Discover the secret behind what makes a Grand Seiko quality with the Spring Drive feature such a smooth operator.
Grand Seiko Spring Drive Review
Most watch enthusiasts, horologists, watch collectors and these tend to value and love mechanical calibers. What I keep hearing is that it requires more brains to make a mechanical watch movement and they are not solely stunning works of craftsmanship however mechanical marvels that intrigue even the brightest of intellectuals. There is a certain esoteric mystique behind how that they work, and the brilliance required for them to be generated. That naturally has one asking the question of”Why could Grand Seiko utilize a quartz crystal watches in the Spring Drive mechanism of a mechanical movement?”
That said, it must come as no surprise that a battery powered quartz movement which is typically very inexpensive and usually mass-produced doesn’t offer the exact same sense of admiration to most luxury watch fans. So, what is it about the Grand Seiko Spring Drive which has everybody in a frenzy?

To understand the frenzy we will need to examine the reason why quartz crystals have been introduced to observe motions in the first place. There are definite benefits of utilizing quartz. Significantly they oscillate steadily at a remarkably large frequency of 32,786 Hz that’s 215. The simple mathematics behind how it functions is done by constantly dividing the beat half which provides steady intervals one second.
This allows for unparalleled precision compared to mechanical motions. The fact is that with regard to accuracy and reliability, even the most accurate mechanical watches can not compare to quartz.
Why is the Grand Seiko Spring Drive distinct from a Quartz movement?
A traditional quartz powered watch has a battery that emits a charge that causes the quartz crystal to vibrate at a frequency of 32,786 Hz. This results in an accuracy of +/- 15 seconds per 30 days. Meaning there is an allowable deviation in the precision of 15 seconds slower or 15 seconds faster per month. Obviously, that is providing that you maintain the watch at a normal temperature range between 41 amounts to about 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
At a Grand Seiko Movement that utilizes Spring Drive, the frequency rate of the quartz permits the next hand to sweep ever so easily. Using the button below, get a glimpse at exactly what I’m talking about.

How Accurate is a Grand Seiko Spring Drive?
Grand Seiko Spring Drive has an accuracy of +/- 1 minute per day which is twice as accurate as the finest Rolex Superlative Chronometer, much more precise than a METAS certified Master Chronometer, and numerous times more accurate than a COSC certified Chronometer.
What Grand Seiko did was nothing short of genius; they blended the precision of quartz with the creativity from the technology of a traditional mechanical watch. They engineered a system that allows a purely mechanical watch movement to leverage the stability and frequency of oscillation of quartz crystal allowing it to induce the motion using a small automatically generated electric current, all the while govern it with a built-in circuit all without using a battery.

How does the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Function?
It’s the released tension from the mainspring from the watch that creates a small electric current instead of a battery that is what’s used in a normal quartz movement. This fee is what triggers the crystal high oscillation rate. Most mechanical motions measure the beat of this motion at VpH so Vibrations Per Hour but the quartz’s frequency rate is so large it is measured in Hz (Hertz) which is revolutions per minute.
Whereas a top beat mechanical motion like a Zenith El Primero, by way of instance, has a frequency of 36,000 VpH (vibrations per hour) or 5 rebounds, but quartz, that has a frequency of 32,786 Hz resonates in a rate of 32,786 vibrations each second.
This Integrated Circuit or IC handles the continuous dividing of the crystal’s high pulse and again, all this is done without having one battery. In turn, this triggers a stepper motor to pump out solitary second increments which move the next hand.

So, what precisely regulates the drive of the gears? One would think that using something which has such a high-speed speed, things can escape control. The magic behind the Spring Drive remaining so true and steady is in the IC and the glide wheel.
The Integrated Circuit looks at the rate of the driving force behind the mechanical gears called the glide wheel and compares it against the oscillator. I will tell you; Grand Seiko watch and their Spring Drive is really something else!