilising the time-only 9581 movement were the SBGS002 in 18K gold, and SBGS001 in stainless steel, with both watches supplied on leather straps. As mentioned above, it is not in the purview of this article to comprehensively cover the growth of the quartz range, but it is worth walking through some of the key branding and marketing messages that one can glean from the catalogues. The 1976 Crêt D’or catalogue however featured a pair of the 18K gold cased watches that debuted in the 1975V2 Seiko catalogue. The 1972 catalog was updated with a series of loose leaf additional pages. By 1975 – more than half a decade after the introduction of the seminal Astron – quartz was really beginning to gain a significant share of the market, with the cheapest reference in the catalogue priced at just 32,000 Yen. The 1975 V2 catalogue didn’t just introduce the Seiko Grand Quartz range, it also introduced a brand new set of catalogue codes for the watches featured within – a six character code comprised of three letters and three numbers that, no doubt, possibly made some kind of sense to someone at the time, but it’s all gobbledegook to us! This was the last of the catalogues to feature an introductory hero shot of a Grand Quartz, (note – there was no 1982 volume 2 catalogue published). Unlike the earlier examples, there are no signs of rounded octagonal cases, or integrated bracelets here. Sei sulla pagina 1 di 153. And the evidence for this crazy rewriting of the Grand Seiko story? Note that Grand Quartz is no longer deserving of its own page in the catalogue, with the remaining King Quartz squeezed in. INKJET PRINT HEADS SII Printek Division provides industrial inkjet Drop-on-Demand printheads, based based on its historical know how in manufacturing micro-mechanisms and electric components. We would be grateful if those who in the past have brazenly swiped content from this site (and indeed others) for their own gain refrain from doing so. Prior to this, with just a handful of models available, simply branding them as “Quartz” was sufficient. Here’s a close-up of the movement photos in the above documents. Show all files, Uploaded by Fair use of course applies here, and we wouldn’t expect any issues from Seiko for reproducing the catalogues so extensively, but we would respectfully ask that people refrain from “ripping off” the scans shared here and rehosting them elsewhere. As we move into 1979, the entire Grand Quartz range shifts to twin-quartz calibers, with no 484x based references remaining in the offer. The final new reference utilising the 9943 movement is the hardened stainless steel QGB060. In 1966 Seiko began producing a unified product catalog for the Japanese domestic market. With the rapid expansion of the range – primarily through the introduction of more affordable references – it clearly became necessary to communicate just what it was about the higher-end pieces that justified their elevated pricing. Both watches were presented on bracelets that really do have to be tried on to believe. Photocopy of Casio Overland watch purchased Oct. 1993. With the phasing out of the remaining 484x caliber watches, we see the introduction of a number of twin-quartz powered date (9942 movement) and time only (9940 movement) references; there are three new 9943 day-date watches that fill in some gaps in the offer; and finally, two watches utilising the new 9256 twin-quartz day-date movement from Daini-Seikosha. 1977 Seiko Catalog.V1. Spring Sale - All products 15% off original price! The penultimate pair of twin-quartz watches are light and dark dialed replacements for an earlier 4843 reference –. Hopefully by looking at them side by side we will be able to identify what has changed. We design and develop our own movements using leading-edge technology. Seiko Grand Quartz, Seiko King Quartz, Seiko Lord Quartz – they are all continuations of the original mechanical brands, updated for the quartz age. Just a few examples for comparison – a 6139 automatic chronograph could be had for 19,000 Yen; the 6105 diver came in at 20,000 Yen; the 6117 world timer was priced at a relative bargain at just 15,500 Yen; and a basic day-date 5 Actus could be had for under 10,000 Yen. Required fields are marked *. The three movements that feature in these watches (38- time only, 3802- time and date, and 3803- time and day-date) were rated to an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per month, compared to the +/- 5 seconds per month of the 3823 powered VFA’s. Parts# 64 52 1 386 601 64-52-1-386-601 64.52.1.386.601 64521386601. