Seiko 7S26 Automatic Movement

Seiko Spring Drive

A unique watch that marries together the arts of mechanical and electronic watchmaking, Seiko Spring Drive was presented in a luxurious design featuring an 18-carat white gold case and genuine crocodile leather strap.

At first glance, Seiko Spring Drive may not seem profoundly different from other handwound watch mechanisms. But in fact it is an amazing example of Seiko's unique micro-mechatronic prowess, because only Seiko Spring Drive offers quartz accuracy. The unwinding mainspring not only drives the smooth sweep movement of the large hands, it also powers a rotor whose tiny electrical output induces a quartz crystal to emit a reference signal. An integrated circuit measures any divergence between this signal and the rate at which the spring is unwinding and adjusts the unwind rate as necessary. These refinements ensure the watch is accurate to ±15 seconds per month. The IC runs on only 25 nanowatts, half the power used by a conventional chip. This remarkable ultra low-power, low-voltage IC is one of the unique technologies that have made Seiko Spring Drive possible.

In contrast to the leading-edge technical wizardry within, the watch's outward appearance is one of serene and classic elegance, with a stepped silver dial balancing the beauty of the mechanism when viewed through the skeleton caseback.

The international Spring Drive collection has been expanded. These additions provide a new vision of the 'circle' design concept that characterises the whole collection and yet maintain their own individual appeal.

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