Borna Boschunjak
Grand Seiko is well established as a go-to watch enthusiast brand, whether it’s nature-inspired dials, the degree of finish, perceived value proposition, or all three. And while the brand prices are rising in harmony with the rest of the market, Grand Seiko continues to retain its dedicated fan base. Thankfully, just as Grand Seico’s design team can draw out new releases and iterations, it seems there is no bottom in the creative well, potentially to their disadvantage. There’s no shortage of new things to discover, but what about those who want to go deeper? Once you’ve trolled through the current catalog and scrolled through how to pass snowflakes, Omiwatalis and cherry blossoms, the vintage market is a natural next step. Grand Seiko VFA Rabbit Hole is one of the most interesting things you can dive in as it is perhaps the strangest and greatest, as you will meet all kinds of strange and wonderful Palladium VFA 6185-8000.
What is the Palladium VFA 6185-8000?
No matter what the 6185-8000 looks like, start with that move. This is because it has a common sloop line that can be connected to other Grand Seiko products of the time. Of course, I’m talking about VFA. This was the pinnacle of Grand Seiko’s mechanical watchmaking over the first 15 years spanning 1960-1975. In an unexpected turn, the Swiss actually need to appreciate this development. Seiko developed the Grand Seiko Standard in 1966, and in 1969, in order to introduce “very fine-tuned” standards to the market, it introduced stricter accuracy requirements than Swiss standards (-3/+5 seconds per day). Until now.
Therefore, it is a historically important Grand Seico for deriving very high accuracy and market-leading standards for that period. It is already sufficient to make it desirable, but it is the material of the case that makes the 6185-8000 stand out from all other Grand Seiko references. Both the 8000 and 8010 come with a 37mm faceted case made of palladium silver alloy (case back engraved with “palladium 400 silver 300”), and the former must have made the use of this unique material look like a super-rechargeable back that day. To avoid losing, Grand Seiko’s Swa Boffins dressed up the 8010 with a stunning hammer finish on its side.
Why is it important?
The existence of Grand Seico today is something we take for granted, but the history of the 1970s and 1980s is uneven at best. The GS name was folded completely in 1975 and was reintroduced in 1988, but as a line of quartz watches. Currently, there is no problem with quartz, especially if the 95GS was accurate to 10 seconds a year, but the 70s bleeding edge edge mechanical performer is missing, and it will take until 1998 to change with the SBGR001. Still, even today, Grand Seico’s special standards are listed as predicting -2/+4 seconds per day, still outperforming vintage VFA.
In particular, the 6185-8000 laid the foundation for a modern brand that brought Switzerland a fight when it made it impossible for Switzerland to fight on equal terms and essentially introduces Spring Drive, which denies the need for modern VFA mechanical watches.
In these vintage Grand Seiko references, the first four numbers indicate movement and the last four indicate incidents, but this is not always consistent. For me it never reached 6185 height. Any VFA is a great collector’s piece, but the case lost its concept-like shape and adopted lines like the 44GS, but the dial started specifying VFA properties and complex things on a day’s date.
But more than anything, this niche section of watches like the Palladium 6185 and GS shows that Vintage (Grand) Seiko is not an opportunity to win bargains. Don’t get me wrong – I have bought and still owned many vintage Seiko watches from multiple sub-brands, an absolute bargain – but its existence should not be denied the fact that Seiko deserves a rightful place alongside other long-term giants. When I study this article, it’s always a helpless and incredible resource, even when Gerald Donovan and his site, Grand Seiko Guy, are always explaining what ignorant people are like, and suggesting that they should know better. Speaking about Christie’s auctioneer introducing VFA Grand Seiko, he said: It was clear that the auctioneer thought it was merely an auction of “Seiko.”
3 other people you should know
There were once many Grail level Grand Seicos, but ref is ref. 4580-7000 was my first choice. And speaking of that Christie auction, one sold for CHF 43,750 (with fewer than the star) and beat a high estimate of 30,000. It was 2021. Not only is this unusual (or rare) than the other two, but this particular VFA is as strange as today’s story. It doesn’t look like an epic Seiko – remember, this was after the design grammar had already been established. Where is the flat surface with polished mirrors? Instead, the VFA 4580-7000 always hit me with a flat dial and two-dimensional hand, as a prototype that somehow reached the final production. Produced by Daini Seikosha and introduced in 1969, its production run can last less than a year, with an ultra-altitude 4580 movement guaranteeing +/- 2 seconds per day – more lined up than what Switzerland was making at the time.
The 4580-7010 was one of the surprisingly affordable VFA models, but with the 4580-7000 and 6185-8000, I don’t think many would complain if they called the Holy Trinity of VFA Collecting, but the next participant on the list completes the clergy. Donovan is happy to tell him, “At least (he) it’s a very simple, perfect watch.” And I can’t say I really disagree with him. The 4580 caliber is famous for taking part in trips to Switzerland and chronometric trials, and the toned down design makes the perfect sleeper.
Last but certainly important, the first platinum in the early 1960s, when Seiko was creating a push-up market. These rarely appear, but are believed to have been available regularly during the first production run, covered in well-known gold. All three dial variants found in the Gold GS’ first model do not appear in AD, elevated SD, and sculpture SD-catalogs, and do not become the rarest variants as steel cases have not been confirmed as authentic.
I’d scream another mention that I think is worth mentioning, but it doesn’t qualify as it’s technically not a grand Seiko – and it’s Imperial VFA 4580-7020. Essentially, it is most similar to the Grand Seiko 4580-7010, but is branded as Seiko and as the Japanese Empire Kiku. It was never for sale, and was given only as a gift to foreign high officials by Emperor Hirohito, but that is another day’s story.
