It was at the 1986 Basel Fair that SEIKO unveiled its first Kinetic prototype. Introduced under the trial name of “AGM”, it was the first watch in the world to convert kinetic movement into electrical energy. It was the first step in a development that, 20 years later, has made Kinetic synonymous with environmental friendliness, high performance and long-lasting convenience to a generation of users worldwide. From the launch in 1988 of the first commercially available watch (then under the new name AGS) until today, over eight million Kinetic watches have been sold (as of 2007).
In 1998, Kinetic Auto Relay was released, extending the ‘at-rest operating period of the watch to a remarkable 4 years. 1999 saw the launch of the Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph, a masterpiece which fused the very best of SEIKOs mechanical and electronic watchmaking skills, and in 2003 another Kinetic Chronograph was launched. At Baselworld 2005, the Kinetic Perpetual made its first appearance, combining Kinetic convenience and longevity with a perpetual calendar, correct to the year 2100. In 2007, SEIKOs emotional technology Kinetic Direct Drive was introduced.
(2) Mechanical
SEIKO automatic movement 6R20. This high grade caliber is designed to place the SEIKO firmly in the high quality mechanical market. The 6R20 movement is made of parts, all of which except rubies, are produced and assembled by SEIKO Instruments Inc. The movement is exquisitely finished with an engraved rotor, polished edges to the bridges and hairline shading on the main surfaces. The high beat (28,800) movement delivers accuracy of -15~+25 seconds a day and the Spron 510* mainspring generates a power reserve of more than 45 hours.
(3) Quartz
With SEIKOs passion, the SEIKO Quartz has brought innovation to the history of watches. The quartz watch, developed in 1969, revolutionized the conventional concept of watches. This is a watch that has a crystal oscillator at its core for accuracy. The crystalline body of a crystal cut to a fixed shape has a characteristic to generate steady vibration if voltage is applied to it. Through the ages, the idea has existed that this crystal-specific electrical property is used for a crystal oscillator to be the standard of timekeeping accuracy of watches. However, to take advantage of quartz crystal, whose excellence had been demonstrated in terms of accuracy, in a small world “watch” there were many barriers that had to be overcome.
In 1969, SEIKO succeeded in resolving all these issues and made available to the world for the first time a commercially viable quartz watch. It was a long ten years since the start of development plan of crystal oscillation watch at Suwa Seikosha. To develop a quartz watch for practical use, unique technologies only available by SEIKO were created. For example, adoption of a crystal oscillator cut in the shape of a tuning-fork and development of an IC and step motor to properly operate signals from a crystal oscillator had to be created. Additionally, with a passion to change the future of watches, SEIKO did not pursue monopolization on patent rights of those unique technologies and opened them to the world. Later on, many technologies provided by SEIKO became world standards and have contributed to development of present day quartz watches.
