First visit to the holy land! Seeing the true potential of Grand Seiko at Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi (Part 1)

On July 20, 2020, Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi opened within the Shizukuishi luxury watch workshop of Morioka Seiko Kogyo (Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture), the manufacturer of Grand Seiko mechanical watches. The studio includes a specialized workshop where watchmakers assemble and adjust Grand Seiko watches, as well as an exhibition space. While it was unveiled to local media, it has not yet been revealed to the watch media. We bring you a sneak peek at the new studio.

The "nature" workshop created by Kengo Kuma

　Seiko mechanical watches, including Grand Seiko, have long been manufactured by Seiko Instruments (SII). The company's former name was Daini Seikosha (later renamed Seiko Electronics Industries and Seiko Instruments). As Seiko collectors know, SII is the company that manufactured the Unique, Chronos, King Seiko, and 45GS. On April 1, 2020, Seiko Watch merged with SII's watch division, and Morioka Seiko Kogyo, a subsidiary of SII, became a subsidiary of Seiko Watch.

　Originally, Morioka Seiko Kogyo housed the Shizukuishi High-End Watch Workshop, which assembled Grand Seiko and Credor mechanical watches. The Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, which opened in 2020, specializes in Grand Seiko mechanical watches. While the concept of opening the assembly and adjustment workshop to the public is the same as the Shizukuishi High-End Watch Workshop, it is now a separate building, and the building is constructed of wood, reflecting Grand Seiko's philosophy of "THE NATURE OF TIME." It was designed by Kengo Kuma, an architect who, in addition to Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, also designed the Grand Seiko Boutique Paris Vendôme on Place Vendôme in Paris.

　In keeping with Kengo Kuma's penchant for white, white is used throughout Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi. Some of the walls are made of laminated larch and Scots pine. However, a white paint has been applied over them to give them a brighter look. The building was also designed to prevent rain from falling on areas where people enter and exit, eliminating the need for eaves gutters. This has resulted in sharp eaves and a light roof design. Stones have been placed around the perimeter of the building to absorb rain that falls from the roof. Morioka Seiko Kogyo was originally a factory with a lot of greenery, but Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, with its expansive lawn facing the building, gives the feeling of being surrounded by even more greenery.

An exhibition space where you can learn everything about Grand Seiko

　Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, located within Morioka Seiko Kogyo, has a different approach from the factory. The normal route is to head towards Yokote on National Route 46 and turn right onto Prefectural Route 131. In contrast, Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi is accessed from National Route 46 onto Nagayama Kaido, and then from behind the factory. There is also a parking lot for the general public across from the studio (access details will be explained later).

　Upon entering the studio, you first come across a space introducing Seiko and Grand Seiko. Looking around, you'll see the Laurel, Japan's first wristwatch, as well as the Marvel and first-generation Grand Seiko, both manufactured by Suwa Seikosha (now Seiko Epson). While both companies have produced Grand Seiko watches, Suwa Seikosha and Daini Seikosha are completely separate companies. It was surprising to find a Suwa Seikosha watch at the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, which is a successor to the former SII. Consequently, Seiko Epson's 9R Spring Drive and 9F Quartz watches are displayed alongside the 9S Mechanical watches manufactured by Morioka Seiko Kogyo.

　I have visited Morioka Seiko Kogyo many times. One of the factory's strengths is that it handles everything in-house, including hardening and plating. These processes are not open to the public except at GS9 Club events, but some of them are on display in the exhibition space. These include cutting, hardening, and plating. Morioka Seiko Kogyo's president, Yoshiaki Hayashi, brought out three thin iron bars. These were shown before hardening, after hardening, and after tempering. Hardened iron bars break easily, but tempered ones bend slightly but do not break. Seiko's mechanical watches, including Grand Seiko mechanical watches, achieve high durability by hardening and tempering their components.

Changing traffic flow to improve productivity

　Leaving the exhibition space, there is a seminar room, followed by the space where Grand Seiko mechanical movements are assembled and adjusted. At the Shizukuishi High-End Watch Workshop, each watchmaker had their own desk, but at Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, this has been changed to a standard "island" layout. Shigemi Hanzawa, section manager of the assembly workshop, explains the reason for this: "Previously, it looked good, but productivity was not high. We had to get up from our seats every time we wanted to exchange parts." So they created "islands" for each process, and changed the layout so that the watches are completed as you move from the entrance to the back.

　The various processes in the assembly and adjustment workshop are arranged as follows, from the entrance to the back: the parts receiving and assembling department, the balance spring adjustment department, the rate adjustment department, the GS inspection department, the casing department, and the inspection department. In a separate room there is the waterproofing inspection and band attachment department, and all processes can be seen from the hallway.

Even though the name was changed to "Island," the lacquered Iwayado Tansu work desk was retained. However, its shape was altered to fit the island. There were plans to change it to a more "functional" Bergeon desk, but it was decided that an Iwayado Tansu desk was the best fit for Shizukuishi. In addition, new furniture for storing tools and other items was also made from Iwayado Tansu.

　Hanzawa, the assembly workshop manager, points out that in addition to increased productivity, the benefits of the new workshop include improved clean room performance. By letting air in from the top of the walls and sucking it in from the bottom, the new workshop is 10 times cleaner than the Shizukuishi luxury watch workshop.

(Continued in Part 2)