The 20th anniversary of the 9R Spring Drive calibers

In 2004, Grand Seiko’s Caliber 9R was born, achieving, for the first time in the history of Spring Drive, automatic winding and a 72-hour power reserve. Though the dream of Spring Drive was born in 1977 and the first watch to feature the technology was sold in 1999, the arrival of Grand Seiko’s 9R series five years later heralded a new level of functionality and ease of use, in keeping with the mission of Grand Seiko.

Today, 9R is a diversified movement platform ranging from the original mainstay Caliber 9R65 to Calibers 9RA2 and 9RA5 with five days of power reserve and the astonishing Calibers 9R01 and 9R02 from the elite Micro Artist Studio. What began with one engineer’s dream has come to fruition in a uniquely innovative and revolutionary family of movements.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Caliber 9R series, Grand Seiko invites you to explore the many facets of these movements and the watches that they power. In a series of nine articles to be released over the coming year, the full story of 9R Spring Drive will be told.