Credor marks its 50th anniversary with a special edition of the Eichi II with a deep blue porcelain dial.
Press Release information with commentary in italics. Official Credor 50th Annniversary Eichi II micro-site.
New: Credor 50th Anniversary Eichi II
The Credor 50th Anniversary Eichi II will retail at EUR 48,000 in Europe. Limited Edition of 30 pieces.
Commentary
The Credor Eichi II is one of the landmark watches which brought Credor (and the Micro Artist Studio) to the forefront of the high end watch collecting world. This is a chapter which began with the Eichi in 2008. We so loved that watch, and continued our admiration and affections with the Eichi II. And even compared 1on1 with the venerable Dufour Simplicity.
As far as we know, there is only one edition of the original Eichi, in a platinum case and installed with the porcelain dial, which was outsourced to a revered porcelain maker, Noritake in Japan. And for the Eichi II, all work was carried out in-house, with the artisans at the Micro Artist Studio. The Eichi II has seen several variants as special editions. Launched in platinum, there have been at lease one rose gold variant and several other dial colour options.
For this novelty, the porcelain dial take on a deep blue hue. This dial colour seems to be very similar to the 140th Years of Seiko dial on the Platinum Credor Eichi II. The Release material talks of the colour of both these editions as being “ruri”, the Japanese word for lapis lazuli. But what is unique for this novelty is that it also features hand painted hour markers, Credor logo and letters. All in gold. All made by a single master craftsman in the Micro Artist Studio. The movement remains the superb 7R14 used in the other Eichi II.
This novelty is released in a yellow gold case (a first for Eichi II), and with a price which reflects that. It is EUR 11k lower than the platinum cased 140th Eichi II.
Release information
Ever since Credor was born in 1974, each of its creations has showcased the beauty of Japanese aesthetics combined with the excellence in watchmaking for which the collection is renowned. Based on the French crete d’or, or “crest of gold,” the Credor name has always suggested the highest echelon of artistry in watchmaking. The year 2024 marks Credor’s 50th anniversary, and a special edition of the acclaimed Eichi II will mark the occasion.
The original Eichi, created in 2008, and its successor, the Eichi II, have won high praise worldwide for their simplicity of design, their exquisite finishing, the technology behind their movements, and, perhaps most of all, for the understated yet refined beauty of their hand-painted porcelain dials.
The hand-painted logo at twelve o’clock and 18K yellow-gold case are a first for the Eichi II.
The commemorative watch features a deep blue porcelain dial whose color is referred to as ruri, after the Japanese word for lapis lazuli. The dial has a gentle curve thanks to the careful application of porcelain glaze, which creates surface tension and gives it a slightly domed shape. The porcelain glaze also creates an effect that enables wearers to enjoy the dial’s varying colors depending on the angle of view and the brightness of the surroundings.
The hour markers, the Credor logo at the twelve o’clock position, and the Credor letters are all hand-painted by a craftsman at the Micro Artist Studio, the elite watchmaking workshop where the watch is crafted. After the dials are fired, gold is applied over the hand-painted elements to create a warm, multi-dimensional beauty that only hand-craftsmanship of the highest order can achieve. The technique is a nod to ‘Ruri-Kinsai,’ a famous yet rare form of traditional craftwork that came to widespread attention during the Edo period, in which gold is overglazed on ruri-colored material, such as porcelain. The arduous and highly technical application of gold on the ruri-colored dial combined with the 18K yellow-gold case creates a unique beauty befitting a watch made to celebrate Credor’s 50th anniversary.
The exquisite work of the studio’s craftspeople is visible through the sapphire crystal case back.
The watch is powered by the manual-winding Spring Drive Caliber 7R14. The movement’s barrel echoes the bellflower, the symbol of Shiojiri City, where the Micro Artist Studio is located. The two hand-finished bridges have high-polished edges that create a quiet sparkle when viewed from any angle, and the power-reserve indicator and the screws are tempered by hand to a vivid blue color. The movement features the Torque Return System*, which delivers a power reserve of 60 hours.
*Torque Return System: When the mainspring has been fully wound and the torque output is at its highest, approximately 30% of the available power is not needed to maintain the watch’s precision and is, in effect, wasted in a normal movement. The Torque Return System uses this energy to rewind the mainspring, increasing the power reserve.
The watch will be available as a limited edition of 30 from June 2024.
Credor 50th Anniversary Eichi II Limited Edition Specifications
Spring Drive 7R14
Winding system: manual-winding
Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month
Power reserve: 60 hours
Jewels: 41
Specifications
18K yellow-gold case and clasp
Crocodile strap with three-fold clasp with push button release
Dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface
See-through case back
Water resistance: 3 bar
Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
Diameter: 39.0 mm; Thickness: 10.3 mm
