Seiko Watchesのインスタグラム(seikowatchusa) - 2月25日 05時52分

Next up on our “Anatomy of Grand Seiko” is one of my favorite traits of the line: The case. Seiko shapes the cases for the GS models mainly by forging them. Why does this matter? Two reasons: a) Grand Seiko is one of the few manufactures that can actually conduct precise forging (ordinarily, forging seldom produces the kind of sharp edges seen on Grand Seiko); and b) forging allows the production of cases that are free of air bubbles, which, in turn, yield above-average hardness levels on the Vickers scale (some cases, such as the 44GS re-issue, go through more than a dozen steps before the forging process is complete). The case is subsequently milled for refined shaping before moving to the next stage: The Zaratsu polishing. Done manually and entrusted to just a few very skilled craftsmen, the process entails the application of a rotating tin plate and a fine abrasive against the case at extremely precise angles to produce a distortion-free, mirror-like finish that is nothing short of breathtaking. Seriously. The picture, for instance, shows the end result of this process for the SBGJ019. Very few watches today—and certainly none at Grand Seiko’s price point—offer this type of polishing on the case. So cool. @thewatcherist

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