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All the watch news, reviews, videos you want, brought to you from fellow collectors
All the watch news, reviews, videos you want, brought to you from fellow collectors
Grand Seiko has long drawn inspiration from nature, and Mt Iwate, one of the most active volcanoes in Japan located in the Iwate Prefecture, has been a muse for the brand since 2006. The mountain’s striking landscape is visible from the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, where all of the brand’s mechanical watches are crafted. It is also the birthplace of the Evolution 9 collection, launched in 2020 to celebrate Grand Seiko’s 60th anniversary. The newest, Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Mount Iwate Ice-Blue SLGH027, joins the prestigious Evolution 9 collection, featuring an intricately textured dial bringing alive the ridges of Mt. Iwate seen from the sky, rendered in a soft blue hue that evokes the region’s pure air and water.
The 40mm watch carries all the core ethos of the Evolution 9 collection—beauty, legibility, and comfort. The case is crafted in ever-brilliant steel, a high-grade stainless steel with superior corrosion resistance, and finished with alternate Zaratsu polishing (a Japanese technique to impart a mirror-like finish) and hairline finish for a delicate texture. It comes flanked with a steel bracelet designed with wide links, and the case has a low centre of gravity, making the watch sit comfortably on the wearer’s wrist. Greatly legible through the box sapphire crystal, the grooved hour markers and hands, and the date window at 3 o’clock complement the dial’s texture, as well as the blue central sweeping seconds hand.
Driving the timepiece is the Caliber 9SA5, which utilises Dual Impulse Escapement and twin barrels to offer a power reserve of about 80 hours. The movement beats at a frequency of 36,000 vph or 5 Hz for an enhanced precision of +5 to -3 seconds per day. Visible through the sapphire caseback, even the movement bears the nature-inspired beauty, adorned with the pattern of the rippling waves of the Shizukuishi River which flows near the brand’s studio.
The watch is a limited edition of 1,200 and will be available for purchase starting May. It is priced at ₹9,50,000 (approx.)
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What we think -
Once again, Grand Seiko masterfully blends craftsmanship with nature-inspired aesthetics, reaffirming its deep connection to the natural world. With its intricately sculpted dial and high-beat automatic movement boasting an extensive power reserve, it justifies its price point.
Grand Seiko has long drawn inspiration from nature, and Mt Iwate, one of the most active volcanoes in Japan located in the Iwate Prefecture, has been a muse for the brand since 2006. The mountain’s striking landscape is visible from the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, where all of the brand’s mechanical watches are crafted. It is also the birthplace of the Evolution 9 collection, launched in 2020 to celebrate Grand Seiko’s 60th anniversary. The newest, Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Mount Iwate Ice-Blue SLGH027, joins the prestigious Evolution 9 collection, featuring an intricately textured dial bringing alive the ridges of Mt. Iwate seen from the sky, rendered in a soft blue hue that evokes the region’s pure air and water.
The 40mm watch carries all the core ethos of the Evolution 9 collection—beauty, legibility, and comfort. The case is crafted in ever-brilliant steel, a high-grade stainless steel with superior corrosion resistance, and finished with alternate Zaratsu polishing (a Japanese technique to impart a mirror-like finish) and hairline finish for a delicate texture. It comes flanked with a steel bracelet designed with wide links, and the case has a low centre of gravity, making the watch sit comfortably on the wearer’s wrist. Greatly legible through the box sapphire crystal, the grooved hour markers and hands, and the date window at 3 o’clock complement the dial’s texture, as well as the blue central sweeping seconds hand.
Driving the timepiece is the Caliber 9SA5, which utilises Dual Impulse Escapement and twin barrels to offer a power reserve of about 80 hours. The movement beats at a frequency of 36,000 vph or 5 Hz for an enhanced precision of +5 to -3 seconds per day. Visible through the sapphire caseback, even the movement bears the nature-inspired beauty, adorned with the pattern of the rippling waves of the Shizukuishi River which flows near the brand’s studio.
The watch is a limited edition of 1,200 and will be available for purchase starting May. It is priced at ₹9,50,000 (approx.)
—
What we think -
Once again, Grand Seiko masterfully blends craftsmanship with nature-inspired aesthetics, reaffirming its deep connection to the natural world. With its intricately sculpted dial and high-beat automatic movement boasting an extensive power reserve, it justifies its price point.
