Why we should
embrace the art
of taking our time
From fine art to haute cuisine, the best things in life take time to create –
something the Takumi artisans at Grand Seiko know all too well
Take Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive innovation, for example. This unique watch technology took the company 28 years to create. It generates energy like every other luxury mechanical watch but combines this with an electronic regulator to deliver a level of precision that no mechanical watch can match. The development of Spring Drive was possible because Grand Seiko is one of the very few manufacturers with mastery of both electronic and mechanical watchmaking. For Grand Seiko, a rich and storied history of watchmaking experience paves the way for modern innovations that propels the brand into the future.
The Tentagraph, an automatic high-beat chronograph and the first watch of its kind from Grand Seiko
The reverence shown towards taking your time ties into the Japanese concept of dō — which translates as ‘the way’, or ‘the path’. With dō, the focus is on the journey, not the destination. When related to the arts and crafts, dō expresses the pursuit of perfection without a timescale.
For Grand Seiko, dō underpins everything. Its timepieces are showcases for the incredible skills of the artisans who toil diligently over these mechanical masterpieces. The experts at Grand Seiko understand better than anyone the merits of taking your time.
‘Perfection doesn’t have a timescale’
No-one understands the merits of taking your time to do things properly more than the Japanese. In Japan, it takes 10 years of training to become an itamae (sushi) chef — mastering one small stage of the process before moving onto the next. In the exquisite craft of Japanese lacquerware — which involves coating wooden objects in sap from the lacquer tree — patience is key. Pieces can take months or even years to complete. This only makes them more precious.
Watches are tested for 17 days as standard, whilst the Tentagraph requires a total of 20 days
Urushi master Isshu Tamura uses special tools to give Maki-e a delicately shimmering appearance
In our busy modern lives, we’re always looking for ways to claw back a little more time. We download apps to fast-track daily tasks, catch up with friends over text messages rather than meet them in-person, and regularly ‘dual screen’ so we can shop, work or use social media while watching television. But as we power through our to-do list as fast as possible, it can be easy to forget that quicker isn’t always better. Many of the best things in the world take time to create – from great works of art and celebrated buildings to delicious culinary creations and ground-breaking technology.
Japanese luxury watchmaker Grand Seiko understands the concept of time in all its senses, and crafts its pieces with care and skill backed by years of experience, knowing that masterpieces are worth the extra effort.
Leonardo da Vinci spent 16 years painting the Mona Lisa. J.R.R. Tolkien started writing The Lord of The Rings when he was 45 and published it when he was 67. It took 21 years to construct the Taj Mahal – and more than 2,300 years to complete the Great Wall of China.
Micro Artist Studio aims to produce “watches that last until their grandchildren’s generation”
‘Technological innovation is paired with centuries-old traditions and craftsmanship’
The Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, home of Grand Seiko’s mechanical watches
This celebration of skill and excellence is a concept integral to the work of Grand Seiko, where technological innovation is paired with centuries-old traditions and craftsmanship. Within each watch you’ll find the spirit of Takumi – whether it’s the leather craftsman who cuts, skives, stitches and stamps each strap by hand, the skilled artisan who meticulously handcrafts dial designs, or the designer who developed the company’s exclusive Spring Drive movement that replicates the smooth transition of time from one moment to the next, with no ticking or shuddering – just a seamless movement of the second hand. Every aspect of a watch’s manufacture, from the initial design through to the final inspection, is carried out by Grand Seiko’s own craftsmen and women.
Whether in woodcarving or ceramics, papercraft or lacquerware, Japan’s craftsmen and women demonstrate unrivalled expertise and painstaking attention to detail. Perfection may be an impossible goal, but they won’t stop working towards it.
In Japan, the word ‘Takumi’ means artisan, but it goes much further than the translation suggests, as it refers to those who have mastered their craft over years, decades or an entire lifetime. True Takumi are recognised by the Japanese government, with some receiving rare Yellow Ribbons for their skills – awarded for achieving excellence in their field of work. They preserve nationally recognised crafts and help to bring in the next generation by training apprentices.
