Last year at Watches and Wonders, Grand Seiko focused on precision, compact sizing, and nature-inspired design across five key novelties (remember those icy forest dials?) This year, they’re doubling down on that, keeping their gaze looking outward in the direction of nature with six main new releases.
The headliners here are these pairs of diver’s watches, powered by the new Spring Drive U.F.A. movement, calibre 9RB1. Building off the success of last year’s Spring Drive calibre 9RB2—which earned the moniker of being the most accurate wristwatch movement powered by a mainspring—the new and improved 9RB1 now includes a power reserve indicator, all the while holding that same ±20 seconds per year accuracy.
At 40.8mm, this is the smallest Seiko has ever gone with a diver’s watch—no small feat considering its full 300m diving capability. Both case and bracelet are moulded from high-intensity titanium, shaving off about 30% of the weight compared to stainless steel, which means it wears lighter than it looks.
On the dial, you have options of either a blue or green Ushio dial, both inspired by the waters that surround the Japanese archipelago. Ushio, translating to “tide” in Japanese, is directly manifested as wave patterns that do a great job emulating the depth and tranquillity of the real thing.
It’s currently springtime in Japan, which means the cherry blossoms are blooming. Think of auburn overhead and the softness of fresh leaves underfoot. The smell of fresh-cut grass, a petal drifting across a lake. This is the portrait Grand Seiko hopes to paint with the latest trio of additions to its Heritage Collection.
The “Sakura Wakaba” SBGH376 embodies the warmth of spring with a feathery green dial that carries the same spirit of fallen leaves. The 38mm case is rendered in 18k yellow gold, reinforcing an earthy sentiment, especially when paired with the brown alligator strap. Powered by the calibre 9S85, the self-winding watch sports a classic broad-sided case style lifted from the ‘60s. And because it’s bezel-free, the watch is not only more svelte, but also versatile enough to allow light from various angles to reach the dial.
The “Hana-Ikada 32” SBGX363 and “Hana-Ikada Blue” SBGX365 channels the same energy of cherry blossoms and spring onto the wrist in women’s watches. The former captures the softness of floating sakura petals, whilst the latter focuses on cherry blossom petals drifting in the night. At 32.3mm, they are essentially smaller versions of the “Sakura Wakaba”, the only difference being that the calibre 9S85 is swapped for a quartz 9F51 movement.
The SBGZ011 transports you to a forest in Shinshu, Japan, where water from the tranquil Tateshina waterfall flows endlessly. Home to the artisans at the Micro Artist Studio, Grand Seiko has enlisted them to transpose the spirit of the waterfall onto the watch’s dial.
Through deft engravings that run in all directions, it captures the chaos of undercurrents formed by the splash of spring water into the riverbed. These hand engravings extend from dial to bezel, capturing light from every possible angle and radiating it back with intense clarity. The diamond-cut markers, made of 14k white gold, only add to this sharpness, completing its brilliant appearance.
The piece is powered by the manual-winding Spring Drive calibre 9R02, the brand’s thinnest Spring Drive movement on offer, echoing the wispy nature of water. Two straps are offered with this piece—the classic black crocodile leather strap, and another finished with metallic accents designed to aptly emulate the shape of splashing water.
Due to the intricacies and sheer number of hours involved in crafting each piece, only 50 creations will be released under the Grand Seiko catalogue worldwide.
