Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko Introduces the Evolution 9 Sports Watches and Some Serious Sparkle
Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko Introduces the Evolution 9 Sports Watches and Some Serious Sparkle
At Watches & Wonders, the releases on hand are both sporty and sparkly. The latter is in the form of a Masterpiece Collection talking point, SBGD209. According to Grand Seiko, this jewelry piece takes its inspiration from a white lion, and certainly, this 44.5mm platinum-cased, 267-diamond encrusted, white-leather-strapped creation has a certain over-the-top Vegas appeal, but there’s no doubting the virtuosity of its construction. The superb manually wound, eight-day Spring Drive caliber 9R01 is one of the most beautiful full-plate casebacks we’ve ever seen. It’s also remarkable that even with a dial set with 94 baguette-cut diamonds, legibility is not an issue, thanks to the black spinels that serve as hour markers and the muscular, sporty handset employed on this awesomely ostentatious masterpiece.
The five new watches are all powered by Spring Drives and feature two GMTs, two chronographs and a diver. SBGE283 and SBGE285 are the GMTs, powered by the caliber 9R66, and cased in 41mm high-intensity titanium cases, with fixed 24-hour bezels and unsurprisingly exceptional dials — in particular, the light gray dial inspired by the early morning mist in the region of Shinshu, where Grand Seiko’s Spring drives are created.
Tech Specs
Grand Seiko Masterpiece Collection Spring Drive 8 Days Jewellery Watch
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, power reserve on rear
Case: 44.5mm x 14.4mm; Platinum 950; set with 112 diamonds
Strap: White crocodile strap
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, second time zone, date, power reserve indicator
Case: 41mm x 13.9mm; high-intensity titanium; water-resistant to 100m
Strap: High-intensity titanium with three-fold clasp
Grand Seiko Chronograph 15th Anniversary Limited Edition
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, second time zone, date, power reserve indicator
Case: 45.3mm x 15.8mm; high-intensity titanium; water-resistant to 100m
Strap: High-intensity titanium with three-fold clasp
Availability: Limited to 700 pieces
Grand Seiko Chronograph
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, second time zone, date, power reserve indicator
Case: 45.3mm x 15.8mm; high-intensity titanium; water-resistant to 100m
Strap: High-intensity titanium with three-fold clasp
Grand Seiko Diver’s Watch
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve indicator
Case: 43.8mm x 13.8mm; high-intensity titanium; water-resistant to 200m
Strap: High-intensity titanium; three-fold clasp with secure lock and extender