Big news today from Japan: the all-new Grand Seiko Elegance Collection brings a new slim case, some very special dials and, to top it all off, a new Grand Seiko Caliber 9S63 hand-wound mechanical caliber. (However, Grand Seikos recent pricing anomalies seem to endure.) More on all this below.Continue reading

Its growing harder and harder to recognize Grand Seiko as the cult watch that it once was, no thanks in part to its justifiable rise in popularity and passionate fanbase in the United States. But the North American fans that buoyed the brand on this side of the world for the better part of the last decade have yet to be acknowledged for th [...]

Seikos Spring Drive movement can divide opinion, as it stands on the border, with a foot in the province of the mechanical, and the other foot in the province of quartz. This hybridized movement may polarize watch lovers, but its detail and craftsmanship are unifying. Watching one of the few people in the world capable of assembling the h [...]

This is clearly the year of the GMT, though unlike the vintage re-issue craze and the two-tone and bronze material fads, this is one trend that I am all too happy to support. As a genuinely useful complication for both travel, and international collaboration alike, a good GMT is one of the last few watch complications that quickly relay crucial informa [...]

When Grand Seiko first announced its T0 constant force tourbillon concept movement in 2020, it immediately caused a stir in the enthusiast community despite not being fitted to a watch. Not only was this Grand Seikos first-ever tourbillon, it was also the brands first constant force mechanism, and the first movement in the world to combine the two escapeme [...]

Recently, Grand Seiko introduced a new line called Evolution 9, which takes inspiration from the iconic 44GS, the brands very first watch from 1964. As of now, the Evolution 9 has been comprised of dressier pieces like the SLGA009, AKA the White Birch, and the striking SLGA007, but now Grand Seiko is adding five sports watches to the collection for Watches Wonders 2 [...]

Since the Grand Seiko SBGN00X series was released back in 2018, Ive been more than a little interested in getting my hands on one. Given the watch communitys enthusiastic response to Grand Seikos first 9F quartz GMT-powered watches, Im clearly not alone. The big question mark in my mind was how I would get on with a quartz watch (albeit a Grand Seiko quartz, which is a differe [...]

In whats become something of a tradition, Grand Seiko has just released a trio of watches in its Elegance Collection exclusively for the USA market at the Couture show in Las Vegas. (Youll remember a few years back when the brand launched its USA exclusive Seasons Collection at the Vegas trade show.) Variations on the classic manual wind dress watch SBGW231, each piece in this this trio is a take on the different sha [...]

2021 has been a prolific year so far for Grand Seiko, as its parent company celebrates a landmark 140th anniversary. Nearly every aspect of the brands lineup from its Hi-Beat automatic movements to its sporty quartz models, has received special limited edition treatments to mark the anniversary, but the lions share of the Japanese luxury marques releases this year have come from [...]

Do you know that feeling when you first see a watch and you are stunned by its beauty? I certainly hope you do because its so much of what makes this hobby great. When I first took the Grand Seiko SBGJ249 Shosho Hi-Beat watch out of its box, I was in absolute awe-and I have had more than a fair chance to grow used to the u [...]

Since it was codified in the mid-60s, the Grammar of Design stylistic philosophy has been a recurring theme in Grand Seiko design. This angular, faceted, highly polished aesthetic has come to define the look of the Japanese brand in contrast to some of its Swiss rivals, and even today this uniquely Japanese visual language helps to shape the look of Grand Seikos newest offering [...]

Grand Seiko makes many GMTs. At current count, there are no fewer than 40 watches that feature a GMT complication across the Elegance, Heritage, and Sport collections with options in Spring Drive, Hi-Beat, and 9F quartz movements. The issue, of course, has been that the sporty GMTs with Spring Drive or Hi-Beat movements have only been available in a hefty 44mm- [...]

When Grand Seiko released the new Caliber 9SA5 Hi-Beat movement last year, the brand debuted it in the sunburst dial yellow gold SLGH002 and followed up with a steel birch textured dial model a few weeks back. Now, we see a high-end iteration that shows off what Grand Seiko does best on both the dial and movement sides. The newly released Grand Seiko SLGH007 Seiko 140th Anniver [...]

The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph GMT 140th Anniversary SBGC240 debuts as the latest rendition of Grand Seikos mighty impressive Spring Drive Chronograph GMT. Having owned the predecessor of this watch, I have written an extensive review, a long-term review, and a comprehensive look at the amazing history [...]

The natural beauty of Japan has been at the heart of Grand Seikos design inspiration for the past several years, with models inspired by everything from snowdrifts to tree bark to the delicate tones and textures of cherry blossoms. One of the standout examples of this philosophy is the 2019 Seasons collection, a series of four North American exclusive designs aimed at highli [...]

Its been right around 18 months now that I have owned my?Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph SBGC001-in my mind long enough to make me want to write what I had already planned when I got the watch: a long-term review. I have written an ode of a review to the watch here and I have also written what I believe to be the most exhaustive ar [...]

As Baselworld 2018 approaches, one of the highlights of the upcoming watch trade show mission is to determine what new products our friends in Japan have been working on. At Grand Seiko one of the new timepieces will be a limited edition homage to the brands past (again) with this Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Special Edition reference SBGH263. Limited to only 453 [...]

Its no secret that watch enthusiasts tend to have a love for Grand Seiko that Ive always likened to that of an indie music snobs fondness of an obscure band thats loved by their peers but relatively unknown to the masses (any old Broken Social Scene fans out there?). Grand Seiko watches are exceptionally made and the epitome of stealth wealth in a lot of ways [...]

For Baselworld 2017, Grand Seiko made the announcement that they are now independent from Seiko as an autonomous brand. They are marking the occasion and honoring their history by rereleasing their first watch line from 1960 as well as a brand-new modern reinterpretation for 2017. The Grand Seiko SBGW251, SBGW252, and SBGW253?are rereleases of the simple [...]