A Seiko made for an emperor or rather as a gift for an emperor to give foreign dignitaries. Known as the Seiko Imperial V.F.A., this chronometer grade Seiko 4580-7020 bore the Seiko Cal. 4580, the same movement that passed the Neuchâtel Observatory chronometer trials and was used in the only Seiko known to be an astronomical observatory chronometer. A Daini movement, made for an emperor. The Seiko Cal. 4580 was a manual winding hi-beat movement with 36,000 bph and 25 jewels.
This unicorn of a timepiece is adorned with the Imperial Seal of Japan flower on the dial at 12 o’clock. According to the Seiko Museum, the Imperial V.F.A. was never sold directly and only gifted to people by the Emperor Hirohito himself, as a result Seiko doesn’t know how many were produced or exactly when they were produced. The first time it was gifted was supposedly in 1971 on his first trip to Europe. The caseback is also engraved “Nippon Seiko” instead of Seiko Japan, Nippon or Nihon referring to the “origin of the Sun”, another name for the country of Japan. The Seal of Japan that is on the Imperial V.F.A., also known as the Chrysanthemum Seal, was adopted over 800 years and is seen on numerous flags, items, and symbols representing the imperial family of Japan. It is a flower, the yellow or orange chrysanthemum, that represents the longest unbroken dynasty in history.
Emperor Hirohito
Old Japanese passport with the Imperial Seal
What makes the watch so special is the time period in Japan’s history in which it would have been given as a gift, after World War II when Japan was trying to rebuild itself. When Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako decided to go on state visits in 1971, it was the first time a reigning Japanese Emperor had planned a trip abroad and marked a significant diplomatic step as the Japanese were coming off a loss on the wrong side of World War II. The couple visited the United States, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, Switzerland, and West Germany. Their adversaries in the recent war. It is in these countries that the Seiko Imperial V.F.A. 4580-7020 would supposedly be hidden, perhaps in a vault somewhere. The emperor had once visited Europe about 50 years before, in 1921, and while he was greeted by Queen Elizabeth II and large crowds on his 1971 trip to the United Kingdom – those crowds were silent.
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
Ah, Shadi. “Catching a Unicorn – The Seiko Gifted by the Emperor of Japan.” Watches By SJX, September 2nd, 2020, https://watchesbysjx.com/2020/09/imperial-vfa-seiko-4580-7020-emperor-hirohito.html.
Secco, Andrea. “Complete guide to vintage Grand Seiko watches.” The Seiko Guy, https://www.theseikoguy.com/grand-seiko-vintage/#4580.
“Names of Japan.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Japan.
“Imperial Seal of Japan.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Seal_of_Japan.
Oka, Takashi. “Hirohito Plans First Trip Abroad by Reigning Japanese Emperor.” The New York Times, February 24th, 1971, https://www.nytimes.com/1971/02/24/archives/hirohito-plans-first-trip-abroad-by-reigning-japanese-emperor.html.
A vintage King Seiko Hi-Beat 4502-7001 for sale on Toronto Vintage Watches.