rand Seiko watchmakers took on the challenge of designing a manually wound high-beat movement while paying special attention to the tactile, aural, and visual sensations encountered during hand-winding to create an ideal experience for the watch’s owner.

The click is in the shape of the wagtail, a bird recognised as special to Morioka, a city close to the studio where the watch is made. The click and the click spring have been tailored to perfect their feel and sound, and the click’s bird-like pecking motion, together with the beauty of the movement’s finishing, can be enjoyed through the sapphire crystal case back during the hand-winding process. Thanks to the movement’s proprietary and highly efficient Dual Impulse Escapement and twin barrels, the new high-beat movement achieves a long power reserve of 80 hours to complement the feel and sound experienced during hand-winding.

The new movement is housed in an elegant dress watch measuring less than 10mm thick. The eye-catching white birch-inspired dial pattern adds a touch of sophistication to this fantastic representation of Japanese craftsmanship. The case and clasp of the watch are made of Grand Seiko’s Brilliant Hard Titanium. The alloy commands a hardness double that of standard stainless steel while shining brighter than traditional titanium. Using this special metal causes the case’s Zaratsu-polished surfaces to appear even more radiant while achieving a sparkle of quality and beauty befitting the first dress watch from the Evolution 9 Collection. Thanks to its thin, thoughtfully designed movement, the watch is a very comfortable 38.6mm in diameter and just 9.95mm thick.

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

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

REFERENCE
SLGW003

COLLECTION
Evolution 9

CASE MATERIAL
Brilliant Hard Titanium

BRACELET STRAP
Leather

BUCKLE
Folding buckle

DIAL FINISH
Textured dial

WATER RESISTANCE
30 m

SIZE
ø 38.6 mm

THICKNESS
9.95 mm

MOVEMENT
Manual-winding mechanical
Power reserve: 80 h, 36000 vph

FUNCTIONS
Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Power reserve indicator

PRICE INCL. VAT
11’700 CHF