Grand Seiko was the only Japanese brand to exhibit at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023. The Elegance Collection SBGZ009, unveiled at the world's largest watch fair, is a luxury watch of Japanese origin that depicts a snowy birch forest through the engraving on the case and the embossing on the dial.
Photographs by You Mitamura
Text by Hiroyuki Suzuki
Text by Hiroyuki Suzuki
Article published on June 2023, 4
Manual-wound Spring Drive (Cal. 9R02). 39 jewels. Power reserve approximately 84 hours. Pt case (diameter 38.5mm, thickness 9.8mm). Limited to 50 pieces worldwide (25 in Japan). 9,515,000 yen (tax included).
Japanese landscapes unveiled in Geneva
Going through the entrance to Palexpo and to the left, you will find a scene reminiscent of the old Baselworld. In the front row are Patek Philippe and Rolex. The design of the booths is familiar to us at Messe Basel, as are Chopard and Tudor.
Among these, Grand Seiko will be welcoming visitors with a completely new setup. Grand Seiko, which began exhibiting at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2022 last year, will welcome visitors with a woody, Japanese-style booth that embodies the brand philosophy of "THE NATURE OF TIME."
Grand Seiko is not perceived in overseas markets as "Seiko's top brand," as we would expect, but as a completely independent entity. What they are promoting is luxury, originating from Japan.
The origins of the "Japaneseness" expressed in Grand Seiko come from the location of the two workshops that assemble the highest-end models. The 9S mechanical movement, which is used in the Tentagraph, which has been a hot topic this year, is from Shizukuishi, Iwate. The striking dial pattern is inspired by the mountainside of the sacred Mount Iwate.
However, the Masterpiece Collection SBGZ009, equipped with the 9R Spring Drive, was a more striking model that more directly expressed Japanese sentiment.
This work, which follows in the footsteps of the ``White Birch'' (birch dial) model, which won the Men's Watch category award at the GPHG (Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix) in 2021, is based on the birch forests scattered around the Micro Artist Studio in Shiojiri, Nagano, which also produces the 9R Spring Drive and 9F Quartz watches.
This time, the sculpture incorporates the snowy scenery of the birch forest that spreads across the Yachiho Plateau in the northern Yatsugatake Mountains of Shinshu.
The slim case, 38.5mm in diameter and 9.8mm thick, is made of platinum and is completely hand-engraved. The neat arrangement of the blade marks against the tranquil shine of platinum is reminiscent of the bark of a white birch tree, or a lush forest in a snowy landscape.
