Grand Seiko celebrates its 55th anniversary in 2015 with a specially commissioned photographic exhibition which sees the watch through three different eyes.

Since its creation in 1960, the Grand Seiko has been the flagship luxury timepiece of Japanese watchmaker Seiko. The essence of Grand Seiko watches can be found in their precision, legibility, comfort and durability.

But as they say, the sum is greater than its parts. In order to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Grand Seiko, a special exhibition was commissioned, entitled “Grand Seiko Through Three Photographers’ Eyes”. The photographs capture the different aspects that come together to create a single whole. Each has its own beauty that is often missed when looking at the completed watch.

To emphasize the parts that make up the whole, three different photographers captured the parts, time, and portraits that, when combined, make up the Grand Seiko.

Parts

On the micro level, all mechanical watches are beautiful feats of engineering. Keiichi Tahara, a renowned master of light, has taken on the challenge of turning the Grand Seiko into an instrument of light by revealing the functions and characteristics of its individual parts.

A regulatory wheel bearing a balance spring

The extremely small, delicate yet precise watch components speak to the rationality of mechanical watchmaking. But an artist like Tahara can always find the aesthetically pleasing aspects of those mechanical components, as his images open up the heart of the Grand Seiko.

The main plate on which all the other components are fixed.

Time

Time is the ultimate equalizer. Each of us has 86,400 seconds on our disposal every day. The Time series photographs of the Grand Seiko attempts to visualize the idea of the equality of time. The photographs of Yuji Hamada show both the periodic and sequential phenomenon that is time.

The fluid, curved lines of a mechanical movement.

By using long exposure, he has captured the periodic orbits of the luminous watch hands of the watch. The images show us the different ways in which mechanical and quartz hands traverse the dial.

The periodic staccato lines of a Quartz

Portraits

Every handmade object has a story to tell. Its creation is a tapestry of human interactions from conception to final product, and every step in between. The Portraits series of photographs shows the human side of watchmaking. It gives the feeling that the story behind the object is more important than the object itself.

Watch designer Kiyomi Tanemura

To tell that story, photographer Sakiko Nomura created a series of portraits showcasing the people who have played significant roles in establishing and keeping alive the spirit of the company. The 23 portraits of men and women represent the past, present and future of the Grand Seiko. Each reveals their character and pride in work.

Watchmaker Takuya Nishinaka

Click here to see the entire Grand Seiko Through Three Photographers’ Eyes exhibition.