Grand Seiko T0 Constant-force Tourbillon; A Promise For The Future

Few brands are thriving like Grand Seiko. Not only is the brand capturing more and more hearts of watch enthusiasts around the world and expanding their collection with innovative new models, but they also opened a new flagship boutique at Place Vendome in the middle of Paris. Their technical prowess is significant, but only rarely expressed in the field of high complications. Under the Credor brand, Grand Seiko released in the past a Grand Sonnerie, Minute Repeater, and a tourbillon, but those were all very limited in production. As the reputation of Grand Seiko is growing, so is the demand for higher-end, and more complex, pieces. With the new T0 Constant-force Tourbillon, Grand Seiko is making a promise to that.

The T0 Constant-force Tourbillon is not a watch, yet. Grand Seiko decided to debut it as a concept movement. Still, it is safe to say that they won’t have made the investments into developing such a complex movement without actually using it in some way or form in the (near) future. It comes at a significant moment in time, as this year, the brand celebrates its 60th anniversary. They went from one of Japan’s best-kept secrets to a must-have brand for many collectors in those six decades.

With the T0 Constant-force Tourbillon, they are taking things to an even higher level. What makes this movement unique is that the constant force mechanism is on the same axis of the tourbillon. It provides the time-keeping organs of the movement each time with exactly the same amount of energy thanks to a device called a remontoir. This is regardless if the mainspring is fully wound or nearly empty. As a result, the precision increases. What makes this constant-force tourbillon also different is that it runs at 4Hz, which is quite fast for such a watch. While Grand Seiko is focusing on the movement, for now, we can see the T0 Constant-force Tourbillon as a promise for the future with great things to come!