The editorial team of the watch magazine Chronos Japan covered Watches & Wonders 2025, the trade fair for new watch releases. This article, originally published in the magazine under the title "New watches that shone in Geneva: The keywords were 'color' and 'small diameter,'" is now republished on webChronos. The first article focuses on Grand Seiko, whose Spring Drive UFA watch has generated a lot of buzz. The interview with President and CEO Akio Naito is also a must-read.
This automatic Spring Drive watch aims for the highest precision of any spring-driven watch. Even though it is regulated by an IC, its ultra-high precision, at the annual rate, is simply astonishing. The dial, inspired by the frost-covered trees of Kirigamine, is a styling characteristic of the GS. Automatic Spring Drive (Cal. 9RB2). 34 jewels. Power reserve of approximately 72 hours. Pt case (diameter 37.0mm, thickness 11.4mm). Water resistant to 10 bar. Limited to 80 pieces worldwide (40 of which are in Japan).
Photographs by Ryotaro Horiuchi
Hiroyuki Suzuki and Masamasa Hirota (this magazine): Interview and text
Text by Hiroyuki Suzuki, Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yuto Hosoda (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2025 issue of Kronos Japan]
The challenge of ultra-high precision, nuanced colors, and genuine playfulness
The Spring Drive UFA has attracted particularly strong attention from both domestic and international press. A PR representative tweeted that this year everyone has been asking about it, paradoxically indicating the level of interest. As the name UFA, a play on the classic VFA, suggests, the ultra-high precision of ±20 seconds per year is astonishing, but the fact that it fits into a 37mm case also generated a lot of buzz. While we'll save the details for another time, this is a watch that symbolizes this year, strongly suggesting a swing back from oversized watches.
With its small diameter and bezel-less styling, this is the thinnest among automatic mechanical GS watches. The dial, inspired by the image of blooming cherry blossoms covered in a thin layer of snow, is expressed in a subtle nuance of pale pink. Automatic winding (Cal. 9S27). 35 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve of approximately 50 hours. Stainless steel case (diameter 30mm, thickness 10.5mm). Water resistant to 10 bar.
This year, the Tentagraph has been added to the regular model lineup. The new color, SLGC007, depicts Mount Iwate covered in winter snow in snow blue. The stamping is the same as the previous model, but this one depicts a daytime scene. Automatic winding (Cal. 9SC5). 60 jewels. 36,000 vph. Power reserve: approximately 72 hours. Bright titanium case (diameter 43.2mm, thickness 15.3mm). Water resistant to 10 bar.
Another small watch worth noting is the 30mm diameter "62GS." Its bezel-less design makes it the thinnest among the automatic GS models. Two colors have been announced: the pale pink "Sakura Kakushi" (STGK031) and the slightly gold-toned "Sakura Tsukiyo" (STGK033), both of which beautifully express subtle nuances of color.
The one that caught my interest was the "Tokyo Lion," which is an interesting design challenge that tries to interpret the GS style to its fullest extent. Its design, which is a manufacturing challenge, involves connecting the separate grooves on the bezel and lugs, and the inclusion of internal guide parts to ensure the feel of the deformed pushers, is a serious approach that goes beyond mere design play and is very GS-like.
This is an interesting attempt to interpret Grand Seiko's strict "GS Style" design code, which it defines as its own in-house standard, in the widest possible way. The "Tokyo Lion" case, which has been available in limited quantities since 2019, is equipped with a Tentagraph movement, and the bezel styling has been completely revamped. Not only are the octagonal bezel sides and the grooves on the concave lug tops perfectly aligned, but they also have a more dignified expression than the standard grooves. Automatic winding (Cal. 9SC5). 60 jewels. 36,000 vph. Power reserve approximately 72 hours. Brilliant hard titanium case (diameter 43.0 mm, thickness 15.6 mm). Water resistant to 20 bar.
Spring Drive is the key to increasing brand recognition among a wide range of users
Born in 1960, Hattori Seiko joined the company after graduating from university. After serving as President of Seiko Australia, General Manager of Legal Affairs at Seiko Holdings, Managing Director, and President of Grand Seiko America, he was appointed Vice President of Seiko Watch in December 2019. He has held his current position since April 2021. During his tenure as President of Grand Seiko America, he overhauled distribution and marketing, helping to make Grand Seiko a top brand in the American market.
Grand Seiko is now gaining recognition not only in Japan but also overseas. It goes without saying that becoming an independent brand and exhibiting at Watches & Wonders, which began in 2022, have contributed to this. However, even before that, Grand Seiko entered the American market and now has a market share comparable to that of major Swiss manufacturers. The driving force behind this was Akio Naito, President and CEO of Seiko Watch.
"Honestly, the overseas luxury market has been tough for the past two years, but I think GS has remained relatively strong. Even in the US, it seems like sales aren't as strong as before, but in fact, Americans visiting Japan are making inbound purchases, contributing to domestic GS sales. In other words, if you add that in, I think there is still room for growth in the US market. Ten years ago, it was unimaginable that Americans would come to Japan and buy GS. There was inbound tourism in the past, but it was mainly Chinese people and they mainly bought affordable products. The current situation is probably due to GS's increased global recognition. However, the impact of the Trump tariffs is unknown. It's impossible to predict." Naito emphasizes the influence brought about by Watches & Wonders' participation.
"When we were approached by the Watches & Wonders secretariat about exhibiting, we conveyed our requests: to form an ongoing partnership, to ensure that it remains a luxury festival, and to provide a venue worthy of Grand Seiko. With all of these commitments secured and now exhibiting, we feel that we have been recognized as mainstream by the European media and retail industry." However, Naito says that there is still a lack of awareness among ordinary customers. One trump card for appealing to originality is Spring Drive. "At one point, other companies released movements with similar mechanisms, right?" It is true that Piaget commercially sold a small number of movements similar to Spring Drive, but ultimately gave up on mass production.
"When you think about it, Spring Drive is one of a kind. In its history of over a quarter of a century, no other company has released a comparable model. And it has received high praise in the American market." As he stated, a major reason for Grand Seiko's success in the United States is the extremely precise Spring Drive with its mainspring drive. Considering this, it makes sense that Grand Seiko announced a new model this year that combines the unique Spring Drive with unparalleled precision.
"However, we have prioritized the development of the movement, so we think the exterior is only half-way there. We are certainly putting effort into the expression of the embossing on the dial. We have also evolved the bracelet. However, we intend to continue expanding it in the future." And one more thing.
"We will develop a representative model who will be the face of the brand in order to increase awareness among a wide range of users."
