Watches & Wonders is only two weeks away, the biggest watch exhibition and showcase in the world. While many major brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe and others will wait until the show begins to reveal their new releases, we will start to see the number of pre-show releases from independents and smaller brands steadily tick up over the coming weeks. Case in point, Credor has unveiled the watches they will be displaying at the event, a new Locomotive model and two Goldfeathers.
Credor Locomotive GCCR995
Credor was founded in 1974 to be the luxury branch of the Seiko name, putting precious metals and refined styles at the centre of their designs. However, in the 1980s a new style of luxury watch began to emerge, the sports-chic watch as epitomised by models like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, both designed by Gerald Genta. As there was an existing relationship between Genta and Seiko, a Japanese sports-chic timepiece was something of an inevitability and the result was the Genta-designed Credor Locomotive.
In 2024 Credor revived the collection with a faithful modern re-interpretation of the original Locomotive and now, two years later, Credor are finally expanding the line into an actual collection that they are committed to growing. Crucially, they have unshackled themselves from the restraints of heritage reinterpretations and aim to explore new design space for the Locomotive.
The first example of that is the Locomotive GCCR995. It maintains the core Genta design elements with a hexagonal case and bezel measuring 38.8mm in diameter and 8.9mm thickness. It’s made from titanium to maintain the sportiness of the collection, giving the watch good strength and lightweight properties. However, the dial features a new dawn blue colour across its hexagonal motif, which makes the model feel brighter than the 2024 edition.
It is priced at $13,200 (approx. £9,950) although it’s worth noting that Credor are no longer stocked in the UK. Making our nearest point of sale the Place Vendrome in Paris.
Price and Specs:
Credor Goldfeather Tourbillon Engraved Limited Edition
The Goldfeather collection is all about translating that name into a horological equivalent. Slim, delicate and precious. The Goldfeather Tourbillon Engraved Limited Edition takes that a stretch further by featuring a hand-engraved dial with a radial motif designed to make the surface of the metal look like the texture of a feather. Each line individually carved into the metal by an expert artisan with exacting precision. It’s one you’ll want to see up close to truly appreciate.
As equally impressive as the dial is the tourbillon movement, calibre 6850, which is very slim at a thickness of just 3.98mm in order to fit within the 8.6mm thick platinum case. It’s manual winding with a 60-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +15 / -10 seconds per day. The highlight though is that tourbillon, rotating in its cage in the unusual position of 9 o’clock.
It’s a limited edition of 25-pieces at a price of $215,000 (approx. £161,750), making it hyper exclusive. But there’s no arguing that it doesn’t convey the core ideals of the collection with its slim tourbillon and precious platinum case.
Price and Specs:
Credor Goldfeather Urushi Lacquer Dial Limited Edition
Urushi lacquer is one of the most technical of Japan’s traditional crafts, creating a smooth, finish with an intense clarity of colour to it. Colour is a significant element too because the lacquer is naturally black, so creating other colours is very difficult because the black base naturally darkens everything else. As such, creating the rich blue gradient seen here was an immense challenge as the saturation had to be constantly monitored and adjusted as each layer of lacquer was applied.
The new dial is housed in a 37.4mm x 8.1mm platinum case. Again referring to the central conceit of the Goldfeather series that promotes slimness and precious metals. In combination with the dial it makes for a very attractive dress watch with classical leanings paired with traditional Japanese crafts. Below the dial is the calibre 6890, which is ultra-slim but does pay a price for that slimness in the specs, with a 37-hour power reserve and +25 / -15 seconds per day accuracy.
It’s priced at $47,000 (approx. £35,325) in a limited edition of 25 pieces. One to look out for at the Palexpo if you are able to make it to Geneva in two weeks.
Price and Specs:
More details at Credor.
