The Grand Seiko Self‑Dater

An evolution in practicality

The resounding success of the first Grand Seiko encouraged the design team to pursue the next step in creating the “ideal” watch. Once again, practicality was the team’s north star, and so four years later in 1964 the Self-Dater was born. Equipped with Caliber 5722A with a quick-set date, the Self-Dater allowed the wearer to adjust the date without having to advance the hands. Additionally, a new case design rendered in stainless steel offered greater water resistance with a rating of 50 meters, making the Self-Dater even more practical for daily wear than its predecessor. The now-iconic markers and hands remained, but were made even larger to boost legibility further.

But that’s not all that made the Self-Dater such a special watch and deserving of a dedicated spot in Grand Seiko’s storied history. The Self-Dater, on top of everything else, was also the first Grand Seiko timepiece to feature “Zaratsu” polishing.

What is Zaratsu?

“Zaratsu” derives its moniker from the name of the manufacturer that produced the original machines on which the Self-Dater was polished. Zaratsu is a method of polishing metal parts of a watch by pressing them against an emery cloth or paper abrasive on the side of a rotating metal disk. It’s a painstaking, laborious process, and it’s a skill that takes years to hone, but the results are well worth it. Grand Seiko craftspeople are able to create distortion-free flat surfaces and super sharp edges where plane meets plane. This is what gives Grand Seiko watches their unique high-end look, and to this day all Grand Seiko cases are Zaratsu polished.