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. As is so often the case with vintage Seikos, the catalogue shots really don’t do these watches justice. The final two new 9940-caliber references in this catalogue – and indeed, the final two Seiko Grand Quartz references to be added to the range – are another pair of watches presented with a choice of white or dark coloured dials. Clearly the entire range was in flux at this point – we have to consider not only the fact that quartz was beginning to take over from mechanical, but also that within quartz itself, there were generational evolutions underway. For all these comparisons, we will be showing the reference from the 1977 V1 catalogue first (on the left if you are viewing on a desktop device, or a mobile device in landscape mode), and that from the 1977 V2 catalogue second (or on the right). Rounding out the collection are a pair of watches with champagne and light blue sunburst dials. All of the watches are priced at the same 100,000 Yen, and we have white and dark dial variants. Please download files in this item to interact with them on your computer. At times, it is very difficult to discern dial details just from catalogue photos. Functionally and aesthetically it does the same job as the QGB804 – perhaps it is there to prevent there being quite such a significant price gap between watches at the top of the range. QNK864 is a day-date version of the earlier QNJ604, with the addition of the day complication upping the price by 5,000 to 80,000 Yen. But the year or so roughly covering the latter half of 1975 and the first half of 1976 was rather a confusing one from a sub-brand positioning viewpoint. Learn how your comment data is processed. Both watches feature lightly textured cases and bracelets – the former featuring printed Roman numeral indices, and the latter raised and cutaway 3D applied indices. All content copyright The Grand Seiko Guy. A History of Grand Seiko – 1975 to 1988 – The Grand Seiko Guy White gold Seikos are typically priced a little higher than their yellow gold equivalents – here the yellow gold HNK804 was 1,250,000 Yen, with the white gold HNK 018 priced at 1,350,000. Over the course of this article we will be presenting scans of all pages of the Seiko catalogues that feature Grand Quartz, detailing every single one of the 59 references that exist. Here’s a “live” photo of an example of this reference from our private collection –. 1 OSCILLATING WEIGHT 6R20 0509266 6R21 0509281 0509293 (for ANANTA) 63 WINDING STEM 0351200 * For screw down crown models, the stem is assembled to the crown and is not available separatelly. Below are scans of the pages featuring those watches. The confusing presentational order of the 1975 V2 catalogue was fortunately short-lived. 1981 Seiko Catalog.V2. But additionally, it was clearly a wider strategic rebranding not just for Grand Seiko, but also for King Seiko (as mentioned earlier, exactly the same thing happened), and indeed Lord Marvel (which became “Lord Quartz”). Whatever the truth of the matter is, there can be no denying that these (and indeed the Daini’s coming up next) are extremely attractive watches. Seiko is one of the few fully integrated watch manufactures. What we can learn from the codes shown here is that not only did this reference have a change of catalogue code, but also case code. The page layout and content of the two pages featuring Grand Seiko are identical in the two 1989 catalogues.). In the second volume of the 1974 catalogue we are introduced to yet another branding level within the quartz range – this one above that of the VFA’s. Note that the catalogue photo doesn’t really capture the texture of the dial on QNK904. Here is a live photo of an example of QNK080 from our private collection where the incredible texture of these dials can be truly appreciated. Une oeuvre qui fait date retranscrit dans "Locals Only; California Skateboarding 1975-1978". Both watches feature HGP (hard gold plated) cases, but the 9943 based watch adds a textured dial that perhaps was intended to visually differentiate the two models. Eyewear that performs. Interestingly this catalogue saw QGN804 – whose last appearance was in 1980’s volume 1 catalogue – return to the range. The HNK60G an 38SQW 016 (on leather strap) were both priced at 580,000 Yen. Of those 165 references, one was a Superior, there were 21 VFA’s, and we see the introduction of no fewer than eight…. Thanks Gerald for taking the time to put this article together. Description: 1981 Seiko Catalog.V2 ... 