epoch-making划时代的,开创新纪元的
quartz [kw:ts] n. 石英
interact with与……相互作用
synonymous with与......同义
long-lasting [‘l:la:sti] adj. 持续时间长的
exquisitely [ekskwizitli] adv. 精致地;精巧地;敏锐地
monopolization [m,nplaizein] n. 垄断;专卖
crystal oscillator晶体振荡器
精工的故事始于1881年,当时Kintaro Hattori(服部金太郎)在东京市中心开了一家时钟修理店。仅仅过了11年的时间,这家公司就制造出了第一只时钟,并在1895年制作出第一只腕表。
精工推出过许多开创世界制表新纪元的产品。始终处于最前沿的创新技术保证了精工不断制造出世界第一的产品。1929年,精工制造的怀表被日本国营铁路官方授予“铁路专用表”的称号。1964年,制造出世界上第一只可携带式石英计时器QC-951。这一年,精工还被指定为第十八届东京奥林匹克运动会官方计时器厂商。1973年,推出世界第一只六位数字液晶表Cal. 0614。1983年,推出世界第一只附加电视功能的腕表,Cal. T001。1992年,精工还被指定为第25届西班牙巴塞罗那奥运会的官方计时器厂商。2006年,推出世界第一只电子墨水腕表G510。
精湛技术
SEIKO深信腕表是个性化的配饰。最好的腕表应该与佩戴者有契合的默契和互动的感觉,而且腕表所提供的功能让佩戴者感到安心可靠以及情感上的满足。SEIKO(精工)的科技研发就是致力发展“人性化科技”。人性化科技使得腕表产品和佩戴者之间产生了互动的联系。
(1)Kinetic人动电能系统
Kinetic人动电能和机械式、石英式一样,都是动力传送系统的一种。在过去的20年中,精工以 Kinetic人动电能这种动力传送系统为基础,推出了众多的腕表产品,每一款都让消费者体验到它的独特性。
早在1986年瑞士巴塞尔展览会上,精工就推出了 Kinetic人动电能最初的试制品,暂命名“ AGM ”向外推出,这是当时世界上第一款将人体运动转化成为电能的腕表。在迈出了这第一步后,经过二十年的发展,如今对于全世界 Kinetic人动电能的众多用户而言,Kinetic人动电能已经成为了环保、高性能、持久耐用的代名词。1988年首款腕表正式上市(当时采用了 AGS 这个新名字),直到今天,Kinetic人动电能腕表累计销售超过了800万只(截止2007年)。
1998年,精工推出 Kinetic Auto Relay(人动电能、智能时控),将腕表“休眠节能”模式的时间延长到了令人吃惊的四年之久,在这四年内可以随时激活腕表,使其自动回复到当前的准确时间。1999年,见证了 Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph(人动电能计时表极限款)的诞生,这款腕表是集精工机械式和电子式制表工艺之大成的杰出作品;2003年又一款 Kinetic Chronograph(人动电能计时表)推出上市。2005年巴塞尔世界展览会上,Kinetic Perpetual(人动电能、万年历)首次亮相,将 Kinetic(人动电能)便利性与至2100年都无需调校的恒久万年历相结合;2007年,精工人性化科技的结晶:Kinetic Direct Drive(人动电能,可手动充电)面世。
(2)机械式系统
精工自动机芯 6R20 使得精工在高品质机械表市场占有稳固的地位。6R20 运动机芯的所有构成部件,除了红宝石外,都是由精工电子有限公司制造的。机芯的制造工艺精密,包含一个雕刻过的摆陀,自动陀夹板的边沿经过抛光,大部分表面都经过发丝打磨。高转速(28,800转)的机芯能达到每天-15到+25秒的精确度。由 Spron 510* 发条能产生使腕表工作超过45小时的能量储存。
(3)石英石系统
精工对于制表工艺充满热情,其生产的石英表为腕表的发展史带来了伟大的革命。1969年研制推出的石英表颠覆了传统的腕表概念,带来了制表业界中革命性的变革。在这只腕表的核心安装了一个石英晶体震荡器,以确保腕表的精准。对切割成固定形状的水晶施以电压,水晶就会产生稳定的震动。多年来,石英晶体震荡器利用水晶的电能特性以确保时间精确性的标准模式,已经众所周知。但是,要将石英水晶在精确性方面的优势充分地应用到腕表中去,在这条行业道路上还有许多技术问题需要解决。
1969年,精工成功地解决了所有的问题,第一次向全世界推出了它的首款石英腕表产品。从Suwa Seikosha(诹访精工舍)开始石英晶体震荡器研发计划到首款石英腕表面世,整整经历了10年时间。为了研发出实用的石英表,精工创造出了独一无二的技术。例如,将石英晶体切割的形状调整为音叉的样式;通过研发IC(集成电路)和步进马达(时间能一秒一秒地运行)来更好地利用从晶体震荡器中发出的信号并进行准确的运作。除此之外,精工怀着改变腕表未来制造工艺的激情,并没有对自己独一无二技术专利权进行垄断,而是向全世界公开。不久之后,精工提供的很多技术成为了世界标准,直到今天,这些技术还在为石英表制造业的发展而作出贡献。