Introduction
Today I am listing for sale two examples of the same vintage Grand Seiko reference - the legendary 4580-7010 VFA.
However, only one will be sold. Once a sale is confirmed for one of the watches, the other will immediately be withdrawn from sale and will not be listed again for at least two years. Quite simply, I cannot bear the thought of my collection not including an example of this reference!
Should neither watch find a new home by December 31st 2023, I will withdraw them both from sale.
Historical background
In production for just a single month in July 1970, and only ever featured in a single catalogue - Seiko’s 1970 Special Luxury Catalogue - the 4580-7010 VFA has taken on an almost mythical status in the pantheon of vintage Grand Seiko.
Arguably - and certainly in my mind - no other reference produced by Grand Seiko before or since, including the entire modern era, better encapsulates brand’s core pillars (that were established with the introduction of the first Grand Seiko just a decade previously) of precision, legibility, and beauty.
Perhaps more contentiously, I would argue that - if one is to accept those three pillars as foundational to any timepiece - the Grand Seiko 4580-7010 VFA is the greatest three hand watch ever made.
Whilst - as with all vintage Grand Seiko references - it is unclear just how many examples of the watch were manufactured, when contemplating the rarity of this reference it is worth considering that in the last decade, just four examples have turned up on Yahoo Japan (one of which had a poorly reprinted dial).
If we are to go by the number of examples turning up for sale over the years, this makes the watch considerably rarer than even just the final batch of Seiko Astronomical Observatory Chronometers, that were also manufactured in 1970.
The Astronomical Observatory Chronometer is the only non-numbered edition vintage Seiko for which we know precise production figures. In total, 228 examples of the “AOC” were manufactured from 283 movements submitted to the Neuchatel Observatory for testing in 1968, 1969, and 1970. The second and third batches of movements (numbering 30, and 150, respectively) utilised the same 4580 caliber that we find in the 4580-7000 and 4580-7010 VFA’s.
Of the 180 examples of the caliber submitted to Neuchatel in 1969 and 1970, 27 did not pass the strict Observatory Chronometer test and it has been suggested that those movements ended up in the production 4580-7000 and 4580-7010 VFA’s. Please note however that I do not believe for one moment that this implies these movements represent the entirety of non-AOC 4580 based watch production!
For those who would like to read more about the history of the Grand Seiko VFA’s (and I really recommend you do, in order to fully understand the context of the 4580-7010 reference), I have written a “primer” on the series that you can read here -
Before I go on to describe the watch (there won’t be too many words, because I think the video does the job perfectly), it is worth mentioning that in the modern era, Grand Seiko has - as of the time of publication - only produced a total of 20 watches (individual watches, not references) to the VFA standard.
I rather suspect that number may well see an uplift next year, since 2024 marks the 55th anniversary since the introduction of the VFA’s, and historically Grand Seiko has marked 55th anniversaries with the introduction of recreations and reinterpretations of vintage pieces.
In October 2022 Grand Seiko applied to re-register the “Grand Seiko V.F.A.” trademark. The trademark was published for opposition in September 2023, and a notice of allowance issued on October 31st 2023.
Whilst I would never suggest anyone purchase a watch with a consideration for any potential financial upside, it might be worth a ponder on what could happen to the level of interest in these historic vintage pieces with the full weight of the modern Grand Seiko marketing machine behind a new range of VFA’s.
Grand Seiko 4580-7010 VFA, case serial number 070126
Case
The case on this watch was reconditioned this year by the very best in the business, and someone who I know is very familiar to many collectors of vintage Grand Seiko - the Polish lapinist Kamil D (lapinist_watchrestoration on Instagram).
I provided Kamil with both video and high resolution macro images of an original NOS example of the watch for reference purposes, and I cannot find any fault whatsoever in the finished article. It - as I’m sure any viewer of the video would agree - is spectacular.
Note that the caseback has not been refinished - this is generally a very good “tell” as to whether a watch truly has a “NOS” case, or one that has been reconditioned, since it is not possible to restore the caseback without impacting the etchings and stampings that one finds there.
I am of course aware that there are people who frown on reconditioning watch cases, but for me, when the results are this good - and, crucially, as long as the seller of the watch is clear to communicate the history of the case - it is something to be celebrated and proud of, and not ashamed.
Naturally the reconditioning of the case is taken into account in the pricing of this watch. Were it to be a true NOS piece, I would never even consider letting it out of my hands.
Dial
The dial has some very minor spotting that is visible in the video, but imperceptible to the naked eye.
There is also some minor degradation of the dial at its periphery, although again, this is much amplified in the video compared to what you would see when the watch is on your wrist.
Movement
The movement in this watch was serviced in late 2022, prior to shipping of the case for reconditioning. I do not propose to re-service the movement prior to sale as I want to remove any possibility of the case being marked prior to delivery.
Accessories
The watch will be supplied with the correct Seiko branded buckle, as detailed in this article -
Price
The watch is priced at US$80,000.
Founding Member (15%) and paid (10%) subscriber discounts apply to this price, although once again I will stress that should the other 4580-7010 sell first, this watch will be withdrawn from sale, and should neither watch sell by December 31st 2023, both will be withdrawn from sale.
This newsletter will be forwarded to all subscribers on Monday December 11th. Please note that subscribers upgrading their memberships after Monday December 4th from free, to paid or Founding Member, will not be able to take advantage of the discounts offered.
Delivery
Due to the value and historical significance of this watch, delivery will be by hand, anywhere in the world.
The cost of delivery will be dependent on location, and will be discussed privately with collectors who are seriously considering purchasing the watch.
Any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
SOLD - Grand Seiko 4580-7010 VFA