BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Credor is a name for those seriously in the know when it comes to horology. Don’t worry, if it’s not a name you’ve come across before, I’ll be glad to fill you in. Credor was formed by the Seiko Time Corporation to be their pinnacle line of watches, although, with few exceptions, you could only buy a Credor in Japan. We can liken Credor in some ways to the Toyota Century limousine, which is gaining a cult following worldwide. The Century is Toyota’s flagship car in Japan; elsewhere worldwide, the nicest product from Toyota is a top-of-the-range Lexus (still a lovely car, of course). It’s not a perfect analogy, but you should get the gist. Credor became its own watch brand in 1980, when only the Credor name appeared on the dials, without the Seiko name. It is possible to buy a Credor outside of Japan these days, although their website lists only one dealer in France, the USA, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, whereas they’re available right across Japan’s many prefectures.
The name Credor is a portmanteau of the French words “crête d’or”, translated to mean golden crest, particularly fitting for this new watch with the name Goldfeather. Officially, it is the Goldfeather Imari Nabeshima porcelain ref GCBY991, but I think we’ll just stick to ‘new Goldfeather’ for now. The Goldfeather collection is Credor’s classic dress watch collection, introduced in the 1960s and revitalised for today.
The new Goldfeather is distinctive thanks to its Imari Nabeshima porcelain dial. Credor worked with Hataman Touen, a prestigious kiln based in Okawachiyama village on Kyushu, Japan’s third largest island. Hataman Touen are apparently well-versed in the art of Imari Nabeshima porcelain, as evidenced by the beautiful feather motif on the dial. Porcelain forms the base of the dial, which is then fired and ground down to be only 1mm thick. To achieve the feathered pattern, the gradient colour and the blue feathers are applied to the dial before being glazed, and transparent feathers are then added before the next layer can be applied. Credor says that five firings occur during the dial’s production before the final result is achieved. Firing a porcelain dial risks cracking it irreparably; it is simply their nature, and something that doesn’t really happen with engraved dials. The extra chances for it all to go wrong only make the successes that much more important.
Despite the complexity of the dial’s construction, this new Goldfeather is still an easily wearable piece: it measures 37.1mm x 8.3mm and is made of stainless steel, although its water resistance is described only as “splash resistant”.
Visible through the caseback is the manually wound in-house calibre 6890, an ultra-thin movement measuring 1.98mm. The power reserve is around 37 hours, and it’s rated to between -15 and +25 seconds per day for its accuracy. Although I don’t have personal photos to share, I can say with confidence that the one thing they won’t have skimped on is the hand-finishing on the movement. Credor’s decoration is particularly impeccable, so I know it will be here, too.
Presented on a leather strap, this watch is limited to 60 pieces starting in February 2026 at a cost of JPY1.98 million ($12,600/€15,000). All of that beautiful porcelain and movement finishing doesn’t come cheap. I’ll be interested to see more from Credor at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2026.
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