Grand Seiko Releases A String Of New References At Watches And Wonders
Besides one or two focus releases, Grand Seiko releases a plethora of new variations to its current models every year. In this article, we’ll summarize most of Grand Seiko’s Watches and Wonders 2024 releases, which will be available later this year. There is plenty to enjoy with a beautiful addition to the Evolution 9 lineup, a brilliant dial for a new Sport GMT, two new Tokyo Lion sports models, and a stylish “starry night” addition to the Elegance collection. Allow these to show you the great diversity of offerings from the Grand Seiko brand.
The big Grand Seiko news at this year’s Watches and Wonders is the SLGW002 and SLGW003 that Thomas covered. With new hand-wound Hi-Beat movements and smaller cases, these two classy watches are fantastic additions to the brand’s Evolution 9 line. We had a chance to check out the watches before Watches and Wonders, and we all agreed that the two models were stunning. But what about the other releases? Let’s go through them one by one.
Grand Seiko SLGH021 “Genbi Valley”
Undoubtedly, the Evolution 9 line’s most recognized members are the so-called “Birch” models. We covered the SLGH005 “White Birch,” followed by the SLGA009 Spring Drive version, the SLGH011 “Green Birch,” and finally, the SLGH017 “Black Birch.” This time, Grand Seiko does not have a new color for its “Birch” dial but something quite different. Now, as always, the inspiration for the dial comes from Japanese nature. The Genbi Valley, a national natural monument in Japan, inspired this light green dial.
The Genbi Valley in Iwate Prefecture is a two-kilometer-long ravine that the Iwai River flows through. As most of you know, the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi is also located there. The brand has used the Genbi Valley as inspiration for three limited editions for the US market. The Grand Seiko SBGW273, SBGW275, and SBGW277 from 2021 featured three shades of green inspired by the valley. For this new SLGH021, the brand combined a lively shade of green with an interesting texture reminiscent of shattered glass. Hovering above the dial is the handset used for the “White Birch” models, including a blued seconds hand.
A new dial for a familiar watch
The dial is combined with a 40mm Ever-Brilliant steel case measuring 11.7mm thick, 47mm long, and 22mm between the lugs. It’s the same set of specs as for the other “Birch” models. If you turn the watch around, you will see the Grand Seiko 9SA5 movement that powers the watch. The automatic Hi-Beat movement operates at a 36,000vph frequency and provides 80 hours of power reserve. Regarding accuracy, the caliber runs between +5 and -3 seconds per day on average. It also features the brand’s Dual Impulse Escapement and a free-sprung balance that Grand Seiko developed especially for this caliber.
The SLGH021 comes on an Ever-Brilliant steel bracelet complete with a folding clasp with a push-button release. It completes this colorful Evolution 9 model in style. The combination of the dial’s color and texture makes for a distinct dial that will surely attract buyers. This special limited edition of 1,000 pieces will be available starting June 1st, 2024, for €11,100.
Grand Seiko SBGC275 “Tokyo Lion”
The next release is the Grand Seiko SBGC275 “Tokyo Lion.” This watch commemorates the 20th anniversary of the 9R Spring Drive caliber and will be available in a limited run of 700 pieces. It features a 44.5mm High-Intensity titanium case that is 16.8mm thick, 50mm long, and 23mm between the lugs.
The modern case with oversized pushers is combined with a red dial inspired by the morning glow on the Hotaka Peaks mountain range near Shinshu Watch Studio. The red color is “Morgenrot,” the German word that mountaineers use for “morning glow.”
The nicely textured dial certainly has a lot happening. It offers small seconds at 9 o’clock, 30-minute and 12-hour chronograph registers at 2 and 4 o’clock (respectively), a date window at 3, and a power reserve indicator at 7 o’clock. Above all this, the razor-sharp hands and hour markers contrast the dial well. These hands, the hour markers, and bezel markings are filled with Lumibrite to aid in reading the local time and home time in the dark. In addition, the titanium bezel has a black 24-hour insert made of sapphire crystal. Rounding all of this off is a titanium H-link bracelet. As expected, this features a folding clasp with a push-button release.
Grand Seiko equips the SBGC275 with a specially adjusted version of its column-wheel-chronograph/GMT caliber 9R86. This Spring Drive movement has a greater accuracy of ±0.5 seconds per day. This is highlighted by the 18K gold medallion on the rotor and visible through the rear sapphire display. This special commemorative edition of this Grand Seiko Sport chronograph GMT will go on sale on July 1st, 2024, for €14,000.
Grand Seiko SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion”
We’re staying within the Sport Collection with the Grand Seiko SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion.” This new release is the GMT version of the time-and-date SBGA481 model and the SBGC253 chronograph GMT. Both of those models came out last year. This new one follows the same aesthetic as the previous two releases.
