THE FINEST JAPANESE CRAFTSMANSHIP

Grand Seiko celebrates the Japanese spirituality of time that is deeply inspired by nature and her seasons and brought to life by Takumi (artisans), the dedicated seekers of mastery. For the occasion of Watches and Wonders Geneva this year, Grand Seiko released a breath-taking selection of inspired new creations. Today, we are honoured to share the timepieces that will become available for purchase or enquiry through J Farren-Price over the coming year. 

SBGJ227 ‘Snow Valley’ – Spring Drive GMT Triple Time Zone 

Take a journey into a valley where the green of trees and the white of the remaining snow harmonise beautifully to create a refreshing landscape of natural beauty. 

This exciting new release features a never-before-seen bright dial in Grand Seiko’s triple time zone series, with a 44.2mm diameter stainless steel case. With its robust construction, high-functioning movement, and captivating aesthetics, the new SBGJ277 proves to be a dependable travel partner capable of adjusting to any circumstance.

The dial of the SBGJ277 features a silver hue with a patterned texture inspired by sekkei (the Japanese term for snow valley). The magnificent mountain scenery of the remaining snow juxtaposed with greenery on a summer mountain is reproduced in the contrast of the snow-white colour of the dial alongside the green of the rotating bezel and its ring of sapphire glass. 

Operating at 36,000 beats per hour, Calibre 9S86 boasts a 55-hour power reserve and achieves an accuracy rating of +5/-3 seconds per day. Additionally, it endows the SBGJ277 with genuine GMT functionality. This feature allows for independent adjustment of the local hour hand while the GMT hand remains fixed to the “home” time, which can be set to any desired non-local time zone. Upon arrival at a new destination, the wearer can swiftly advance the hour hand to the appropriate hour without the need to reset the entire watch.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting that the SBGJ277 features two 24-hour tracks – one on the chapter ring of the dial and another on the rotating bezel. As a result, it can effectively track a total of three time zones simultaneously.

SLGW003 ‘Birch Bark’ – Manual-Winding Mechanical Hi-Beat 36000

Manual winding, high-beat precision, and 80 hours of power. Introducing a new dress watch in the Evolution 9 Style.

This year, for the first time in more than 50 years, Grand Seiko announces a new hand-wound high-beat movement, the Calibre 9SA4. It will make its debut in a new dress watch belonging to the Evolution 9 Collection, whose design represents a continuation of the Grand Seiko Style that reaches back to the iconic 44GS of 1967.

Only this time, the Evolution 9 Style itself has been further refined to create a watch that instantly communicates the charm, elegance, grace, and subtlety one would expect of a hand-wound dress watch.

Several aspects of the design have been revisited – from the prominent, grooved indexes, which have been slimmed down and elongated, to the multifaceted lugs, which are now narrower and have a smaller surface area. The watch’s centre of gravity has been lowered to ensure the comfort and stability for which Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 creations have become renowned.

The case and clasp are made of Grand Seiko’s Brilliant Hard Titanium. The alloy is brighter than traditional titanium, causing the case’s Zaratsu-polished surfaces to appear even more radiant and achieving a sparkle of quality and beauty befitting a Grand Seiko dress watch. Brilliant Hard Titanium makes the watch not only light but also highly resistant to corrosion and scratches while commanding a hardness double that of standard stainless steel.

The new creation’s dial is inspired by the slender white birch trees that thrive in northern parts of Japan and that grow in profusion near the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi. The exquisite pattern echoes the beauty of the birch tree’s bark with its intricate, multi-dimensional texture. Combined with the watch’s elegant design and the movement’s high precision, the new creation offers a refined experience of the nature of time.

SLGH021 ‘Genbi Valley’ – High-Beat 36000 

A mechanical watch depicting the mysterious scenery of the Genbi Valley on its dial.

The Genbi Valley in Japan has been designated a Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument. It exists mid-stream on the Iwai River in Iwate Prefecture, where Grand Seiko’s mechanical watches are manufactured. The grand and mysterious scenery of the Genbi Valley is expressed in this watch’s dial via a new moulded pattern and light-green coloration.

The case and bracelet of the new SLGH021 incorporate Ever-Brilliant Steel, a material that boasts the highest level of corrosion resistance for stainless steel in the world, and this model is the first in the Evolution 9 Collection to feature it. The material’s tendency to exhibit a white-shine pairs well with the vivid green colour of the dial.

Through the use of the highly efficient Dual Impulse Escapement and twin barrels, Calibre 9SA5 achieves approximately 80 hours of operation when the watch is fully wound even with its a high-beat rate of 36,000 vph. The movement also allows the watches it powers to be more lightweight through a unique horizontal ring construction.

SBGC275 ‘Tokyo Lion’ – Calibre 9R 20^th Anniversary Limited Edition

A new colour-changing dial captures the shifting hues of a Shinshu sunrise against the Hotaka landscape.

The year 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the first Grand Seiko watch powered by the 9R Spring Drive movement series, which powers all Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches. In celebration of this milestone, a new Spring Drive Chronograph GMT inspired by this mountainous landscape in summer is born. The watch has been made possible by a new dial-processing technology that expresses the Japanese appreciation for the delicate transition of time as seen through the changing colours of summer mornings in this special place.

On summer mornings, for just 30 minutes before and after sunrise, the sun illuminates the peaks of the Hotaka mountain range in a particularly special way. The colour-changing dial, which represents this momentary light show, is made possible by a patented dial-coating process to be known as “Optical Multilayer Coating.” Instead of traditional techniques to colour the dial, the new technology uses a physical vapor deposition process. Several layers of nanoscale film create an effect in which the dial exhibits a different hue depending on the angle of view. Combined with the silent glide motion of the seconds hand, the transitioning dial colours bring a new dimension to the idea of the nature of time.

The newest Spring Drive Chronograph GMT features a powerful, angular case design inspired by the lion, a symbol of the brand since the first Grand Seiko watch in 1960. Synonymous with strength and courage, the lion represented the aim of the original Grand Seiko team to create the very best timepiece of which they were capable in terms of accuracy, legibility, durability, and beauty, and these values remain today. The lion’s presence is demonstrated in every detail of the new watch, such as the angularity of the case and the claw-like, hairline-finished lugs, which provide a point of contrast to the Zaratsu-polished surfaces.

Water resistant to 20 bar, the watch is made to ensure the highest level of performance in any sporting situation. The hour and minute hands are designed for heightened legibility, and the wide indexes further enhance the superior legibility for which Grand Seiko is renowned. The case and bracelet are made of high-intensity titanium, which is about 30% lighter than stainless steel and has a brighter colour. The bracelet, too, is designed for comfort, with thick, H-shaped links that easily conform to wrists of all sizes. The hour and minute hands, as well as the hour markers, have Lumibrite that glows green, while the GMT hand and the numbers on the bezel glow blue, enhancing the watch’s legibility in dark conditions.

The timepiece is powered by the Spring Drive Chronograph GMT Calibre 9R96, a specially adjusted version of Calibre 9R86. Calibre 9R96 delivers an accuracy of ±10 seconds per month, or ±0.5 seconds per day, compared to the ±15 seconds per month accuracy of the mainstay Spring Drive Chronograph GMT Calibre 9R86.

Limited edition of 700 pieces.

Enquire at J Farren-Price

Another year sees the birth of an outstanding selection of new Grand Seiko timepieces, in celebration of the Watches and Wonders Salon.

As a proud Grand Seiko Official Retailer, we invite you to enquire with us if you are looking to acquire one of the Grand Seiko 2024 novelties presented in this article. You may also visit our boutique at 80 Castlereagh Street, Sydney.