Grand Seiko: the beauty of (apparent) simplicity

Haute Horlogerie is fantastic because it is able to satisfy all kinds of requests from enthusiasts. The precision of the movement, the finishing of the calibre, the aesthetics of the dial and case, a particular complication or a specific use, the brand’s tradition of excellence or even a strong product identity, right down to the convenience of the quartz movement, when it is conceived and manufactured according to absolute quality criteria that make it rightfully part of the market’s narrow premium segment.

GRAND SEIKO ELEGANCE REF. SBGW231, LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT!

Grand Seiko, not surprisingly, is at the forefront in every aforementioned category. Precisely for this reason, we had been thinking for some time about a comprehensive article on the Japanese giant and its timepieces. Then a talk at the last edition of VO’Clock Privé at Vicenzaoro made us say: now is the right time!

The talk was with our friend Andrea Concato, an important official Grand Seiko dealer in Veneto, who for the occasion wore a Grand Seiko Ref. SBGW231 from the Elegance collection. A model of infinite class, perfect in every detail. From the 37 mm size of the case (to be exact, 37.3 mm by 11.6 mm thick), polished with the Zaratsu process for a finish without the slightest distortion, to the cream-coloured dial, with diamond-cut hands and hour markers that reflect light from every angle. All the way to the visible case back on the Cal. 9S64, a highly refined manual watch with three days of power reserve and an accuracy of +10 to -1 seconds per day. With one last fundamental detail: the price listed for this model is 4,600 euros! That is simply fantastic value for money! So, the next time your friend asks you for advice on their next purchase, you will certainly have the right answer.

CLEAR IDENTITY, ABSOLUTE QUALITY MADE IN JAPAN AND… HI-BEAT

While the value for money of the Elegance Ref. SBGW231 is practically unbeatable, it must be emphasised that Grand Seiko on the whole has a maniacal attention to every detail of its models, including a fair price positioning. And, above all, we like the philosophy –  in contrast to many other high-end brands – of concentrating production on a few complications. In fact, in the catalogue we count on time-only models (also with power reserve indication), GMT, chronographs, which can be declined in appreciated underwater versions or ‘across-the-board’ models such as the Sport Ref. SBGJ237 (Cal. 9S86 Hi-Beat at 36000 alternations/hour, GMT function, water resistance to 200 metres; 7,400 euros). 

And then there is a sumptuous tourbillon: the Masterpiece Kodo (Ref. SLGT005) combining, for the first time in watchmaking history, a tourbillon and a constant-force mechanism as a single unit on a single axis (€385,000).

Few complications but good, because another highlight lies in the movements’ essence, which are among the most refined and precise on the entire market. Let’s start with probably the two best-known calibres: the manual 9SA4 and the automatic 9SA5, both with a double-impulse escapement (an exclusive mechanism that combines the ‘direct impulse’, in which power is transferred directly from the escape wheel to the balance wheel, with the traditional ‘indirect impulse’) and ‘Hi-Beat’, i.e. running at the high frequency of 36,000 alternations per hour (i.e. 10 beats per second) and counting on an 80-hour power reserve thanks to the double barrel. With an accuracy (tested under everyday conditions) of +8 to -1 second per day, and with the automatic version also offering an instantaneous date change.

Among others, the manual 9SA4 is fitted on the Heritage SLGW005G, a much-awaited new limited edition of 1,200 pieces based on the celebrated 45GS of 1968 (€10,400 from November 2024). While the automatic 9SA5 can be found, for example, on the Evolution 9 Ref. SLGH005 ‘White Birch’, with a dial recalling the white birch forests near the Shizukuishi office where all the company’s mechanical watches are made. 

A TRULY SKILFUL STORYTELLING ABILITY

The Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi is surrounded by great nature, with Mount Iwate towering on the horizon. This idyllic landscape is the perfect source of inspiration, always present in the company’s marketing. And it serves to powerfully and evocatively describe the models in the collection, where the Japanese philosophy promoting inner peace and balance with the elements emerges in all its charm.

Any examples? This is the description on the corporate website of the (admittedly beautiful) dial of the Elegance Ref. SBGW285 (€5,100): its ‘deep green colour is inspired by Byōka, which marks the transition from summer to autumn. The first morning dew appears and the wind feels cool against the skin. It is still the end of August but summer is short in Shizukuishi and the early signs of autumn are in the air. The green of the leaves on the trees is increasingly deep and, with its delicately textured surface, the dial reflects its own special beauty.’ Spectacular, congratulations! 

The Nagano Prefecture is also no less of an inspiration, with its mountains and countless rivers. This is where watches with a ‘Spring Drive’ movement are produced – a unique technology in watchmaking that can generate energy like any other mechanical watch, but to this is added an electronic regulator to offer a level of precision that no mechanical watch can match (our article on the subject here).

The emerald-green water of the Atera River running through the Nagano Prefecture is evoked on the dial of the Evolution 9 Ref. SLGA025 (powered by Cal. Spring Drive 9RA2 5 Days; €11,100). The ice crest of the frozen water of Lake Suwa is the cue for the dial of the Elegance Ref. SBGY007 (Cal. Spring Drive 9R31; €8,700). The night sky of the mountains of central Japan are the inspiration for the black dial of the Masterpiece Ref. SBGD202 (Cal. Spring Drive Manual 8 Days 9R01; 18K pink gold case; €55,500).

A POETIC CONCLUSION

For such a well-crafted product narrative, it is worth referring to the haiku, the evocative Japanese poetic composition about the season, a moment of enlightenment and the author’s feelings, citing one by the famous Tanai Kito (1741 – 1789): ‘Evening mists. / Absorbed, thought lingers / on the indistinct memories of a time’.

A simple and perfect time, as interpreted by Grand Seiko!

By Michele Mengoli