It’s 1977. Yoshikazu Akahane is a 31-year-old rising star in the engineering department at Seiko (then called Suwa Seikosha). He’s recently become obsessed with the idea of an “everlasting watch”. It's a timepiece that tells time as accurately as quartz, but runs forever like a mechanical watch. No battery. No compromises.

One day, Akahane sees a bicycle speeding downhill. The bike maintains a steady spped. He notices the smooth rotation of the wheel and how the brake pads regulate its...

One Engineer's Struggle to Birth The Spring Drive