This is a high quality, reliable analog metronome
Analog? No electronics, all mechanical and driven by a clockwork motor
Mechanical metronome's provide the musician with not only audible tempo beats but also a visual stimulus
Nikko Seiki began making precision instruments back in 1953, subsequently moving into metronomes from 1961 and to this day they remain the ONLY Japanese manufacturer of mechanical metronomes.
Our family has had this metronome for around 40 years now, always giving a reliable beat and never treated harshly (e.g dropped), Nikko Seiki states they will run for at least a few MILLION beats before needing a service - and you can have these serviced.
Nikko Seiki Metronome
Mechanical (clockwork driven)
Size: Nikko "Standard"
11cm x 20.7cm x 11.7cm
Weight: 486g
Model: Ivory 221 - like the old old piano keys ("tickle the ivories") not a bright white but with a yellow tint which is NOT due to sunlight fading.
Reputable music stores in Australia currently sell this model for A$119
Features:
Tough, quality build
High quality clockwork mechanism (brass) and metal parts
Easy to read front scale
Tempo is adjustable from 40 to 208 BPM
Black background with silver top coating to reflect light and improve visibility
Easy to setup and use
LOUD "tick tock tick tock" - probably one of the loudest mechanical metronomes around
Pull Out - Push In lever allows the musician to ring a bell marking every 2, 3, 4 or 6 beats (nice soft "ding")
Wide swing angle which makes it easy to see the visual movement of the metronome.
100% Japanese product
Genuine Nikko Seiki are manufactured and assembled (ALL parts) by hand in their Japanese factory. No production is contracted outside of Japan.
Product quality is very important to the company.
These wonderful metronomes are highly sought after and as a result have been the target of counterfeiters - beware of Nikko "knock offs".
Nikko Seiki do not OEM their product and no production is made outside of Japan - if someone says otherwise, they are speaking BS!
To be sure it is a genuine Nikko Seiki, look for the serial number, "MADE IN JAPAN" stamped into the high quality plastic base and the quality of the front scale. In particular - knock offs often have a difficult to read scale.
If you have the opportunity, take a look inside (3x Philips screws in the base) - a knock off uses a cheap and nasty clockwork motor/parts which will very soon become unreliable.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
Excellent: very clean, no smells (non-smoking environment)
No marks or scratches
So how do you tell a truly "old" Nikko Seiki product, these Standard model metronomes have been in production for years afterall.
Look at the winder and above it, the control for the beat bell ringing. Modern, late releases of these metronomes do not have a silver metal label surround these two controls. The older models do and this one is no exception.
TESTING:
My sisters shared this metronome for many years (piano) and it never failed them and still continues to go strong these days - these metronomes are made to just keep on keeping on - to "tick tock tick tock" is their life's ambition!
Of course I have wound it up one more time and checked all tempo's and the beat bell - all is as it should be.
