Mini Seiko Collection

After 3 years of hunting, I'm glad to showcase this mini 3 watch Seiko collection.

• The Lord Matic 5606-5000 from Suwa with the caliber 56 as Suwa's last automatic before the quartz revolution.
• The King Seiko 5246-5030 from Daini with the caliber 52 as Daini's last automatic before the quartz revolution.
• The Credor GCLH979 with the Spring Drive caliber 7R88 as the pinnacle of Suwa and Daini’s finest, establishing the quartz evolution.

The main theme of this mini collection is to bookend the beginning of quartz revolution and the beginning of quartz evolution while showcasing Suwa and Daini’s rivalry and contribution in horology.

Keeping the 3 pieces as shaped/formed cases was a challenge for my own personal collection theme. This was quite difficult for Spring Drive as it mainly existed within the Grand Seiko line, and modern GS only made traditional round cased watches. However, Spring Drive watches also existed outside of the GS moniker, which included Seiko Presage, Prospex, Galante, Izul, Ananta, and Credor. This is where the octagonal Credor GCLH979 came into the picture.

The original plan was to climb the ladder from Lord, to King, and finally Grand, but now there is Credor. Admittingly not as horologically rich as GS, but nevertheless it is a brand that is still rich in Seiko’s horological pursuit. Some say it may be even more so than GS since new technologies were often tested in Credor first before refining it to meet GS standards. Credor always aimed to be Seiko's finest work within the Japanese domestic market and GS was the refined product ready for the international market.

Looking through the history book of the earliest Credor and the movements it used, Daini was very likely the spearhead of the Credor brand or at least played a significant role. On the other hand, Suwa-Seikosha eventually became the modern day Seiko Epson factory, the birthplace of the Spring Drive. Thus, in my own off the beaten path in justification, a Credor with the Spring Drive movement was the perfect marriage and culmination in Daini and Suwa's journey post quartz revolution. (This is what the mind of a watch collector does when you truly want something and need some justification)

For this mini Seiko collection, I wanted to keep the classic 3 watch format, being work, play, and formal. The subdued LM was to be the formal dress watch. The flashy full yellow gold KS ended up as the weekend playful watch. And lastly the Credor with its bracelet and date function became my everyday office work watch.

Reflecting back on this journey, I learned so much about this fascinating company that is Seiko. In the end, I no longer cared that a GS was not part of this trio because the journey along the way was very meaningful and memorable.

So cherish the search, and happy hunting.

KS 5246-5030 Review: https://www.watchcrunch.com/ShapesOfHorology/reviews/seiko-5246-5030-review-13568

LM 5606-5000 Review: https://www.watchcrunch.com/ShapesOfHorology/reviews/seiko-5606-5000-review-13244

Credor GCLH979 Review: https://www.watchcrunch.com/ShapesOfHorology/reviews/credor-gclh979-review-11154

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/fsm3742kDvY