Grand Seiko has refreshed the heart of its flagship Evolution 9 Collection. The new Spring Drive models reached Grand Seiko Boutiques and retailers in September, and this month the four new mechanical watches followed, including a fresh take on the famous White Birch. Here's what's new, and the vintage Seikos in our vault from the same family.
What Grand Seiko Announced
Evolution 9 launched in 2020 to mark Grand Seiko's 60th anniversary, and its design traces back to the 44GS of 1967, the watch that set out the "Grand Seiko Style" of sharp, precisely finished surfaces that play with light and shadow. The renewed line-up has nine new references: five with the Spring Drive Caliber 9RB2 and four with the mechanical Caliber 9SA5.
The updates are about comfort as much as looks:
- A new clasp: a three-step micro-adjustment clasp that lets you change the fit in 2mm steps, with no tools and no links removed.
- More tapered bracelets, which narrow towards the clasp for a slimmer fit under the wrist.
- New materials: seven of the nine models use Ever-Brilliant Steel, Grand Seiko's own highly corrosion-resistant steel with a bright white lustre, and two use High-Intensity Titanium.
The Spring Drive Models: Lake Suwa After Dark
The standout for us is the SLGB007. Grand Seiko's Lake Suwa dial, inspired by the lake near the Shinshu Watch Studio where Spring Drive is made, now comes in black for the first time, meant to recall the water under moonlight. The 40mm case and bracelet are High-Intensity Titanium, which Grand Seiko says is about 30% lighter than stainless steel and more scratch-resistant. The Business Times puts the whole watch at just 110g.
There is also a blue Lake Suwa dial in 40mm and, for smaller wrists, a 37mm SLGB015. Inside them all is the Spring Drive U.F.A. Caliber 9RB2, rated to ±20 seconds a year with a 72-hour power reserve. Spring Drive starts with a mainspring like a mechanical watch, but a quartz oscillator keeps the time, which is what gives the seconds hand its smooth glide. Grand Seiko lists the SLGB007 at €11,700 in Europe and the steel Spring Drive models at €10,400.
The Mechanical Models: White Birch and Genbi Valley
The four new mechanical watches are the October arrivals. The SLGH031 keeps the White Birch dial, inspired by the birch forests around the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi in Iwate. Its predecessor won the Men's Watch Prize at the 2021 Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, so Grand Seiko has kept the dial and moved the case and bracelet to Ever-Brilliant Steel.
Alongside it are a black-dial version in titanium (SLGH029), a green version (SLGH033) and the all-new SLGH035 Genbi Valley, whose light blue dial takes its colour from the clear water of the Iwai River. All four use Caliber 9SA5, which beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour and still runs for about 80 hours thanks to twin barrels and Grand Seiko's Dual Impulse Escapement. The steel models are €10,400 and the titanium SLGH029 is €11,700.
The Vintage Seikos in Our Vault
Grand Seiko is made by Seiko Watch Corporation, and it was born in 1960 out of Seiko's pursuit of the ultimate wristwatch. You don't need €10,000 to own a piece of that Japanese watchmaking story. These vintage Seikos are in stock right now:
- Vintage Seiko 5 Automatic Watch | Gold Tone | Day-Date | Japan Made, £85. A self-winding Seiko with a champagne sunburst dial and bilingual day-date. If the 9SA5 is the mechanical flagship, the Seiko 5 is where generations of collectors started.
- Vintage Seiko SQ100 Quartz Watch | Day-Date | Stainless Steel | Silver Dial | Japan, £85. A silver sunburst dial, a slim integrated case and a dependable Japan quartz movement. Quartz accuracy is exactly what Spring Drive borrows.
- Vintage Seiko Quartz Day-Date – Gold Dial, £60. A brushed gold dial, a cushion-style case and an integrated bracelet, with plenty of retro character.
Want more background? Read our history of the Seiko 5. Every watch we sell has been checked by our in-house specialists, and you can browse more pieces in our In the Safe collection.
Final Thoughts
This isn't a reinvention. It's Grand Seiko fine-tuning its best-known designs, with a black Lake Suwa, a lighter titanium option, a 37mm size and a clasp that actually makes daily wear easier. And if the new models are out of reach, the vintage Seikos are a great place to start.
Explore more vintage pieces at skylinesjewellery.co.uk, and catch us live on TILT every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 9pm.
Image credits: Grand Seiko SLGB007, SLGH031 and SLGH035 press images courtesy of Grand Seiko (official press release). Specifications and European prices from the same release; additional details from The Business Times and Grand Seiko Asia-Pacific.