| WATCH YOUR TIME
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© LUC BRAQUET
GRAND SEIKO Evolution 9 SLGH027. This
watch offers a new interpretation of the Mount
Iwate dial created in 2006: the volcano, visi-
ble from Grand Seiko’s Shinshu Watch Studio,
inspired a decor that’s now emblematic of the
brand’s watchmaking. Here, Mount Iwate is rep-
resented as seen from the sky, featuring a light
blue shade evoking the purity of the air and water
surrounding it. Presented in an Ever-Brilliant
steel case with a matching bracelet, it is pow-
ered by the high-frequency calibre 9SA5 with
an 80-hour power reserve. Limited edition of
1,200 pieces.
C O L L E C T O R
Sporting performance, technical
prowess, classicism, the richness
of watchmaking lies in its
diversity. Blending craftsmanship,
design and engineering, the
mechanical luxury watch remains
the ultimate collector’s item,
continually opening new horizons
of interest. Here is a closer look.
By Arthur Frydman
hat could be more democratic than a quartz watch? Available in
every style, at prices that remain (for now) relatively modest, quartz
watches appeal to all tastes. That matters in times of inflation, and
explains why more of these timepieces, powered by piezoelectric mineral crys-
tals, are sold today than watches with complex gear-train calibres – in other
words, automatic or hand-wound mechanical movements. These, of course,
form the core of what is traditionally understood as mechanical watchmaking.
Quartz movements are not only more affordable but also more accurate than
their mechanical counterparts. The former may drift by around 30 seconds per
year, whereas COSC-certified mechanical movements are permitted a variation
of -4 to +6 seconds per day.
Given those facts, a question arises. Nearly obsolete, and no longer truly
essential for telling the time, the mechanical watch has nonetheless become,
like a luxury car, a desirable and collectible object. For many enthusiasts, it is
even an object of fantasy. More than ever, mechanical watchmaking belongs to
the world of luxury. Time may have never been so unnecessary, yet it is omni-
present – and has never felt more vital as a collectible, and therefore as a pas-
sion. How to explain this paradox?
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COLLECTOR
“The true collector is more interested in the pursuit than in possession.”
Umberto Eco (1932-2016)
The mechanics
of the heart