Seiko’s Hidden-Gem Sister Brand’s New Dress Watch Is a Grand Seiko Slayer

The watch industry is more adventurous than ever when it comes to alternative dial materials.

In recent years, there has been an abundance of dials made from stone, glass, meteorite, mother-of-pearl, enamel and more. Seiko’s luxurious sister brand, Credor, just might outshine them all with one of the most striking and uncommon materials ever used to tell time: porcelain.

Credor

For anyone unfamiliar with Credor, it is the most elevated wing of the Seiko empire — yes, even more luxurious than Grand Seiko, executing horological design and craftsmanship on a level rarely seen outside of Switzerland.

Accordingly, it isn’t just any old porcelain used for the dial of the newest addition to the Goldfeather dress watch collection. The dial of the GCBY991 is made from Imari Nabeshima porcelain, a renowned Japanese variety that dates back to the 17th century.

Credor

The dial is produced by Hataman Touen, a Japanese kiln renowned for both faithfully replicating Edo-period designs and utilizing traditional craft for innovative creations.

Bright as a feather

Every detail beneath the Goldfeather’s signature needle-thin dauphine handset is applied with individual layers of glaze. The stacking of translucent and colored glazes creates intense depth.

Credor

Sticking with the collection’s ongoing theme, interlocking feathers stand in for a minute track, with blue feathers framing each hour marker and ghostly transparent feathers placed in between. The dash hour markers comprise their own layer, interwoven with the pattern.

Anchoring the entire design is a rich cobalt blue that encircles the dial and fades to porcelain white at the center. The blue fade is a signature of the Hataman Touen kiln, achieved by firing the porcelain five times.

The gentle curvature of the dial is matched by the slightly bent end of the minutes hand and enhanced at sharp angles by the box sapphire crystal.

Credor

The Black Credor and Goldfeather logos, positioned at 12:00 and 6:00, respectively, are applied to the underside of the crystal to avoid disturbing the porcelain.

Thinning out

After staring at the dial for some time, the next thing you’ll likely notice about this watch is how remarkably thin it is. Svelte cases have been a hallmark of Credor since its founding in 1960, and it boasted the world’s thinnest three-hand watch in 1969.

The Goldfeather collection carries on the tradition with a 37mm-wide by 8mm-tall case, typically made from precious metals, but in this case, it is made from stainless steel with a Zaratsu polish.

Credor

The case height is made possible by the Credor’s 1.98mm-thick caliber 6890 hand-wound movement, which provides a modest 37-hour power reserve. A decorated bridge and blued screws are visible through a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback, which is signed with the Hataman Touen seal on the screw-down ring.

Availability and price

The Credor Goldfeather Imari Nabeshima Porcelain GCBY991 is available now exclusively from authorized dealers for $15,000.

It comes on a black crocodile leather strap with a steel folding clasp and is a limited edition of only 60 pieces.

Credor

Credor Goldfeather Imari Nabeshima Porcelain GCBY991

Specs

Case Size	37mm
Movement	Seiko caliber 6890 hand-wound
Water Resistance	30m

• $15,000 at Credor

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