A pattern has emerged over the years at Grand Seiko: change is gradual, until it reaches a tipping point. Just as the slow formation of mountain ranges and coastlines, carved by the sea, unfolds quietly, significant transformations often take place quietly. For a manufacture whose connection with time is inspired by the delicate changes of sekki (micro seasons) and the observation of light and shadow, refinements are often understated, to say the least.
At first glance, the immediate talking point of the renewed Grand Seiko Evolution 9 collection is the beautifully reworked dials. The direction follows the brand’s long-standing tradition of capturing or translating fleeting landscapes into miniature canvases. However, the true story is shrouded beneath these sceneries: a new generation of calibres representing Grand Seiko’s consequential leap forward.
The Spring Drive has been one of Grand Seiko’s storied inventions, combining the best of what mechanical and quartz movements have to offer. After landmark iterations over the years, the Japanese watchmaker reached another milestone with its Spring Drive Calibre 9RB2, achieving an annual accuracy deviation of ±20 seconds under its Ultra Fine Accuracy (U.F.A.) designation. Its quartz oscillator was aged for three months to accompany a newly designed IC. Both the oscillator and sensor are vacuum-sealed to minimise temperature fluctuations and protect against humidity, static and light, ensuring a stable environment for the components. Power reserve has also been optimised for up to 72 hours of autonomous operation.
The Calibre 9RB2, now in its sophomore year, appears in five of the nine Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Renewal models. Familiar favourites such as the Lake Suwa reprise its appearance with three distinct expressions. The picturesque Nagano lake, glistening in a resplendent shade of blue under the morning sun, is captured by the SLGB013 (40mm) and SLGB015 (37mm). As nightfall comes, the moonlit lake’s surface makes its debut within the Lake Suwa collection with its first-ever black dial in the SLGB007. Unlike its two other Ever-Brilliant Steel case-and-bracelet siblings, the SLGB007 is housed in a High-Intensity Titanium case. Two other models, the SLGB009 White Birch and SLGB011 Atera Valley, round up the Calibre 9RB2 models. The former debuted in 2021 and served as the physical and conceptual crystallisation of the Evolution 9 style and design language.
The nostalgic ones who prefer the White Birch with its original flagship mechanical Calibre 9SA5 will be thrilled to learn that Grand Seiko is preserving all the key specifications sans case material. For the first time, the model inspired by the wintry white birch forest of Iwate Prefecture features an Ever-Brilliant Steel case and bracelet (SLGB031). Two other interpretations of the White Birch are unveiled. A deep black dial of the SLGH029 in High-Intensity Titanium captures the stillness of the night in the white birch forests of the Hiraniwa Plateau, while the verdant greens of the SLGH033 in Ever-Brilliant Steel evoke a birch forest summerscape. Grand Seiko turns to the Genbikei Gorge off the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi to conclude the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Renewal models. The SLGH035 Genbi Valley features a turquoise-blue dial that recalls the crisp, refreshing Iwai River in summer. It is also housed in an Ever-Brilliant Steel case and is powered by the Calibre 9SA5. While the calibre debuted more than five years ago, it remains an important milestone for Grand Seiko. Its Dual Impulse Escapement is the second non-Swiss lever escapement to achieve series production in a wristwatch after the Co-axial. The high-frequency movement is accurate to +5 to -3 seconds per day and is supported by a twin-barrel system with two mainsprings to offer 80 hours of power reserve.
Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 Renewal collection may tell stories of naturescapes, but its true narrative is one of progress. Beneath familiar favourites and new interpretations beats a generation of movements that demonstrate Grand Seiko’s philosophy and consequential leap forward.
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