Those watch professionals who reviewed the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon earlier this year viewed it as a technology high water mark for the family of Grand Seiko watches.
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So the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève award in November was the cherry on the cake. The jury of 30 selected the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon as the winning watch for the Chronometry Prize. That rewards the best competing timepiece for its high precision timekeeping performance.
GPHG: Jury of 30
The ceremony took place at the Théatre du Léman in Geneva. The Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon is Grand Seiko’s first mechanical complication watch. At its heart is a uniquely innovative movement, Caliber 9ST1. That, for the very first time in horological history, combines a tourbillon and a constant-force mechanism as one unit on a single axis.
Unique motion of two mechanisms
The watch is named Kodo, or ‘heartbeat’ in Japanese. It’s named after the unique motion of the two mechanisms and the sound of the rhythm it makes. The inner tourbillon carriage rotates smoothly as the balance steadily vibrates at 8-beats per second. And the outer constant-force carriage follows its rotation at exact one-second intervals to create a 16th note rhythmic feel.
The components are finished by hand using a variety of techniques.
“Everyone at Grand Seiko is incredibly proud of this honor. Kodo is the first mechanical complication watch from the brand in its 62-year history,” Seiko Watch Corporation president Akio Naito said. “I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the jury who recognized this achievement by a team of our engineers and watchmakers. That’s led by Takuma Kawauchiya.”
Building off their concept creation in 2020
The new watch builds off their concept creation, with a new mechanism, in 2020, when they introduced the T0.
Kodo is the first commercial watch based on that concept. With the innovative movement, Caliber 9ST1, “heartbeat” is the appropriate word, when you notice the sound the rhythm of the two mechanisms makes.
The inner tourbillon carriage rotates smoothly as the balance steadily vibrates at 8-beats per second. The outer constant-force carriage follows its rotation at exact one-second intervals to create a precise rhythm that in musical terminology resembles a 16th note feel or semiquaver.
Just 20 in production
The design is bold – check out the spacing in the lugs. At 43.8 mm, the case is constructed of both Platinum 950 and Grand Seiko’s Brilliant Hard Titanium for long-lasting beauty and endurance. Leather bracelet strap, folding buckle, there are just 20 in the limited series, produced over time. Retail pricing is $350,000 USD.
Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon represents a new departure for Grand Seiko watchmaking.
