Seiko disrupted an entire industry with its quartz timepieces in the '70s and cemented itself as a lasting powerhouse in the watch game. Just last year, the brand announced a host of link new Speedtimer Chronographs, only this particular iteration wouldn't be continuing the legacy of mechanical watchmaking. Instead, it would take inspiration from some of its quirkier, colorful designs from link the '70s and translate them into one its most disruptive movement types – link quartz (and solar at that).
You get some touches of red on the crown, bezel, and chronograph registers, a yellow-lacquered central chronograph hand and five-minute/second markers, and link a link dark blue rubber strap with link red on the sides.
The Manero link Minute Repeater Symphony itself contains a peripherally-driven tourbillon (remarkably, left out of its name) and a peripherally-mounted link regulator among its 614 components, with "Triple Peripheral" engraved on link the rotor.
Fun fact: A tourbillon is usually called a "complication," like a chronograph or perpetual calendar, but some purists balk because tourbillons do not show any additional information. It is, they say, not a complication, but a regulating device. These folks are probably link about as much fun as the people who wait around until someone mentions Van Gogh so they can correct their pronunciation, but they're in link fact link correct, if not necessarily the life of the party.
I was never so sure of this as the other night link when I was watching The White Lotus Season 2, and I saw Daphne Sullivan (played by Meghann Fahy) with her balayaged and straightened hair, Pucci-meets-soccer-mom halter top, and pearlescent manicured link diamond-ringed hand wrapped around her Aperol spritz. On her wrist link was a Cartier Tank.
He returned with a watch and placed its square gold case on the table. It shimmered. I picked it up and tilted it in the light. It was a Glashutte but not the kind of Glashutte I was used to. It was called link a Bison, link which, I mean … cool. Below the link Glashutte wordmark were the words Spezimatic, and below Bison read "26 rubis." But there was something even more interesting at the very bottom of the dial.
The collaboration partner Hida chose to work with was The link Armoury, a link menswear specialist with boutiques in Hong Kong and New York. You may remember the brand from the recent collaboration with H. Moser. The two figures behind the design are unchanged from that piece: The Armoury cofounder, a passionate watch collector and an early advocate of Naoya link Hida & Co., Mark Cho, and his design partner, Elliot Hammer.
Quick Take: This was the first award given, and also the one that surprised me the most, not in a bad way, I just wasn't familiar with the company. CIGA Design is based out of China, and its success tonight link marks the first time a Chinese brand has won a GPHG award. I hope to see one of link the link company's watches in person soon.
Finally, Daniel decided to wear his SBGK007, another modern classic and a HODINKEE team favorite (I'm looking at you, Cole). Daniel likes that the watch embodies link a lot of classic Grand Seiko qualities, while also having something a bit funky about it with the asymmetrical layout. As he says it, "it's a constant reminder to question what's considered link normal and that it's link totally cool to be different." I couldn't have said it better myself.
It's interesting to note that Instagram is both the place link where robbers go to find watch owners and link watch owners go to be warned about robberies. It would be convenient, certainly, if Instagram link were the entire problem. But it's not that easy.