Credor is the ultra-luxe, top-of-the-line name Seiko applies to its finest watches. And the very best Credor watches are produced at the Micro Artist Studio, a tiny workshop at Seiko’s factory in Shiojiri, a city in central Japan. The work at the Micro Artist Studio is so artisanal that the dozen craftsmen produce just 30 or so watches a year.

The quintessential Credor timepiece is the Eichi. Japanese for “wisdom”, Eichi is a perfectly simple, yet perfectly executed, wristwatch. Originally introduced in 2008 as the Eichi II, the model was gently revised and succeeded by the Eichi II in 2014.

Conceived with almost no frills, yet every detail lavishly attended to, the Eichi II is one of the most understated, yet horologically compelling watches of our time. In fact, the watch is known in horological circles as the Japanese equivalent of the Philippe Dufour Simplicity.

Displaying an incredibly well-finished Spring Drive movement, the Eichi II is arguably the finest creation made by Seiko today. Every element, inside and out, is executed par excellence. The polished, bevelled edges of the movement bridges, or anglage, is incredibly well done - crisp, sharply defined, and mirror polished. And the porcelain dial – a pristine white thanks to its specially formulated porcelain - is hand-painted by an artisan of the Micro Artist Studio who relies on a tiny brush and a microscope.

So fine is this timepiece that the Eichi II is limited to just two dozen pieces per year, resulting in a waiting list.

The present watch is an early example of the Eichi II – the serial number indicates it was produced in 2015 - evidenced by the gilt fill in the engraving on the movement. Later versions have blue lettering. Some collectors also regard the earlier examples of the Eichi II as having more nuanced finishing. Finally, the box is finished in urushi, Japanese lacquer.