Grand Seiko Presents Two Completely Different Tentagraph Watches: The Cool Evolution 9 SLGC007 And The Wild Tokyo Lion SLGC009

When Grand Seiko launched the first Tentagraph in 2023, it was also the brand’s first all-mechanical chronograph. Two years later, two new Tentagraph models debut — the Evolution 9 SLGC007, which is a new colorway of the 2023 SLGC001, and the bold Tokyo Lion SLGC009, a watch in the Sport Collection. Yes, Grand Seiko presents two completely different watches with only the Tentagraph name and the movement in common. In appearance, these Hi-Beat chronographs are complete opposites.

Like the 2023 SLGC001, the 2025 SLGC007 Tentagraph is a member of the Evolution 9 collection. This means you get a chiseled case with an athletic look. The design is rooted in the past, and Grand Seiko interpreted it in a contemporary fashion. The result is a 43.2mm high-intensity titanium case with a 15.3mm thickness — modern proportions by all means.

The new-for-2025 Grand Seiko Tentagraph watches

The angular SLGC007 Tentagraph is quite an impressive creation. That’s not just due to its size, though, because credit also goes to the two convex chronograph pushers and a screw-down crown protected by modern, faceted crown guards. The detailing is as great as the level of finishing. As you would expect from a “GS,” you get brushed surfaces mixed with Zaratsu-polished bevels for extra visual impact.

Such a “cool” new dial

Just like the first iteration of the Tentagraph, the new SLGC007 bears a black ceramic bezel featuring a white tachymeter scale. Additionally, the watch features a box-shaped sapphire crystal that completes the curvaceous overall shape. Finishing everything off is a titanium bracelet with a micro-adjustable folding clasp. The new Evolution 9 Collection Tentagraph SLGC007 (€15,000) trades an intensely dark blue dial for a much lighter one inspired by Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi’s direct environment. This frost-blue dial shows a shade and pattern that evokes Mt. Iwate, the snow-capped volcano overlooking the region. The color might be inspired by the harsh winters in the mountains, but the use of it on a dial is, well, let’s call it “cool.”

The layout of the frosty dial shows three recessed registers at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. You will find the running seconds at 3 o’clock, a 30-minute chronograph counter at 9, and a 12-hour chronograph totalizer at 6 o’clock. Another great feature of the dial is the presence of meticulously finished applied indexes and hands. The date window between 4 and 5 o’clock might not be for everyone, but it also doesn’t disturb the overall look of the dial. The color, texture, indexes, and hands just look too good to result in a negative appreciation of the date window, although I realize that’s a personal observation.

A fast-beating chronograph in the house

Grand Seiko’s 9SC5 movement powers both new Tentagraph creations. This automatic chronograph caliber ticks at 36,000 beats per hour, equaling 10 beats per second. It’s an impressive piece of watchmaking that ensures high accuracy both throughout the day and when measuring elapsed time. The Tentagraph’s movement has an accuracy of +5 to -3 seconds per day, achieved over 20 days of testing. As a result, it stays well within COSC chronometer standards (+6 to -4 seconds average daily rate on the first 10 days of testing). Caliber 9SC5 also has an energy-efficient escapement and two barrels, providing the watch with a 72-hour power reserve.

I bet you expect the caliber 9SC5 to be outfitted with a column wheel and a vertical clutch, and you’re not wrong. The movement also features Grand Seiko’s Dual Impulse Escapement, which transfers energy to the free-sprung balance wheel indirectly through the pallet fork and directly from the escape wheel. MEMS technology ensures precise, lightweight, and highly durable escapement parts and also endows the escapement with increased energy efficiency to achieve a long power reserve. Thanks to incorporating a three-pointed hammer, the chronograph hands return to zero instantly with a press of the reset pusher. The caliber’s finishing is also on point, making it an impressive movement to operate and look at.

The Tokyo Lion SLGC009: the look and feel of a lion

The Grand Seiko Sport Collection Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009 (€17,500) also uses the lovely caliber 9SC5, but the watch’s Brilliant Hard Titanium case is radically different in form. This watch also has a 43mm diameter but a (0.2mm chunkier) 15.5mm profile. Yes, that’s on the thick side, but there are two elements that, I think, make it okay. The first is the water resistance. While the SLGC007 is water resistant to 100 meters, the Tokyo Lion doesn’t mind diving to a depth of 200 meters. The thickness is also not that big of a deal when you look at the outspoken, edgy, and angular shapes of the Tokyo Lion. These shapes need a bit of room to work, and proportionally, they do. Yes, this is a very expressive watch, but that’s the point.

Surprisingly, the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009 “plays nice” on the wrist and is not as wild as you might expect. It sits firmly and comfortably, and that’s also due to the “lion-colored” rubber strap. This newly developed rubber strap has a tensile strength of nearly 2.7 times that of a typical silicone one. It is outfitted with a High-Intensity Titanium folding clasp with a push-button release. The most interesting feature of the strap is not visible from the outside, though. Its underside has a motif inspired by the paws of a lion.

Are lions on the loose in Tokyo?

When you look outside the GS atelier and see a volcano every day, I understand the inspiration, but I know for a fact no lions are roaming that mountain. I’m also pretty sure lions are not on the loose in Japan’s capital, so where did the inspiration for the Tokyo Lion SLGC009 come from?

As you might remember, in 2019, GS launched a bold and angular sports watch inspired by the lion, an enduring symbol from the brand’s earliest days in 1960. The lion emblem on the case back symbolizes GS’s ambition to create the most precise, durable, and beautiful watch possible. The king of animals is an expression of Grand Seiko’s inner strength. That expression now materializes more literally than ever with the Tokyo Lion SLGC009. The first titanium watch in the Sport Collection shows a case featuring Zaratsu polishing and claw-like, hairline-finished surfaces on the lugs and bezel.

Also, look at the newly designed pushers intended to create a feeling of joy and satisfaction when operating the chronograph. Maybe starting, stopping, and resetting the SLGC009 will release your inner lion. It didn’t happen when I tried on the new lion-brown Tentagraph, but I did enjoy the watch’s roaring, wild looks.

What do you make of these two new Grand Seiko Tentagraph models? Would you play it cool and wear the SLGC007 or take a walk on the wild side with the SLGC009? You know what to do in the comments section below.