Introducing: The Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323
Grand Seiko introduced a wide variety of novelties at Watches and Wonders this year. The new U.F.A. models are, without a doubt, the most important ones. However, a humble highlight that also stands out for us is the new Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323. This new addition to the Heritage collection combines a modestly sized 36.5mm 44GS-style case with a stunningly beautiful purple dial. Add the friendly price tag, and there is a lot to love. Let’s find out more!
We’ll get straight to business and talk about the dial of this new Grand Seiko SBGW323. As with all Grand Seiko models, the inspiration for the dial comes from Japanese nature. This time, the designers at the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi in Iwate Prefecture found their muse in the Paulownia tomentosa, commonly known as the empress tree in English or kiri (桐) in Japanese. Its flower is the official flower of Iwate Prefecture, and the purple color served as inspiration for this watch’s dial.
The Grand Seiko SBGW323 features a dial with a deeper meaning
But that is not where the story ends. The tree is also of great importance in Japan, with its leaves having been one of the emblems used to honor deserving individuals ever since the reign of Emperor Go-Daigo in the 14th century. Additionally, the pattern of leaves and flowers of the Paulownia tree symbolizes the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office, is used in the government of Japan’s seal for official documents, and is even found on the ¥500 coin.
But, as already mentioned, the designers at Grand Seiko found its deeper meaning closer to home in Iwate Prefecture. This new dial is stunning in both color and detail. We had the watch in for a sneak preview, and it immediately stood out to most of us at the Fratello office.
The refined texture and intriguing color make for a beautiful dial. As with many Grand Seiko dials, this one also changes color depending on how the light hits it. As you can see in the pictures, it changes from a darker purple to an almost whiteish-purple in various lighting conditions.
The Grand Seiko SBGW323 features a smaller 44GS-style case
The dial is contrasted by the polished and faceted hour markers within a black minute track, the applied GS emblem, and the black Grand Seiko signature. That’s it. The super clean layout gives the dial texture full room to shine. The is no date window and no text on the lower half of the dial except for a few tiny nods to the watch’s origin and parts above the minute track at the bottom. As a result, this is a beautifully clean dial that I quickly fell in love with.
The dial sits within a 36.5mm 44GS-style case with an 11.6mm thickness and a 42.7mm lug-to-lug. As we know, this classic, angular Grand Seiko case style features a mix of brushed and Zaratsu polished parts. The mirror-polished bezel and case flanks look especially nice in daylight.
This watch comes on a familiar stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp and a push-button release. The links of the bracelet are meticulously finished, with the brushed outer ones showing polished bevels and the center links featuring a mix of brushed and polished parts for extra visual pizzaz. Thanks to the single-head screws in the links, sizing the bracelet is a quick, easy job.
The manual-winding Grand Seiko caliber 9S64
Grand Seiko’s caliber 9S64 powers this watch and sits safely hidden behind a stainless steel screw-in case back. The in-house manual-winding movement operates at 28,800vph, offers 72 hours of power reserve, and features hacking seconds.
Grand Seiko claims an accuracy of +5/-3 seconds per day, which is impressive in itself. However, as we all know, the movement could be even more accurate than that.
Final thoughts on the new Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323
All in all, I quite like this new Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323. The watch joins similar-looking previous releases, like the 55th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGW289, the stylish SBGW291 and SGBW293, and the European Limited Edition SBGW303. As a result, this model might not be as surprising in all its details as some of Grand Seiko’s other releases for Watches and Wonders 2025.
However, with its stunning dial, this new Grand Seiko “Kiri” SBGW323 most definitely stands out. We were able to get a sneak peek of all the new introductions, and this was the first one that landed on my wrist. It left me nothing short of massively impressed.
I was especially happy to learn that it is one of Grand Seiko’s most affordable current mechanical offerings at €6,000. Indeed, the impact of these smaller 44GS-style models is far bigger than their size might suggest. Along with the new U.F.A. models, the new “Kiri” SBGW323 is a true Grand Seiko highlight for me. What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!
