Seiko Credor Eichi II is a platinum wristwatch with a hand-decorated porcelain dial and a modified Spring Drive Seiko movement. The timepiece is finished to extremely tight tolerances both mechanically and aesthetically. The Eichi II is not a limited edition; but it is made in extremely small numbers of about 20 per year, and the waiting period to buy one is well over a year. The watch is inspired directly by Phillipe Dufour’s Simplicity models.
Credor is the micro brand workshop within Seiko located in Shiojiri, Japan. Eichi II debuted in 2014, on the 40th anniversary of the Credor line. We believe that along with the vintage Patek 2526 and the modern Richard Lange "Pour le Mérite" porcelain dial version, this is historically one of the most interesting time-only watches produced in a series by a large manufacturer. Micro brand watches of the same quality cost multiples of the Eichi II.
The highlight of the watch is the dial which is a hand-painted Porcelain enamel, done with an incredible degree of finesse by specialist studio artisans. Inherent in the hand-application of porcelain to the base metal with a brush is the presence of irregularities. If you look at these Eichi II dials under extreme magnification, the irregularities are minute. Using the word “irregularity” is probably wrong because these imperfections are badges of an entirely organic and artisanal process.
The Eichi II comes in two colors of porcelain dial (white and blue), and the deep blue one we have here is decidedly the more interesting. Firstly, the blue enamel captures light and creates a sense of depth in the dial only as a stone (such as a sapphire) can. Secondly, blue dials have to be made to a higher degree of perfection, because an uneven brush application of enamel will create excessive color variations, and uneven brush strokes will lead to some obvious irregularities after the enamel is baked. Both versions are amazing, but blue is the one to buy in our opinion.
The 41-jewel movement of the Eichi II is a highly finished version of the Seiko Spring Drive. Eichi II uses an unusual hand-wound Spring Drive caliber – one that is reserved for higher-end Grand Seiko and Credor watches). Eichi II's caliber 7R14, which is made of rhodium-plated brass using a "torque return system" – the mechanism harvests unneeded excess torque produced when the mainspring is fully wound, and using it to rewind the mainspring, which contributes to the Eichi II's 60-hour power reserve.
The movements hold up to any level of close-up scrutiny: the finish is perfect, the space between wheels and bridges is consistent, beveling on the bridges and polish on the blued steel screws are perfect. This level of perfection is not surprising because Philippe Dufour consulted with the Micro Artist Studio on finishing techniques. To keep the dial as uncluttered as possible, the power reserve has been moved to the back of the movement (as opposed to the one on the front of the original Eichi).
The condition of the watch is as new. It comes with warranty card, showing purchase date in Dec 2022, Instructions Booklet, Inner and Outer Boxes, Additional unused strap.
Specifications:
Case: 39mm, 950 Platinum, antimagnetic to 4,800 A/m (60 gauss)
Movement: based on Spring Drive Calibre 7R14, hand wound
Jewels: 41
Frequency: 36,000 VpH
Power Reserve: 60 hours
