Important EarlyQuartz, Rare

WHY IT IS IN OUR MUSEUM? An early example of the Sampachi-V.F.A. -- a showcase of Seiko reaching (almost) perfection in a) technology, b) goldsmithing, c) casemaking and d) the combination of all these skills: watchmaking.

三八 (さんぱち, Sampachi) means "three and eight" and it is this cal38 that is the core of this important & beautiful & technologically outstanding watch -- a horological milestone in many ways: Very Fine Adjusted (V.F.A.) Sampachi-Quartz. A well-thought and -manufactured watch-movement that has an outstanding position in horology; on top of this horological & technological achievement is the individual hammered-gold dial with 12 applied hour-indexes and the applied & floating SEIKO- & QUARTZ- & Suwa-logo; encased in a heavy and close-to-perfect watch-case. Something that would today find its position in the Micro Artist Studio-made Credor-line or in Patek Philippes "Rare Handcrafts" ("Métiers d’Art"), because it is exactly that: the finest art of manu-facture (ie. hand-made).

What we see here is something so special and outstanding -- a horological very important watch and at the same time something of probably perfect appearance: the worlds first quartz with (analog) temperature-compensation -- the first car with a turbo-charger: something that changed watches (precision) and cars (power & efficiency) forever -- in perfect design and execution.

NB: The modern and exalted design finds a reminiscence in the Seiko Power Design Project 2026 as shown in the fourth photo. The fifth is the comparison of this watch vs the new platinum SBGZ011. And why it is not only optical but also in technological and industry-historical aspects the watch-equivalent to the first Turbo-charged car, the Porsche 911 Turbo (ie. Porsche 930) is discussed in our article: "Turbo & Temp: Porsche 930 & Seiko Sampachi".