1978 Seiko Catalog.V1 Documents. Thanks to all those who helped digitize the old catalogs and make them accessible to all, in particular Anthony Kable of Plus9Time.com (many old catalogs come from him), the Watchhunter.org website, Gruppo Seiko 1881, The Watch Site forum, and the whole Seiko community. It is joined in the range by the dark blue (almost black)-dialed QGB041. Note however that the bracelet is a different model. SEIKO Eyewear. Whilst there are some differences in the parts used between the two movements – most notably the crystal oscillator itself – the dimensions are identical. This aims to be the most complete collection of Seiko catalogs and brochures, organized in chronological order. Note for those paying attention – we haven’t skipped a catalogue – there is no 1976 volume 2 catalogue. Fight Spam De 1975 à 1978, Hugh Holland, va photographier le phénomène skateboard à Venice Beach en Californie. With the two new references out of the way, we’ll look at the remaining eight by comparing them with what came before. By the end of 1974, based on what is listed in the Seiko catalogues, we are down to just ten Grand Seiko references, with no fewer than 82 quartz watches featured – 15 of which are branded as VFA. QGN048’s jet black dial is made from onyx, with a printed Roman numeral XII at 12. The initial production run of Astrons for the launch of the watch was in November 1969, but so few were actually manufactured – just 100 units – that the first Astron never even made it into any of the Seiko catalogues. Please download files in this item to interact with them on your computer. The catalogue photo of the QGH030 just about conveys the dial texture of the watch, which, similarly to the QGH050, has a “snowflake” finish. Why contentious? SBGS004 had an 18K gold bezel and its bracelet was steel and 18K gold, whereas SBGS003 was all steel. It is the overlap of – as we will soon discover – the phasing out of one generation of quartz calibers and the introduction of the next that is probably behind this confusing presentation in the catalogue. The sub-brand establishing itself at the beginning pages of the catalogues was “Dolce”. There’s no doubting though that it is a very desirable reference – as usual, live photos of an example from our collection show details that are simply not possible to appreciate from the catalogue shot alone –, From a price tier perspective, the above pair of watches can be viewed as replacing QNK050 and QNK061, reposted here for ease of reference –. The new additions to the range can be broadly split into three categories. Where it concerns the Grand Quartz range, this catalogue is identical in content and layout to the one preceding it. In the 1972 Special Luxury Catalogue, Seiko debuted the “VFA” branding to selected watches in the quartz range. Your author though takes a different – no doubt rather contentious – view on the Grand Seiko story. Maybe that is stretching things a little too far, but there is no question that this catalogue introduces some exceptionally well – not to mention, intriguingly – designed watches! The first thing to note is the layout – as will become a common theme for the next few years, we have a full-page “hero” shot, followed by a section devoted just to Grand Quartz to show the rest of the range. Search and overview. The cases on this pair of watches feature a curved octagonal bezel that is probably about as circular as you could get and extends to the very edge of the top side of the case. The HNK604 was priced at 1,250,000 Yen compared to 1,350,000 for its 38SQW 026 predecessor; the HNK604 came in at 800,000 as opposed to 880,000 Yen for the VFA. For half 1, this is arrived at simply by counting up the number of references appearing in the V1 catalogue. It is the reduced profile of the smaller battery in the 4843B movement that allows a slimmer case-back to be fitted, reducing the depth of the watch from 10.9mm to 10.25mm. With the Superiors and VFA’s sitting at the top of the range, one might expect the Grand Quartz to slip in directly underneath them. Traditionally, we look at the history of Grand Seiko as covering two very distinct, and separate, eras. Whilst it’s clear from the catalogue shot that this reference has a textured dial, it’s not easy to see exactly that the texture is. There is an undeniable “Genta-esque” feel to the QGB070/071, with their rounded octagonal bezels and bracelets bearing more than a passing resemblance to some of the famed designers more well known ouvres. With regards additions, there are two new references in the first row – a gold metal variant of the HSS flagship, and a day-date variant of the tv-shape cased gold plated date model. It is only with a close examination of the various offers presented in the Seiko catalogues over the course of time that we are able to see the “big picture” as to what happened through the 1970’s and into the 1980’s. (Not included are the references running on the regular quartz movements from the 38-series onwards – we are only concerned with the top-of-the-range offer for the purpose of this argument.). With a precision… All of the references debuting in this catalogue are day-date models, with two new watches based on the Suwa 9943 movement, and the