Apologies to those who got this the first time around.
It’s obvious from the stats that I somehow messed up the publication of this listing, and the only way I can see to “fix” it is to unpublish the first one, and send it out again.
Sorry!
This really should be an absolute no-brainer for someone (actually, for lots of someones), so you might want to jump right to the end to check the price, and not hang around…
I did a “stock take” yesterday for the first time ever. Turns out when it comes to the first Grand Seiko, I have… 4 print logo dials, 5 carved split 12’s, 3 carved single 12’s, 1 carved full set early box, 2 raised full set later box, a further 2 raised, 2 AD’s, 1 AD with that crazy service dial from 1965, 2 carved steels, 1 raised steel, 1 platinum AD, and one platinum raised full set. Don’t ask about the platinums.
Clearly I’m a bit “asset rich” when it comes to examples of this reference, so I’ve decided to let a few go, starting off with what is without question the nicest print logo dialed first Grand Seiko that you could ever hope to come across.
This is the watch that was serviced back at “the mothership” by Grand Seiko in Japan last year, and so is available immediately. Everything else you need to know can be seen in the video.
The watch dates from the very first month of production - April 1960.
Two things to highlight - I have changed the crown on this watch from the one that came with it when I originally purchased it, as it was clearly incorrect. I feel that the current crown (swapped in from another example of an early first Grand Seiko in the collection) is a much better match for the one that we see pictured in the March 1961 issue of Seiko News.
Secondly, when I originally purchased this watch it was, like so many early examples of the reference, missing its caseback medallion. A few years ago, I removed an original early caseback medallion from an example of the reference and commissioned a jewellery maker to duplicate it. The jeweller first did an acid test on a tiny bit of the gold to establish that it was - as suspected - 14K, and then created a cast of the medallion, and ran me off a few in solid 14K gold.
This watch has one of those recreation medallions.
The condition of this watch is without question way better than the one available at Regalo that I linked to in a Friday newsletter a few weeks back. That one is listed at 1.65M Yen.
When you hold this watch in your hands and stare at the dial, I promise you it will stop you in your tracks and you won’t realise for several seconds that your mouth is agape. The spotting that can be seen in the video under the studio lighting and at high magnification is all but invisible to the naked eye, and there is not a single stain or scratch to be found anywhere on the dial.
Price
US$10,000. Paid/founding member discounts are of course applicable. Available immediately, supplied with service papers from Grand Seiko Japan dated July 4th 2023.
Please put me on the waitlist if sale falls through.
Never used substack before. Dumb question -- how does one buy this watch?