While they might be most notable for creating sturdy budget-friendly watches, Seiko have two sibling brands that exist only to punch up. The better-known Grand Seiko and the lesser-known Credor, whose tiny output allows them to create some of the finest watches on the market today in competition with brands like Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and so forth. Introduced in 1974 as a collection of precious metal models, Credor began its life rather differently to how we know it today. Branded as "Crêt D'Or", meaning "Golden Crest" in French, it wasn't until 1978 that the brand was spun off into its own collection of watches and renamed "Credor" - as we know it today. Amongst the incredible watches this little-known subbrand produces, one is perhaps their most technically impressive, the Spring Drive Sonnerie ref. GBLQ998 that we have here. Launched in 2006, following the success of Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive movement, the GBLQ998 takes the Spring Drive movement cal. 7R series with its glide-motion hands and 48 hour power reserve and adds a sonnerie mechanism to it with its own separate barrel, resulting in two power reserves, as indicated by the dials at 10 and 2 o’clock on the GBLQ998’s fully skeletonized display that showcases all of the v GBLQ998’s 600 individual movement parts. A marvel of horological engineering, this is as much watchmaking as one could expect to see from any brand. With three modes, a “sonnerie” mode that chimes on the hour every hour, an “original” mode that chimes a three-strike chime at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock and a disengaged mode, you are even spoiled for choice with how you get to enjoy this beauty.

An exceptional piece of watchmaking that highlights Credor's watchmaking credentials, the GBLQ998 is amongst the very best in its class for craftsmanship, engineering and stunning good looks.