A little more than 20 years ago, the Spring Drive technology made its debut in a Grand Seiko watch. That now-classic calibre is still the basis for the 9R series that powers all Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches. To celebrate this milestone, Grand Seiko busted out a new Spring Drive Chronograph GMT, inspired by the mountainous landscape in summer. This watch features a novel “dial-processing” technology that captures the Japanese appreciation for the delicate transition of time, reflected in the changing colours of summer mornings in this special place. In other words, this is Grand Seiko putting its interpretation of nature onto a dial.

To be more specific, the reddish hue is what the watchmakers see on summer mornings, for just 30 minutes before and after sunrise, when the sun illuminates the peaks of the Hotaka mountain range in
a unique way. The colour-changing dial of the watch represents this moment, made possible by a patented “Optical Multilayer Coating” process; savvy collectors will recognise this as a hallmark technology of the Seiko Epson watchmaking facility where one can see the Hotaka mountain range light up. Layers of nanoscale film come together to create an effect where the dial exhibits different hues depending on the viewing angle <having seen the watch in person, we can report that this is indeed very cool, as long as one does not expect the colours to change radically.

The new SBGC275 features the beefy and angular Tokyo Lion design. This lion’s presence is evident in the angular case and claw-like, hairline-finished lugs, which contrast with the Zaratsu-polished surfaces. Water-resistant to 200 meters, the watch is technically a go-anywhere-do-anything kind of piece, with caveats. The hour and minute hands are designed for enhanced legibility, and the wide indexes further boost the superior readability for which Grand Seiko is renowned.

The case and bracelet are made of high-intensity titanium, about 30 percent lighter than stainless steel, and brighter to boot. The bracelet is crafted for comfort, with thick, H-shaped links that promise easy conformity. The hour and minute hands, as well as the hour markers, are coated with green-glowing Lumibrite, while the GMT hand and the numbers on the bezel glow blue, enhancing legibility in the dark.

The timepiece is powered by the Spring Drive Chronograph GMT Caliber 9R96, a riff on Caliber 9R86. Caliber 9R96 offers an accuracy of ±10 seconds per month, or ±0.5 seconds per day, compared with the well-known ±15 seconds per month accuracy of Caliber 9R86.

Movement: Spring Drive Calibre 9R96 with chronograph and second-time zone; 72-hour power reserve
Case: 44.5mm in titanium; water-resistant to 200m
Strap: Bracelet
Price: USD 13,400; limited edition of 700

This story was first seen on WOW’s Summer 2024 Issue.

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