For watch brands, there are certain functional watches that will never be absent from the list of works. They are important battlefields for military strategists, and the “chronograph” is one of the most important items.
However, since Japan’s GRAND SEIKO (GS) restarted the product line of high-end mechanical watches in 1998, there has never been a “pure mechanical structure” chronograph product!
As the saying goes, “come out after a thousand calls”, this is a Grand Seiko pure mechanical movement chronograph that finally appeared after waiting for 25 years. Its name is Tentagraph, and this is exactly when it was released. The reason for the heated discussion in the global watch industry.
Before entering the topic, let me explain two background information. First of all, SEIKO has actually achieved brilliant results in the field of chronographs. As early as 1969, they invented the world‘s first self-winding chronograph with a ‘vertical clutch structure’. Later, the exclusive patented design of the “three-prong zero return hammer” was also developed.
Second, Grand Seiko does not have chronograph products. The 9R86 movement they released in 2007 is the first Spring Drive movement chronograph under the GS trademark.
So, why did the purely mechanical chronograph of GS finally appear until this year? It is just waiting for a perfect time when “everything is perfect”. Just like Akio Naito, president of SEIKO Group, said in this interview: GS has no intention of launching new models in order to expand complex function items. Only when everything is satisfactory will a new product be released.
The long-awaited mechanical chronograph is coming out
As for the Tentagraph chronograph that GS finally released in “Watches and Miracles” this year, what are the characteristics that make the factory finally nod with satisfaction? It is a chronograph with “10 vibrations”, “three-day chain” and “self-winding”. It is currently the watch with the highest power reserve among high-vibration chronographs on the market.
Why does the “10 Vibration” chronograph have a 3-day (72-hour) power reserve, which is so powerful that it is enough to make a big book out of the brand? Because, for a chronograph to be able to count to a tenth of a second, it must have a high-vibration frequency (10 vibrations, 5 Hz, 36,000 vibrations per hour) escapement structure; however, a high-vibration frequency escapement structure requires more kinetic energy , resulting in a reduction in the hours of power reserve.
For example, ZENITH El Primero, the most famous 5 Hz high-vibration chronograph movement in the watch industry, has a power reserve of 60 hours; while the 4131 movement of the Rolex Daytona chronograph has a power reserve of 3 days (72 hours). But its balance wheel beats at 8 vibrations (4 Hz, 28,800 vibrations per hour). Breguet’s flight chronograph Type XXII 3880, although its movement frequency is as high as 10 Hz (72,000 times per hour), its power reserve is only 40 hours.
Therefore, the 9SC5 movement developed by Grand Seiko for the Tentagraph chronograph can be said to have broken through the limitation of power storage. The name Tentagraph of its watch is composed of the first letters of the English words “ten vibration”, “three-day chain”, “automatic winding” and “chronograph”, which is enough to illustrate the factory’s attention to all aspects of the movement. Performance, how satisfied.
It is worth mentioning that the 9SC5 movement is based on the 9SA5 movement (nicknamed the A5 Wagyu movement by watch fans), plus a timing module. It adopts its “double barrel” structure and the exclusive patented ” The double-shock escapement is used to improve the transmission efficiency of the mainspring torque, which is why it has such a powerful power performance. However, its disadvantage is that the structure of the timing module, such as the column wheel and the three-prong zero return hammer, is located on the side of the dial and cannot be appreciated. However, the brand DNA of GS is to appeal for precision, convenience and practicality, which is also the choice in its design.