A colourful flock of birds soar from the tourbillon carriage to the Credor logo at 12 o’clock (All photos: Credor)
In 1974, Credor was founded as a high-end brand of Japanese manufacture Seiko, specialising in watches made with rare metals. Fittingly named for the French term crete d’or, meaning “pinnacle of gold”, the watchmaker prides itself on creating elegant works inspired by Japanese aesthetics, unyielding in its pursuit of peak craftsmanship and superior aesthetic stylings. Its latest release, the Goldfeather Tourbillon GBCF999, speaks to Credor’s history while exemplifying its continued dedication to artisanship and innovation.
The inaugural Goldfeather was launched in the 1960s as the culmination of Seiko’s commitment to crafting a timepiece of minimum thickness. In July 2023, this design was revived as part of the new Credor collection, meant to embody the lightness, thinness, smoothness, elegance and grace of a feather.
This vibrant new piece marks a meaningful milestone in the model’s legacy through the introduction of a tourbillon at 9 o’clock, and is powered by the new Calibre 6850 — a successor to the highly compact Calibre 6830, which preserves its sleek dimensions while extending the power reserve to 60 hours.
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Departing from prior dial treatments, the Goldfeather Tourbillon showcases the timeless appeal of urushi lacquerwork, forming the shimmering black landscape upon which a colourful flock of ascending birds soar from the tourbillon carriage to the Credor logo at 12 o’clock. These brilliant creatures are crafted through two traditional techniques: raden, in which mother-of-pearl in different hues is carefully inlaid, and kirikane, the cutting of a gold plate into fine lines or shapes to be applied to surfaces. The thicknesses of each material’s portion must be carefully regulated by urushi artisan Isshu Tamura, before being shaved down to reveal each shade’s vividness in a stunning gradient across the sky dial.
Gold flecks emanate from the tourbillon’s aperture, emulating the glowing sun, while the bridge forms another pair of outstretched wings. This artistry extends even to the movement, which has been adorned with delicate feather engravings enhanced with green turban snail nacre, visible through the caseback. These spectacular features are housed within a hand-polished 38.6mm by 8.6mm platinum case.
This highly exclusive treasure will be available from October 2025 as a limited edition of only 10 pieces.
This article first appeared on Aug 4, 2025 in The Edge Malaysia.
