Grand Seiko: Watch Out 2022

Grand Seiko has a new Model is in Phase with Japan’s Seasonal Cycle

In 1967, Grand Seiko introduced the 62GS with automatic movement technology that meant the wearer never had to worry about their time piece winding down. Nonetheless, time stops for no one. So the company has now adapted the 24-stage seasonal cycle of Japanese antiquity, creating a version for each, mirroring the never ending march forward. In Japan, the four seasons are comprised of six phases or sekki, and the Land of the Rising Sun recognizes the distinct characteristics of each. As such, the cultural attention to detail helps align the passage of time to the human senses that inherently shift with the season.

Shunbun – SBGJ251 features spring sekki that, like a newborn, holds seemingly limitless promise like the blooms on the mountainous cherry trees and the sakura blossoms that paint the slopes. Thus, the green dial and rose gold accents allude to the kaleidoscope of spring color while it patiently awaits the solar apex to come.

In between, sakura blossoms drop to the water in phase and the resulting mass floatation is revered as rafts known as HANA-IKADA to the Japanese. Grand Seiko pays homage to this phenomena with the HANA-IKADA model. The pink dial conjures the essence of the brief but extended beauty of the sakura season. The brevity of spring blossoms is replaced by the plentiful green of summer, when a warm breeze overtakes the countryside. A zephyr known as KUN-PU, the lush fields of grass and shrubbery move in a mass wave. In turn, this Grand Seiko model features a rich green dial that will keep you in the moment no matter the season.

This season shall pass, and the rainy season arrives with the entrance of high summer. Shōsho, or the warm wind, remains creating a cascade of delicate ripples across the thousands of lakes and ponds. So Grand Seiko captures the shimmer in the dial of its Shōsho – SBGJ249, and you can ride the gentle wave all year long

Summer retreats and the moon grabs our attention as it moves silently amongst the chill that takes the place of warm days. KANRO – SBGE271 therefore foregoes the tick and has the second hand move silently against the dial. Japan can’t keep its eyes off the celestial ball either when autumn goes deeper. The moon gets brighter against the blackened sky and the dark blue dial of TSUKI-YO is reminiscent of the autumn clouds that surround the light show.

Summer retreats and the moon grabs our attention as it moves silently amongst the chill that takes the place of warm days. KANRO – SBGE271 therefore foregoes the tick and has the second hand move silently against the dial. Japan can’t keep its eyes off the celestial ball either when autumn goes deeper. The moon gets brighter against the blackened sky and the dark blue dial of TSUKI-YO is reminiscent of the autumn clouds that surround the light show. Grand Seiko marks the shortest (Tōji) and coldest (Daikan) days of year with the promise of showing illumination is actually within reach. So this model’s dial glitters like that of the sunlight coming off the snow and puts beauty above the stiff winds and the solitary cold of winter.

Of course, the inspiring design is evenly matched with precision engineering. Dividing the workload, the spring and winter models are assembled at the Shinshu Watch Studio. There, the 9R65 automatic spring drive movement is guided under the hand of sophisticated modern technology and the skilled knowledge of a master craftsman. As a result, the finest adjustments and highest precision is possible. The same goes for the assemblage of the Summer and Autumn homages. The Shizukuishi Studio winds up automatically by applying innovation to the precision controlling mainspring, the hairspring, and the escapement. All together, the movement reveals the pure power and dynamism of the Mechanical Hi-Beat 36,000.You can just let the time of day roll off your sleeve and get a glance of the seasons in the sekki that Japan and Grand Seiko hold dear.