Credor - Eichi II Blue Edition GBLT997

The Credor Eichi II Blue Edition ref. GBLT997 will be available in January 2021 with an indicative price if US$ 54,000.

Coming from the French "Créte d'Or" (that can be translated "the ultimate of the gold"), Credor is the name of Seiko's collection of high-end watches crafted in precious metals. Since 1974, the brand has been creating timepieces that combine Japanese aesthetics, traditional craftsmanship and engineering excellence.

To begin the celebration of Seiko's 140th anniversary (the company was established by Kintaro Hattori in 1881 in the Ginza area of Tokyo), Credor is presenting a special edition of its Eichi II model with a Platinum 950 case and, for the first time, a blue dial.

The work of a team of master watchmakers at the Micro Artist Studio in Shiojiri, the Credor Eichi II is entirely made, assembled and finished by hand.

The 39 mm x 10.3 mm round case frames a minimalistic dial characterised by a special deep blue hue known as lapis lazuli, or Ruri in Japan. Its intensity provides the ideal contrast to the white indexes and hands. Each of the 12 indexes and the letters of the name Credor are hand-painted.

The dial has a gentle curve thanks to the careful application of the porcelain glaze which creates a surface tension, giving it a slightly domed shape. The very nature of porcelain lends to the glaze being slightly thinner at the edge and center of the dial so that, as light plays across each dial, it reveals its own particular shades and tones.

The caseback reveals the beautifully finished Spring Drive 7R14 calibre. This hand-wound movement has a two-piece bridge with perfectly beveled edges. 

The rims of the bridges, the holes for rubies and the screws are all hand polished to a perfect mirror finish and the tempered blue screws stand out in contrast to the hairline finish of the bridges.

The barrel has the shape of the bell flower that is the symbol of the city of Shiojiri and a slender, tempered blue hand indicates precisely the power held in reserve. 

Its Torque Return System made it possible to increase the power reserve to 60 hours. When the mainspring has been fully wound and the torque output is at its highest, approximately 30% of the available power is not needed to maintain the precision of the watch, and is in effect wasted in standard movements. The Torque Return System uses this energy to rewind the mainspring.

Water resistant up to a pressure o 3 bar (approximately 30 metres / 100 feet), the Credor Eichi II Blue Edition ref. GBLT997 will be available in January 2021 with an indicative price if US$ 54,000. seikowatches.com