REVOLUTION_International_Vol 54

FROM SHIZUKUISHI
Grand Seiko’s mechanical watches are born in its Morioka
facility, in the Shizukuishi area, in the north of Honshu
island. It’s a mountainous, forested part of Japan, and very
beautiful. It’s also an inspiration for Grand Seiko’s watches
— for example, the famously subtle Mt. Iwate dials take
their name from a nearby peak. This year, apart from all
the remarkable releases the brand has presented, it’s also
opening the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, which will
expand its production and offer guests a better discovery
experience. If a trip to Japan isn’t on your radar, Grand
Seiko has two other celebrations planned: the limited
edition manually-wound dress watches SBGW263 and
SBGW264, the former an incredible affair in hand-worked
platinum, the latter a green and gold stunner.
With a 39mm platinum case, SBGW263 is already a
refined offering but its dial takes it to the next level. This
watch doesn’t rely on pattern or printing to dazzle, but
rather on the meticulous hand engraving of master engraver
Kiyoshi Terui and his small team. All the details on this dial:
the chapter ring, the hours, the hands and even the Grand
Seiko logo itself is peerlessly engraved out of white gold,
with precise strokes of a razor-sharp buren. As you can
imagine, this time-consuming piece is an exceptionally
limited affair, with only 20 pieces being made.
The second limited-edition celebrating Shizukuishi is
the SBGW264, again, a 9S64-powered manually winding
affair in rose gold — 39mm across and a comparatively
slender 11.6mm tall. The gold of the case is contrasted
beautifully by the deep, forest green dial, which has been
machine engraved with an intricate pattern. The dial
shimmers green and white, much like the forest of silver
birch trees of Shizukuishi. The dial and hands on this model,
as with SBGW263, are slightly and subtly curved, for greater
legibility and elegance. This watch is limited to 120 pieces,
and both models are available from July.
The reference
STGK015, the
60th Anniversary
edition featuring a
specially developed
automatic
movement, the
9S27, for its
ladies’ models.
The reference
SBGO007 with a
9F85 quartz caliber
featuring a quick
hour adjustment.
The star at ‘6’
o’clock references
its special dial with
solid gold markers.
For those who prefer a more commercially popular Grand
Seiko look, four new models in contemporary styling and
the Grand Seiko’s iconic blue have been released. Two of
the models bear the mechanical movement, one for each
gender. For the gents, the Heritage Collection Hi-Beat
36000 Limited Edition abide by Mr Tanaka’s Grammar
of Design, updated by current designer Nobuhiro Kosugi,
with Zaratsu polished surfaces on angled curved lugs with a
similarly worked bracelet. This model references the 44GS
that’s emblematic of Grand Seiko watch designs since,
with a high-beat 9S85 caliber offering a 55-hour power
reserve and a precision of -3/+5 seconds. On the dial, the
‘GS’ logo is in gold, with a red seconds hand and details to
commemorate this as a 60th anniversary model.
The women’s model is styled in a round case, inspired to
some extent by the original 19GS model made for ladies with
a row of diamonds on the bezel along with diamond hour
markers. The dial is in blue mother-of-pearl and the watch
is powered by an automatic 9S27 caliber developed for
Grand Seiko’s women’s models. The watch is limited to 300
pieces worldwide, and the men’s Heritage model to 1,500
pieces across the globe.
Two quartz models have also been created in the
Heritage and Sport lines, featuring a new Grand Seiko
caliber, the 9F85. The new movement sports a quick-hour
adjustment, controlled via the crown, to allow for easy time
zone changes on the watch. The Heritage model is styled
in classic Grand Seiko looks with a gold plate featuring
the Seiko lion emblazoned on the back. The Sport edition
features a ceramic blue bezel and both are sized at 40mm,
paired with a three-link steel bracelet.
We’re sure that we’ll be seeing more Grand Seiko
models released throughout the year (a 56GS from 1970,
perhaps?). Whatever the case, this is a year to celebrate the
best of Japanese watchmaking.
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