The Art of Horology, Katana, & Seiko's Cutting Edge- Ananta.
Courtesy of Travis
Mechanical watches are a funny thing.Their functions and relevance, particularly in today’s cellular device-based, digital life are diminishing yet their popularity has failed to wane or fade in recent years. They have transcended trends and endured. Having faced near extinction about forty years ago with the advent of quartz-digital technology; no other time-honed and evolved, spring-based marvel of engineering, built to do just one simple thing and one thing only, all the time, has survived the evolution of progress. The mechanical watch has endured.
To most everyone, watches are tools, a necessity of measuring everything from the everyday mundane to the once in a lifetime memorable. To some, watches are a curiosity, an accessory or a symbol of expression or achievement. To others, the wristwatch is much like a separate life that beats along to your life’s drum. A good watch is a symbol of who you are, what you’ve done, where you’ve been and sometimes even who you want to be.
Fetishes. Women have shoes, handbags, diamonds and chocolate. Men have watches. Everything else is just an accessory.
When you think of a good, mechanical watch- most invariably think Rolex, Cartier, maybe if you know a thing or two about anything material- Patek Philippe, of course. But what do you think about when you hear Seiko?
Seiko (along with Casio) makes more watches and timing devices than any other company in the world. Some twenty million timing devices a month, about two million wristwatches a year but only a small fraction of those watches are mechanical or premium-branded watches and almost none of them are available outside of Japan.
For fifty years Seiko has made premium offerings in their Credor, Grand Seiko and King Seiko lines (among a few others too) but for the first time Seiko is officially offering North America, along with the rest of the world, a premium watch brand- Ananta. Inspired by the 800-some year-old Katana, the art of Japanese sword making, Ananta is inspired and defined by the centuries-old metallurgy and finishing techniques and is Seiko’s bid into the high status, affluent world of premium wristwatches.
If you’re a watch fan, and frequent the Internet, you’ve known about the Grand Seiko line. This Asia-only timepiece was honed to be a Rolex beater, and many a collector will argue which is better in timing, accuracy, fit, finish, appeal- and a hundred other ways- but a major flaw in the Grand Seiko’s deck is perhaps its name- Seiko. For many a common folk concerned with brand exclusivity, Seiko doesn’t necessarily scream “premium” but technically, it comes from the Japanese world for “accurate” (I’m not Japanese, but that’s what they tell me). Compounding the fact that many Grand Seikos cost well over $10,000, they’re a hard sell, particularly in a world where a comparable Rolex (the most recognized premium watch in the world) can be had, around the world for less. Most anyone doesn’t know what the hell a Grand Seiko is.
In Asia, Seiko isn’t regarded as the producer of inexpensive but reliable quartz timepieces, they’re known for innovating the wristwatch industry. Their first successful quartz watch in 1969, the Astron, almost put Switzerland out of business; Seiko is redeeming themselves forty years on, offering the Ananta and as far as watches go, they’re actively marketing one of the most brand conscious markets in the world- North America. Think of the Ananta like the Lexus of Seiko watches. Just as Lexus shook the premium car industry twenty years ago- the Rising Sun is rising again- and it means business with the Ananta.
Ananta comes in four basic models with two distinct movement (many enthusiasts call this the “engine”) options- the totally in-house-produced Automatic and the innovative Spring Drive. Speaking of engines, it’s known throughout the industry that to be a player in the watch game, you have to be an “in-house movement manufacturer,” or often regarded as simply a manufacture, developing, designing and making literally all components of the watch itself, everything from the hairsprings to the mainsprings to the lubrications in-between the gears. Truth be known, most premium branded timepieces are not from a true manufacture. Seiko is among the world’s few, true, in-house watch manufacturers- right up there with the best, most regarded and prestigious makers.
The Ananta Chronograph/12-Hour GMT and 24-hour, full two-time zone GMT models are available with the Spring Drive movement. The more traditional, mechanical automatics can be found in a Chronograph model too, the Double Retrograde- a fancy and dramatic display of both day and date, along with a power-reserve indicator and the Multi-hand Automatic, which is basically a day-date, power-reserve indicator watch as well, but a little less elaborate than the Retrograde.
Anantas are rather large at 46 millimeters in diameter and over thirteen millimeters thick, maybe too large for some tastes but many watches (yes, even Rolex) have gotten larger with today’s fashions. The Ananta is a sporty, casual everyday watch that could be worn to the office but may look best while playing on the weekend. Its wrist presence is not unlike that of a Panerai- though, a little two large for my smaller wrists and build.
The Katana sword/Shogun theme is prevalent with the case-sides and lugs resembling the blades of a sword, with sharp, curved, multi-faceted and chamfered edges. Supposedly, the same techniques used to polish swords are applied to the metal on Ananta watches- and although that may be an exaggeration, the Ananta is a top-quality, top-finish watch. Even the dial hands are rumored to be as sharp as a real Katana blade, while the winding rotors are decorated much like the handles of the storied Japanese weapon.
All Ananta watches are available in multi-piece stainless steel cases with sapphire crystal and case-back displays and can be ordered with either silver or black dials; as well as a full-stainless steel bracelet or leather strap option with butterfly deployment. A 72-hour power-reserve is had with the Spring Drive, while the Automatic has a 45-hour main spring, and all feature an up/down indicator, perfect for the multi-watch wearer who owns and rotates many watches. Water resistance is a safe 10-bar, 330 feet, more than enough to qualify as “water proof” for all practical, everyday purposes, but I wouldn’t go diving with them.
Overall, the Seiko Ananta line is dynamic and competitively priced. A basic automatic starts at $2,100, the Double Retrograde, just a tad more. The Spring-Drive GMT goes for around $4,300 and the Spring Drive Chronograph for some $6,400. Like most things Japanese, you get a lot of product for your money and it’s accurate and reliable. The Spring Drive models are so accurate Seiko claims a gain/loss rate within a second a day. The COSC, the certified official chronometer standards in Switzerland call for a mean gain loss of +6/-4 seconds a day.
If you’re in the market for a good watch that will last your lifetime and perhaps even the generation it gets passed-down to- the Seiko Ananta will easily do the trick. Their roughly 50% less expensive than their comparable Swiss counterparts, offer the same, if not better quality and performance all while offering the mystical allure of Katana, even if your knowledge of Japanese swords does involve John Belushi making sandwiches.
And if you’re still hung-up on name-brand recognition, a Seiko has been worn in space, been to the surface of the moon, been to the ocean’s floors, timed the Olympics, even featured in numerous 007 James Bond films- much like any Rolex or Omega has. Seiko’s fault is perhaps not advertising or endorsing these accomplishments. And making too many cheap quartz watches.
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