Hope you've enjoyed Part 1 and Part 2 ....
 |
| Picture from Web. The man himself, the extraordinary designer/engineer/leader at Seiko since 1970 Mr. Ikuo Tokunaga, who inspired and brought about all those patented diving watch technologies in response to a commercial diver's plea for a workable diving watch. Although retired now, Tokunaga is always back on important promotional events for Seiko. Look at the watch he is wearing on this occasion! :-) |
 |
| Pic from web. Ikuo Tokunaga, on a rare appearance in Malaysia with the Thong Sia Group to promote the 2015 50th Anniversary release of Seiko's new Hi-beat Prospex Marinemaster 1000m. My guess is the SBEX001! |
Oh yes! I've just put in the order for two of Ikuo Tokunaga's Seiko books.
First book.
Try this link: Tokunaga's Seiko special watch development story - special hidden in the Seiko professional Watch (Watch Mook 763)
It is what it is...
An earlier edition which is now in Oct 2016 out of print but available from Amazon Japan used for maybe 4 times(a bargain still...) its former listed price:
 |
| I have a feeling this one has a great deal of design info on the SBDB001(Now the SBDB011) from Master Research/Design Engineer Ikuo Tokunaga himself. Only limited quatities still available from Used sellers. The title is just too "Oomph" to miss out. Can't wait! |
Second book.
Try this link: SEIKO Diver's Watch Shinka Ron Sekai ni Hokoru Seiko Diver's Watch no Subete (World Mook)
Courtesy of Google Translate...
 |
| This one coincided with the 2015 50th Anniversary of Seiko also written by Ikuo Tokunaga. Entitled "SEIKO DIVER'S WATCH EVOLUTION", this just sounds too good to miss. Almost like a Mitsubishi Evolution X! I hope for it to have updated info on the SBDB011 too. |
Continuation from Part 2...
7)
He-GAS DIVER'S 600m.
The ISO 6425 Standards of diving watches was developed with Seiko's own standards as its base. This means a lot. The mixed gas saturation diving environment means that this watch is impervious to helium despite its lack of a HRV(helium release valve). Must be some awesome gasket design that Seiko has found to work. Seiko had adopted the same L-shaped gasket(as its monobloc sister cases such as the other 300m, 600m, 1000m) at its crystal interface but this watch is not a monobloc and it uses a screw-in titanium case back.
 |
| Look Ma! A He-GAS DIVER. Anti crystal popping seals...top and bottom. |
 |
| Web pic. Seiko's L-shaped gasket with the right kind of compound is almost impervious to helium(1/100th that of conventional diving watches). |
8)
28,800 'beats' per hour(bph)...equivalent...How so?
At normal operating speed, the Spring Drive Tri-synchro Regulator does a sentinel 8 times per second regulatory check on the rotational speed of the spinning wheel that replaces the Balance/Escapement mechanism. The IC(brains), if need be, pulses tiny braking currents to the coils after each check to keep the spinning wheel's feedback signals in-phase with that generated by the quartz crystal oscillator also powered similarly by currents from the coil in the first place.
Yet, the motion of the seconds hand is a true glide motion as there is just smooth, well spread and accurately braked pure rotation without any 'tick-tock' 'start-stop' hiccups to show.
The above is just a design feature of Spring Drive that seems to have an equivalence to an automatic 28,800 bph mechanism, albeit having no similarities in that respect, it having replaced the Balance wheel/Escapement mechanism.
Phew!
9)
The Spring Drive calibre have, so far, only been installed in the Prospex range(and others) of Seiko watches with case backs. None in monobloc watch case form that I know of yet.
Older -> Newer
SBDB001 -> SBDB011
SBDB009 -> SBDB013
SBDB005 -> SBDB015
Conjecture: Impossible to fit in a monobloc?
I will at this point stop and only continue when I've found more worthwhile things to say...
Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment