Seiko Credor Spring Drive Minute Repeater Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed)
Apr 7th 2011 at 3:01PM

Seiko's most compelling new watch offering for 2011 was easily their new Credor Spring Drive minute repeater. Credor is a special high-end subbrand from Seiko that is more or less only available in Japan. It contains Seiko's high-accuracy Spring Drive movement that is a pleasing hybrid of mechanical beauty and accurate quartz crystal regulation. The watch follows up the Credor Sonnerie (also a form of chiming watch) from a few years ago.

The Credor Minute Repeater isn't just a Japanese minute repeater watch to say that they can do it like the Europeans. The historical complication (function) uses a pusher or sliding mechanism to sound the time back to the listener. Seiko offers a more modern interpretation of the complication that focuses on clarity and ease of use. The first difference is the activation system. Usually minute repeaters use a slider to be activated. These can damage the watch when not used properly so Seiko developed a more simple and safe pusher system.

Next is the actual sound of the minute repeater. Most minute repeaters have chimes mixes with the sounds of running gears. Seiko uses a silencing system to make sure that gear grinding sounds are minimized. Second is the actual gongs themselves, which are based on traditional Myochin wind bells to offer supreme clarity and volume.

The last feature is perhaps the most important to users actually wishing to use the minute repeater function. Traditional minute repeaters sounds the time first in hours (you count the chimes to measure the hours, 3 chimes means 3 o'clock), then chimes for the quarter hours (15 minute segments), then the minutes. To make the math easier, Seiko has the second set of chimes sound out 10 minute installments. It makes a big difference when trying to "decipher" the musical code. These systems are called "Decimal Repeaters," and while not new, are almost non-existent in today's range of minute repeater watches.

The timepiece itself is in a 42.8mm wide 18 rose gold case with an exposed movement on the front and back. There are double AR coated sapphire crystals and the piece is matched to a crocodile strap. The watch reference is the Seiko Credor GBLS998, while the movement is the in-house hand made caliber 7R11. It is manually wound with 72 hours of power reserve (power reserve indicator on dial) and accurate to about 15 seconds a month. Price is 34,650,000 Yen (about $411,800).

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2011, credor, minute repeater, review, seiko, spring drive, watch