remaining six based on the 9256 movement from Daini. It wasn’t just Grand Seiko that made their last appearance in 1975’s V2 catalogue, we say farewell to King Seiko as well. Your email address will not be published. As with the 9940, this is available in two watches, this time both in stainless steel on bracelets, but with different case designs. These were no longer in the Seiko catalog after 1978, and the movement was retired. I am fully in line with your conclusion as for me the Grand Quartz watches has always been the natural step from mechanical Grand Seikos to quartz powered ones. As with the watches, Seiko’s catalogue production and content also has some confusing transitional periods! Ad for Polar watches in Performance Bicycle, Spring 1996. p. 72.Ad for Predator watch, Spring 1996 catalog, pp. Fast forward to the end of the 1980’s, and the new Grand Seiko range is introduced in the 1989 catalogue with four references taking pride of place on page 1, and a full page “hero” shot opposite (whilst Grand Seiko was “reborn” in 1988, there are no domestic catalogues from that year, so the new range’s first appearance in a catalogue was the following year, with the same layout featuring in both 1989 volumes) . HNK644 was a more conservatively styled yellow gold dress watch on a leather band, at a price of 460,000 –. In fact, this catalogue features almost the exact same offer as that of a year previously. Here is a shot of the blue dialed QNK021 along with a couple of detail macros. However, this isn’t actually how we see things presented in the catalogue. One thing that is clearer when comparing the 1975 V1 and V2 catalogues is that the Grand Quartz range wasn’t just about filling the gap created by the impending departure of the mechanical Grand Seikos, but it was also going to take over from another range in the catalogues – the quartz VFA’s. It was the pinnacle of what was possible with the technology, and had an eye watering price to match. We use cookies on the site for our own business purposes including keeping track of your preferences. Please do feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below. Volume 1 of the 1973 catalogue (with the number of Grand Seikos more than halving to 19, and the number of quartz references going up six-fold to 25) debuts in a regular catalogue, quartz watches branded as “VFA”, or “Very Fine Adjusted” – a term of course “borrowed” from the Grand Seiko VFA’s that were still in production. QNK080 is the replacement for QNK050 – the range topping reference with a hardened stainless steel case (“HSS”). Clearly space was not at a premium in this catalogue, with separate pages being given to the new 9943 based references and the older 4843 based ones, despite the fact they could have all fitted on the one page. In fact, a quick perusal of those early regular catalogues shows no quartz watches in any of the 1970 or 1971 issues – all of which lead with Grand Seiko. Wrapping up the Grand Quartz range in this catalogue, we have a pair of watches presented on leather straps. There is a rapid drop-off in the breadth of the Grand Seiko mechanical offer, that coincides directly with the growth of the quartz VFA range. The references are pictured in the order in which they made their first catalogue appearance. Thus, it is out contention that Grand Seiko never actually went away. Intriguingly, there does appear to be somewhat of an overlap here, with the pair of Suwa watches being remarkably similar to two from Daini, so let’s start with those. Yup – 1.35 million Yen. The middle row of the page features the two new references in the Grand Quartz range that are based on the date-only 4842 movement. At the end of the sixties the two top series of watches from Seiko were Grand Seiko and King Seiko. 21 HOUR WHEEL0273*** 50 FOURTH WHEEL 024*** The references dropped from the range were as follows –. Share this document with a friend. Quartz VFA killed off Grand Seiko mechanical, and Seiko Grand Quartz directly took over from both quartz GFA and Grand Seiko mechanical. Below are the full scans of the two pages from the 1977 volume 2 catalogue featuring Grand Quartz. Following the publication of this article, Anthony Kable of Plus9Time contacted us to share a scan of an issue of Seiko Watch News from June 1977 that provides confirmation of the conclusions that we independently arrived at as detailed above. The pair of original steel cased watches with decagonal bezels with blue and white dials have been dropped, as has the blue dial HSS cased reference that was only introduced in the previous catalogue. The newly added reference should be relatively simple to spot – it’s a blue-dialed variant of the range-topping HSS cased QNK050 – the QNK061.
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