Zaratsu finishing - The Definition Of Elegance

Main points:

- What is Zaratsu finishing?

- Who started it?

- Some beautiful examples

 

One of the main tells of a watch's quality is its finishing.

 

A great finish can completely change the way a watch looks.

 

There are many different finishing styles that have been used on wrist watches over the years, particularly brushed, polished, and some other iterations of them...

 

But by far one of the most beautiful looking types is Zaratsu finishing.

 

Zaratsu is a type of polishing technique that results in a super smooth, mirror-like finish. 

 

The polishing is done by machine, however, it's the person operating the machine that truly determines the quality of the finish.

 

The machine used to perform this polishing technique on watches was created by the company "Sallaz" around the 1920s in Switzerland, and was originally used by Swiss watchmakers,

 

However it was the Japanese watchmakers at Seiko who truly mastered this machine, so much so that people often refer to it as an art form.

 

The pronunciation for "Sallaz" in Japan slowly evolved into Zaratsu, hence why it is called Zaratsu finishing.

 

Now you might be wondering...

 

Whats the difference between regular polishing and Zaratsu finishing?

 

Thats a great question, because although they may have similar effects, there are some pretty big differences:

 

• Technique 

Polishing is done using abrasive compounds and more widely used, conventional tools such as rotary buffering wheels, or even automated machines, whereas Zaratsu finishing makes use of a flat polishing technique where the part of the watch being polished is held against the reverse side of a spinning wheel at precise angles. Zaratsu polishing requires high levels of skill and effort, whereas regular polishing is a far simpler, way less demanding process to carry out.

 

• Quality

Although both techniques achieve a smooth, glossy finish, a regular polish often results in slight distortions, and micro-scratches may also be seen under close inspection of the polish. On the other hand, Zaratsu finishing produces a polish that is completely free of any unevenness, distortion, or micro-scratches, unlike that of any other polishing technique. You will often see a regular polish on a lot of entry level watches, whereas Zaratsu finishing will only be seen on higher end watches, particularly Grand Seiko.

 

 

Finally, lets see some examples of this beautiful technique:

 

 

(Photo via ChinsHandcraft.com)

This is a perfect showcase of the precision and quality of the technique, the polish is so perfect that you can literally read off the watch case.

 

(Photo via SJX Watches)

Here we see a really beautiful contrast between the brushed and the elegantly polished parts of the case.

 

Although Grand Seiko often gets hate due to it not being Swiss, it's price, and it being "just a Seiko", you cannot escape from the fact that the way they finish their watches is unlike that of any other watch manufacturer! 

 

(Cover image via Gear Patrol)