Grand Seiko Elegance mechanical linen dial gold leather strap 37,3 mm

The origins

For the Japanese, black and white are rarely expressed in their extremes and many shades separate the shadow from the light. Precisely, this play of light is one of the pillars of the Grand Seiko style, and largely inspires this newcomer reserved for the European market. Indeed, this Grand Seiko embodies in its own way the inspiration of the Japanese culture, with which the Japanese have a great affinity. This timepiece is inspired by Japanese architecture, and in particular by the shoji doors, these sliding panels covered with washi paper. An essential part of traditional architecture for centuries, the shoji has the particularity that its doors create a luminous link between the inside and the outside through numerous plays of light during the day, all based solely on straight lines and flat surfaces. This leads to simple, clean forms that allow for complex and changing light effects.

This Asakage version, then, represents the dazzling light of the morning sun, which is absorbed by the shōji and gently illuminates the home.

Vintage inspiration

Grand Seiko is an expert in dial making, and this reference SBGW267 proves it to us once again. Typical of Japanese production, the face of this watch is expressed by a pure dial, focused on its colour and texture, with no date or mention. Curved and decorated with a unique washi pattern, the light reflects on the dial creating a delicate gradation of colours. This slightly linen, slightly silvery hue reminds us of some 1970s production.
As every insider knows, behind every Grand Seiko watch, there is always an attention to detail, and this is reflected here by the delicately curved hands that perfectly follow the contours of the dial and offer the best possible legibility. Surgically finished, the indexes, like the GS logo, are finely executed faceted and applied, to contribute to a very pleasant daytime legibility.
The whole is encased in a 37.3 mm steel case, polished in the Zaratsu style, the house's signature. A modern inspiration of the design of the "First", Grand Seiko's emblematic model, the watch is compact and elegant. A domed box-shaped sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating overlies the whole. The watch is dressed with a gold calf leather strap equipped with a pin buckle, in order to give a more casual look than the rest of the Elegance range.

Mechanical side

Behind its sapphire back, we find the 9S64 manufacture calibre. It is one of the rare hand-wound mechanical movements of the lion brand. Offering a comfortable power reserve of about three days (72 hours) when fully wound, it is intended to be stable and precise. As Grand Seiko's chronometric standards are stricter than those of the COSC, the movement has been adjusted to 6 positions, guaranteeing a precision of -3 to +5 seconds per day, with a balance beating at 28,800 vibrations.
By choosing to equip this watch with a mechanical calibre, the watch is very thin (11.6 mm), and lets us admire its bridges decorated with "Côtes de Tokyo", offering many light effects.