Grand Seiko Evolution 9

The Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection represents the future of Grand Seiko. Based on the Grand Seiko Style which has inspired each and every creation since 1967, the Evolution 9 Collection takes the legibility and comfort of Grand Seiko to a new level. One of the first Evolution 9 Collection watches was the Hi-Beat 36000 80 hours which won the Men’s Watch prize at the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Today, the realm of the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection expands with the addition of five new Spring Drive sport watches. Two feature a GMT caliber, two are GMT chronographs and the fifth is a 200m diver’s watch.

While the pedigree of the Grand Seiko Style is unmistakably evident in every watch, the refinements of the Evolution 9 Style are also clear to see. The lugs are wider and the bracelets are more robust and, like the cases, have a low center of gravity to ensure that the watches sit comfortably and securely on the wrist. The hands are bolder and more clearly differentiated for even greater legibility and the numerals on the bezel are of a new font developed especially for the Evolution 9 Collection.

The cases and bracelets are made of high-intensity titanium, which is about 30% lighter than stainless steel and brighter in color. The hands and indexes are coated with sufficient Lumibrite to further enhance the legibility of the time at night. The crown guard is carefully designed to avoid being caught on the sleeve in both sport activities and everyday use.
With its unique glide motion seconds hand, Spring Drive mirrors the continuous, silent and smooth passage of time. To watch the seconds hand move serenely and with no ‘tick’ across the dial is to be brought as close as is possible to the nature of time itself. This sense of being close to nature is enhanced in one of the two Spring Drive GMT watches by the light gray dial with an intricately textured pattern that is inspired by the morning mist in winter in the Shinshu region, often a harbinger of a sunny day. Shinshu is home to the studio where all Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches are made.

Two Spring Drive GMT watches will be available in July at the Grand Seiko Boutiques and Grand Seiko retail partners worldwide.
The first of the two chronographs features a blue dial and is adjusted to achieve a enhanced accuracy rate of ±10 seconds per month in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph. It is offered as a limited edition of 700. In addition to the 12-hour chronograph, the watch also features a rotating bezel and a GMT hand to enable it to display a third time zone.

The second chronograph features a black dial and delivers an accuracy of ±15 seconds per month. In every other respect, it has the same design and specifications as the limited edition. The limited edition is available in June and the second version in September at the Grand Seiko Boutiques and Grand Seiko retail partners worldwide. The oceans that surround the Japanese archipelago are criss-crossed by water currents of great power. One such is the Kuroshio Current, also known as the Black Stream. It flows northwards past Japan towards the North Pacific and is one of the largest ocean streams in the world. The dynamic and sometimes violent tides caused by the Black Stream inspire the deep black color and richly textured surface of the dial of this new 200m diver’s watch. Powered by Spring Drive Caliber 9RA5, it offers an accuracy rate of ±10 seconds per month and a 5 day power reserve. The inner section of the rotating bezel is in ceramic to protect the watch from being scratched. It will be available in August at the Grand Seiko Boutiques and selected Grand Seiko Evolution 9 retail partners worldwide.