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. 6185-8021 that we have here is a true iconic on account of its stunning design. With its silver dial and geometric case, the ref. 6185-8021 is monochromatic masterpiece. However, perhaps this reference’s most telling piece of design is its three-dimensional hour markers that stand tall of the dial. Casting a shadow over the dial as light sweeps across its display, these hour markers provide the ref. 6185-8021 with a stunningly unique look on the wrist that really takes the phrase “plays with the light” to a whole other level.

Watch is in excellent condition. Case appears unpolished has sharp angular edges with minimal surface wear. The caseback engravings are crisp and clean, and there are no major dings. Watch comes with a Seiko buckle on a generic strap.