The watch comes with a 44.6mm High-Intensity titanium case measuring 14.3mm thick and 50mm long with a 23mm lug spacing. It houses an ivory-white patterned dial representing a lion’s mane. Grand Seiko combines this with a 24-hour bezel insert in black and gray. The numerals on the bezel, the hands, and the indices all feature white Lumibrite and light up in the dark.
Inside the 200m-water-resistant case, you will find the Seiko Spring Drive caliber 9R66. The movement has an accuracy of ±1 second per day and offers a 72-hour power reserve with an indicator on the dial. Lastly, the movement is a flyer-style GMT that will let you independently adjust the local (12-)hour hand. The 24-hour GMT hand is a nice shade of red to contrast the lovely dial. Just like this year’s new red-dial Tokyo Lion, this GMT comes on a High-Intensity titanium H-link bracelet with a folding clasp featuring a push-button release. The new Grand Seiko SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion” will be available on August 1st, 2024, for €11,700.
Grand Seiko SBGJ277 “Sekkei”
The next release is a personal favorite. It’s a new version of Grand Seiko’s stylish GMTs in the Sport collection. We have seen some great iterations of this model in the past. These included the SBGJ239, which RJ reviewed, and the SBGJ237, which was part of our Sunday Morning Showdown series. Grand Seiko released an additional Spring Drive model with the SBGE277 and the special anniversary SBGJ275 that Thomas wrote about. The new SBGJ277 is a color variation with a green and white sapphire bezel insert and a matching green GMT hand. It’s a color combination that suits the watch well and looks fantastic with a stunning snow-white dial.
The colors for the SBGJ277 were inspired by sekkei (雪渓), Japanese for “snowy valley.” During the summer, the green of the trees and the last remaining snow create a stunning scenery that inspires the different elements of the watch. The canvas is a stainless steel case that measures 44.2mm in diameter, 14.8mm in thickness, 50.6mm from tip to tip, and 21mm between the lugs. As we know, this watch’s day/night division on the bezel is not at 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM but, rather, at 6:30 AM and 5:30 PM. It’s a nice quirk that I like quite a bit. Finally, the date window sits at 4 o’clock and functions as the hour marker.
The most attractive Grand Seiko GMT
Grand Seiko equips the watch with its Hi-Beat caliber 9S86. This flyer-style GMT movement operates at a 36,000vph frequency and offers 55 hours of power reserve. Additionally, the movement has an accuracy of +5/-3 seconds per day. Overall, I love this new Grand Seiko SBGJ277 “Sekkei.” The colors look nice and crisp, and the dial is simply spectacular. On top of that, this watch wears like a charm. Despite its seemingly large case, it feels smaller thanks to the relatively short lugs. The Grand Seiko SBGJ277 “Sekkei” will be available on May 1st, 2024 for €7,400.
Grand Seiko SBGW314 “Hoshizukiyo”
The last new Grand Seiko introduction is the SBGW314 “Hoshizukiyo.” This modern reinterpretation of the first Grand Seiko is part of the brand’s Elegance collection. It’s the sixth variation of this iconic watch. The first was the SBGW258 Anniversary model that came out in 2020. After that, Seiko released four more versions, with the stunning titanium SBGW295 as my favorite. The new SBGW314 has a 38mm rose gold case that is 10.9mm thick, 45.7mm long, and 19mm between the lugs. As a result, it is quite wearable for various wrist sizes.
Grand Seiko combines the rose gold case with a blue hoshizukiyo (星月夜) dial, Japanese for “starry night.” The deep blue color contrasts nicely with the rose gold indices and hands. I love seeing the traditional Grand Seiko logo in combination with the “Diashock 24 jewels” text on the lower half of the dial. The 8-pointed star at 6 o’clock indicates a Special Dial (SD). It means that markers are made of solid 18K rose gold.
Exclusively available at Grand Seiko boutiques
Besides the beauty on the front, the additional glory of the caliber 9S64 reveals itself if you turn the watch around. Above all, the manual-winding movement is a great modern-day caliber. It operates at a 28,800vph frequency and offers 72 hours of power reserve. On top of that, it provides an accuracy of +5/-3 seconds per day, which is better than the COSC chronometer standard. Lastly, the movement is beautifully finished with sharp engravings and a mix of striping and perlage. This 50-piece limited edition will be available exclusively at Grand Seiko boutiques starting July 1st, 2024, for €28,900.
Final thoughts on the Grand Seiko introductions at Watches and Wonders 2024
There you have it — five new Grand Seiko references for 2024. These are just a small portion of the new watches that the brand will undoubtedly release this year. Nevertheless, I have to say that they give a great overview of the brand’s versatility and the diversity of its collections. I can’t wait to try the SBGJ277 “Sekkei” GMT and the Evolution 9 SLGH021 “Genbi Valley.” They are great proof that Grand Seiko can further build on the existing collection with every new release.
For more information, visit the official Grand Seiko website. Let us know which of these new releases is your favorite in the comments section!
