Grand Seiko 4580-7000 VFA
Founded in 1960 with the sole intention of challenging the idea that Swiss watchmaking was the be-all and end-all of the watchmaking industry, Grand Seiko has endeavored to create some of the most technically astute and wonderfully crafted timepieces possible. Six years after their launch, in 1966, Grand Seiko came out with their own certification, the "Grand Seiko Standard." With a daily deviation of between -3/+5 seconds, it was more accurate than Swiss chronometer testing, which was -1/+10 seconds per day. Following this new standard, two even more accurate standards were created, which Grand Seiko decided to bring to life by launching the VFA collection (Very Finely Adjusted) in 1967. Created under highly rigorous conditions and regulated to within -2/+2 seconds per day, these watches were blisteringly accurate for their time and even came with the guarantee of accuracy to within a minute a month for the first two years of ownership - extremely impressive even by today's standards. An important piece of Grand Seiko's original mission, these VFA timepieces are extremely rare on account of their short three-year production run and relatively lengthy life causing them to be lost to the sands of time.
Besides its incredible movement, the ref. 4580-7000 that we have here is a true iconic on account of its unique design and it being one of the rarest and most sought-after models from the VFA collection. With its dark navy blue dial and 37mm geometric stainless steel case, the ref. 4580-7000 is masterpiece. Offered as one of the first VFA models and appearing only in Grand Seiko’s 1970 catalog and with fewer than 100 examples produced and just 12 of those accounted for, the ref. 4580-7000 is as rare as it gets for Seiko. Powered by the Daini Seikosha-produced hi-beat manual-wind cal. 4580A, the ref. 4580-7000 is as technically astute as it is aesthetically unique, with its tonneau-shaped case visually distinctive from every single one of its Grand Seiko siblings, with such a case shape never used since.
THE DIAL While offered as a member of the VFA series, none of the 12 ref. 4580-7000 examples that are known feature "VFA" text on their dials, resulting in another visual difference when compared to their VFA collection siblings.
THE CONSTRUCTION Featuring a 37mm stainless steel tonneau-shaped case design that was only ever used on the ref. 4580-7000, the reference immediately reveals itself to those who recognize it as a very special watch.
TIMING MACHINE READOUT This reading was taken (crown down) with a ONEOF Accuracy Boutique Edition timing machine at time of cataloging. It is provided as a courtesy only, and shall not be construed as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Please refer to our terms and conditions of sale for more information.
