Most of you are probably familiar with Seiko’s V.F.A. watches, if anything with the 61GS V.F.A., that is the most revered. Well, V.F.A. stands for ‘Very Fine Adjusted’ and it refers to Seiko’s most refined calibers both for quartz and mechanical, vintage and modern timepieces.
The Seiko V.F.A. watches were made for vintage Seiko quartz, mechanical Grand Seikos, and, in the modern era, a limited edition of 20 Grand Seiko – the ref. SBGH265.
Quartz Seiko V.F.A.
Seiko V.F.A. Quartz 3823-7040
Vintage Seiko V.F.A. Quartz 3823-7040 for sale on Toronto Vintage Watches.
The Seiko ‘V.F.A.’ moniker was designated to two different calibers in the early 1970s, calibers that came after the original Seiko Quartz Astron Cal. 35SQ, and eventually developed into the Seiko Grand Quartz Cal. 48GQ. These were the Cal. 3923/3922 and 3823. These Seiko V.F.A. Quartz calibers were used in several different models, watches that usually had eccentric case shapes and even came in 18k gold. For example, the Cal. 3923 was used in rectangular cases that included an LED light at 2 o’clock, while the Cal. 3823 was paired with more diverse case shapes. The Cal. 3823 was made by Suwa Seikosha, while the Calibers 3923 and 3922 were made by Daini. Both cost well over 100,000 yen and more than even the Grand Seiko 61GS V.F.A. at the time! These calibers had an accuracy of +/- 5 seconds per month, which was extremely accurate for the time, but nothing compared to the Superior Twin Quartz that came in the late 1970s.
Seiko GFA Quartz 3883-7019 / Credit: Right Time
There is also a standout timepiece that is the Cal. 3883 ‘GFA’ (above). While most Cal. 3883 were dubbed ‘Superior’, the GFA is an even rarer version of these watches that stood for ‘Greatly Fine Adjusted’. This meant an accuracy of +/1 second per month instead of the Superior 3883’s +/- 2 seconds per month!
Mechanical Seiko V.F.A.
Grand Seiko V.F.A. 4580-7000 / Credit: Antiwatchman
Next up is the mechanical Seiko V.F.A. watches that were first introduced in the late 1960s, with the very first being the 6185-8000. It did not have “VFA” on the dial, but did have a silver-palladium alloy case and bracelet, with the date at 3 o’clock. The 61GS was made by Suwa and, along with the Cal. 6185, there was also the 6186 V.F.A. movement that featured a day/date display at 3 o’clock. This would have been the pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking for Seiko at the time, with an accuracy of 1 minute per month! It was also the top-of-the-line 61GS, a movement family that also included the Grand Seiko Cal. 6145/6146 and the 6155/6156 Special movements. The 6185 was made in steel, palladium, and gold models, while the 6186 was only made in steel. The different 61GS V.F.A. models include: the 6185-8000, 6185-8010, 6185-8020, 6185-8021, 6185-7000, and 6186-8000.
Daini also worked on mechanical V.F.A. watch models for the 45GS. These only had one caliber, the 4580, and included: the 4580-7000 (the first), the 4580-7010, and the 4580-7020, otherwise known as the ‘Imperial V.F.A.’, that was only made exclusively for the Imperial House of Japan (there was another non-V.F.A. 45GS also made on commission by the Japanese Imperial House). The 45GS V.F.A. also had an accuracy of 1 minute per month, however, only the 4580-7010 had “VFA” on the dial.
Both Suwa and Daini mechanical V.F.A.s had a hi-beat movement with 36,000 bph, although the Daini 45GS was manual wind.
The Modern Seiko V.F.A.
Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 VFA ref. SBGH265 / Credit: Monochrome Watches
The Grand Seiko ref. SBGH265 is the only modern Grand Seiko dubbed “VFA” and was released in a limited edition of only 20 pieces to mark the 20th anniversary of of the 9S movement, Grand Seiko’s first automatic movement since the 1970s, released in 1998. It featured a modified version of the 9S85 movement that was chronometer-grade and accurate to +3/-1 seconds per day, with a hi-beat 36,000 bph movement; an improvement over the standard +5/-3 seconds per day of the standard 9S85. It was also in a 950-platinum case and was priced at $53,000 USD when it was originally released at Baselworld, along with the SBGH266 and SBGH267, to mark the anniversary.
So, this is just an overview of the different watches that were honoured with ‘V.F.A.’ naming. Each model surely deserves its own article. While not all of them boasted “VFA” on the dial, they all had the highly accurate movements to match the designation. These are among the most collectible vintage Seikos, especially outside of any tool watches, and whether it is quartz or mechanical – they were all made to be at the top of the Seiko pyramid, with quartz actually out-pricing the mechanical range of V.F.A.s in the 1970s.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
Donovan, Gerald. “A Detailed History of Grand Seiko V.F.A., the Pinnacle of Japanese Chronometers.” Watches by SJX, March 22nd, 2018, https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/03/a-detailed-history-of-grand-seiko-v-f-a-the-pinnacle-of-japanese-chronometers.html.
Secco, Andrea. “Complete guide to vintage Grand Seiko watches.” The Seiko Guy, https://www.theseikoguy.com/grand-seiko-vintage/.
Forster, Jack. “Introducing The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 VFA SBGH265 For 20th Anniversary Of Caliber 9S.” Hodinkee, March 22nd, 2018, https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/grand-seiko-vfa-sbgh265-introducing.
Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 6145-8000 for sale on Toronto Vintage Watches.