BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Seiko’s history, and therefore Grand Seiko’s history, is intertwined with Tokyo’s Ginza district. It’s where, in 1881, Kintaro Hattori founded a business called K Hattori & Co, which imported Western timepieces into Japan. Years later this business would turn to making its own wristwatches and even making Japan’s first wristwatch. Today, Kintaro Hattori’s business is known as Seiko, a name which first appeared in 1924, and Grand Seiko is paying tribute to the Ginza district where Seiko is still based today in the world’s most populous city.
The first special edition Grand Seiko for 2024 is quite intriguing. The case is quite standard for Grand Seiko, a 40mm x 12.9mm stainless steel affair with a stainless steel bracelet and 100m of water resistance. The combination of brushing and polishing makes this particular watch stand out from the crowd, and it will undoubtedly appeal to people looking for that unique combination of dressy and sporty that you can only get from watches like this, certain variants of the Datejust and the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra.
Speaking of, one of the Aqua Terra’s most appealing parts is its ‘Teak Concept’ dial, which is quite unique in the industry. The dial on the new Grand Seiko is even more so. First of all, it’s purple, which is very unusual for a wristwatch. Will purple take over from green as the colour of the moment? I think not. Green hasn’t really come to full fruition just yet, and purple is likely harder to pair with an outfit. The pattern is even more intriguing, though. The diagonal grid pattern on the dial is reminiscent of a top-down view of the wintery Ginza district; the finishing of the dial means that each individual box will capture the light slightly differently, leading to a unique appearance.
Behind the dial and under its own sapphire crystal is the self-winding hi-beat 9S85 movement, which has a 55-hour power reserve and a 5Hz beat rate, making it more accurate than most mechanical watches on the market. Grand Seiko says it’s accurate to within -3/+5s per day, exceeding the requirements of the COSC chronometer certificate, although this isn’t a certified chronometer watch, I believe.
There are six Grand Seiko retailers, including Grand Seiko’s worldwide flagship boutiques. 530 examples of this particular model will be made with a price of JPY847,000 including tax, which comes to about $5845 although taxes and import charges mean this is an estimated figure when translated. I’m intrigued by this new model, and I am looking forward to seeing Grand Seiko’s releases this year, perhaps they should do top-down dials of all the cities they have boutiques in.
