The New Generation Grand Seiko Elegance Collection for the Biggest Stage

　Grand Seiko is evolving further by dividing its collections into three. In 2019, the Elegance Collection added a hand-wound mechanical movement and a Spring Drive movement, further emphasizing the dress watch aesthetic. While maintaining the codes of a dress watch, both models combine Grand Seiko style with exceptional practicality. The movements they are equipped with are also completely new.

Grand Seiko Must Go On

　Grand Seiko is popular beyond the realm of practical watches. The latest addition to the collection is the Elegance Collection, a hand-wound watch with a dress watch-like design. Shinichiro Kubo of the Seiko Watch Design Division explains the intention behind this model: "We created a design that is intended to be worn in formal and tense situations, such as weddings and award ceremonies."

　In order to make the watch thinner, the movement is manually wound, eliminating the rotor, and water resistance has been deliberately limited to 3 atmospheres. In addition, by narrowing the case sides and giving the dial a three-dimensional bombe shape, the watch has a sense of rhythm reminiscent of dress watches from the 1960s. Furthermore, Seiko's designers have managed to incorporate the essence of Grand Seiko into this thin dress watch. The strap is slightly narrow compared to the case size in order to emphasize the thick lugs that are a distinctive feature of Grand Seiko. The large crown, which is easy to grip with the fingers, is also an element unique to Grand Seiko.

[NEW] Cal.9S63 gear train

Caliber 9S64 gear train

The Elegance Collection SBGK006, which features a new dress design, is equipped with a newly designed hand-wound mechanical movement, Cal. 9S63. It is based on the existing hand-wound movement, Cal. 9S64, but a power reserve indicator has been added to accommodate different usage scenarios. To avoid increasing the watch's thickness, the seconds display has been changed to a small seconds hand. Moreover, rather than changing it using a module, the layout of the gear train itself has been revised. To achieve a balanced design, the power reserve indicator is located at 3 o'clock.

　The refined details are also characteristic of modern Grand Seiko. To improve the watch's wearing comfort, the new Elegance Collection watches are shorter. Kubo explains the reason for this: "We want the watch to fit the wrist so well that you won't even notice it's there." Normally, shortening the lugs improves handling, but it also diminishes the watch's dressiness. By adopting a new Zaratsu finish for the lugs, which features three-dimensional curves rather than two-dimensional ones, Grand Seiko has achieved both excellent comfort and the feel of a dress watch. The same goes for the hands. While typical Grand Seiko models feature five diamond-cut hour and minute hands, this model deliberately has only three. The reason is to highlight the sharpness of the design by only highlighting the area toward the outer edge of the dial. The clearance between the hands and the dial is tight, as is typical of a dress watch, but there is still some room for practicality.

　This same careful consideration extends to the movement. The SBGK006 is equipped with the caliber 9S63, a mechanical movement with a small seconds hand based on the masterpiece caliber 9S64. Changing the position of the second hand is usually done by using a module on the dial side. However, Grand Seiko has revamped the wheel train itself. Furthermore, despite being a small seconds hand, it features a scale with one-second increments, a testament to Grand Seiko's emphasis on precision. The Spring Drive movement is also based on the existing caliber 7R series. However, it has been equipped with a double barrel without excessively increasing the thickness, resulting in a power reserve of approximately three days. What both movements have in common is the combination of thinness and a long power reserve.

　This collection of elegant hand-wound watches successfully balances Grand Seiko's signature style with practicality while remaining true to the dress watch tradition. It's common knowledge in the watch industry that only top-tier manufacturers can create excellent dress watches. If that's the case, then these three watches demonstrate the maturity of Grand Seiko, a brand that has grown into a global brand.