Rare and extremely charming Seiko ring watch, with blue-purple dial, faceted diamond-shaped crystal, 18KT yellow gold case, in-house manual winding movement, from the 1970s.
SPECIFICATIONS
18KT yellow gold case measuring 17mm
Case thickness measuring 8mm
Ring circumference measuring 13mm
Original prismatic crystal
Original crown
Seiko manual winding mechanical movement inside
ANALYSIS
For centuries, starting in the 16th century, European watchmakers cultivated the dream of enclosing a timepiece in a ring. A nearly impossible feat, given the extreme complexity of the mechanism, achieved by only a handful of masters. Around 1800, only names like Piguet et Capt, Antoine Rojard, and Pierre Simon Gounouilhou were capable of creating such mechanical jewels, making ring watches objects of rare desire, affordable only to wealthy sovereigns and nobles.
Documents from the period record that King George III of England (1738-1820) owned an extraordinary half-quarter repeater, made by John Arnold. Napoleon I, Emperor of the French (1769-1821), also boasted an exceptional quarter-repeating ring, signed Antoine Rojard, in his casket.
The fascination with these small wonders spread beyond the borders of Europe. In the imperial archives of the Qing Dynasty in China, it is recorded that Lady Ying, the favorite concubine of Emperor Jiaqing, owned nine table clocks, twenty-seven pocket watches, and a single, highly valuable ring watch.
In the 20th century, this race toward exasperated miniatures continued, and with the advent of new mechanical technologies, a handful of manufacturers produced ring watches in small quantities but of high quality. Among these, one of the first was Jean Richard, followed by Ebel and Eberhard, along with Jaeger-LeCoultre, and subsequently Cartier.
But on the other side of the world, in the Far East – just as had happened in China over a century and a half earlier – Japan was also experimenting with techniques for making ring watches, culminating in a massive production run promoted by Seiko between the late 1960s and the 1970s. The Japanese Maison thus produced a large number of ring watches, mostly gold-plated and with quartz movements. Only a very small portion of this production used mechanical movements and, above all, noble metals such as gold for the cases.
This beautiful and rare ring watch with an 18kt yellow gold case fits into this context.
The dial features an incredible blue hue that fades to purple. Its layout is exceptionally elegant, as the baton indexes and the central cross dividing the dial are created with gold graphics, echoing the vibrant color of the gold case. The narrow pencil-shaped hour and minute hands also contribute their color to connecting the dial to the case. Atop this composition sits a thick, faceted, prismatic-cut glass: it is cut to ensure a clear reading of the time from the center, while also providing a striking decorative effect on the outer edge, which is characterized by an interweaving of diagonal lines and transparencies.
The 18kt yellow gold case has an almost spherical core and a micro-hammered surface that creates a bark-like effect. Between hollow spaces and embossed edges, between smooth and brushed surfaces, a small masterpiece of craftsmanship is created. The ring also contributes to the overall decorative effect with its diagonal shoulders and fluted decoration.
This wonderful and rare object is powered by a Seiko hand-wound mechanical caliber with 17 jewels.