Meet Japan’s Takumi artisans
Japanese architecture is often designed with nature in mind. Take Grand Seiko’s Shizukuishi studio, for example, located in the mountainous area of Iwate in northern Japan. Designed by architect Kengo Kuma, it features floor-to-ceiling windows that allow natural light to flood in and give picture-perfect views of the natural world outside. Surrounded by beauty, the craftsmen and women channel the experiences of nature into their work.
Grand Seiko is also involved in the preservation of the Hironiwa Plateau birch forests of Mount Iwate, which serve as inspiration for many of its designs.
Mount Iwate has inspired watch dials colour and form | CREDIT: Getty
Time spent immersed in nature “forest bathing” is good for wellbeing | CREDIT: Getty
‘Forest bathing became part of a national Japanese health programme’
The Japanese know that time — and how we choose to spend it — is key to our well-being. They have another concept — ‘shinrin-yoku’, which translates as ‘forest bathing’ and is a recognition that making time to be outside and in the natural world is vital for our health and well-being. It’s backed up by scientific studies, which show that mindful time spent in nature can reduce blood pressure, lower the stress level cortisol and improve concentration and memory. So powerful is the effect of nature that in 1982 the practice of shinrin-yoku became part of a national Japanese health programme.
Nature is also at the heart of Japanese traditions, such as the annual Yozakura celebration — the spring practice of illuminating cherry blossom trees at night.
How time spent in nature enriches
mind, body and soul
Grand Seiko's mechanical chronograph, The Tentagraph with its striking blue dial
So as your diary fills up, it’s worth remembering that taking things slowly isn’t always such a bad idea. Whether it’s stopping to appreciate the natural world or methodically mastering a craft, the best things in life are worth taking some time over.
‘As our lives got busier, there never seemed to be enough time’
Timekeeping pieces are one of humanity’s most significant inventions — and the wristwatch, first developed in the 16th century, one of its most ingenious, allowing us to carry time with us wherever we go. But as timekeeping devices have become increasingly sophisticated, our relationship with time itself also became more fraught.
With the Industrial Revolution, time became more structured, as workers clocked in and out for shifts and the nine-to-five working day emerged. We became clock-watchers, counting down the hours until home time. But as our lives got busier, there never seemed to be enough time. In the 1980s the term ‘workaholic’ became a dubious badge of honour, and in the 21st century a cult of productivity and obsession with time management emerged. Time became something to ‘hack’, stretching our schedules as far as they could go.
Time to reassess
Advertiser content for
Made by artisans, worn by you
Show your commitment to taking your time with a Grand Seiko watch and embrace a unique way of looking at, experiencing and valuing time and nature.
Discover the Grand Seiko collection at grandseikoboutique.co.uk
Hiromasa Wakui, Grand Seiko leather craftsperson
In Japan, there are 24 – not four – seasons in the year. Grand Seiko’s watch designs are inspired by the fleeting transience of nature’s beauty.
The signature textured dials express the link between time and nature, from winter snow and spring cherry blossom to summer breezes and autumn moonlight. It means the wearer can take a serene moment of time with nature wherever they may be.
Behold the beauty of time
Grand Seiko Heritage Collection: The ‘Shubun’ Autumn Moonlight Hi-Beat Mechanical SBGH273
Grand Seiko Heritage Collection: The ‘Rikka’ Summer Breeze Hi-Beat Mechanical SBGH271
Grand Seiko Heritage Collection: The ‘Shunbun’ Spring Cherry Blossom SBGA413
Grand Seiko Heritage Collection: The ‘Shunbun’ Spring Cherry Blossom SBGA413 & The ‘Taisetsu’ Winter Snow SBGA415.
Produced by Telegraph Media Group
Project Manager: Michelle Birbeck, Commissioning Editor: Patricia Campbell, Sub-editor: Tim Cumming, Picture Editor: Cat Costelloe, Designer: Matt Brant, Web Editor: Ross Thomas