Grand Seiko is one of my favourite brands. Many people have their grail watches falling into the realm of Rolex, Omega, Patek, Ulysse Nardin. In the midst of Daytonas, Seamasters, Nautilus, and Freaks, my most sought after timepiece comes from one of the oldest watch and clock makers in the world, and the responsible for the quartz crisis of the 60s and 70s (even though the quartz mechanism was first introduced by Rolex, I know), Seiko.
More specifically Grand Seiko. Even more specifically, the reference SBGA211, also know as the Snowflake. It is such a marvel of technical achievements, design, and heritage. It is one of the most simple designs in watchmaking, and at the same time one that is full of masterful craftsmanship, care, and detail. Just look at the immaculate zaratsu polished case, and then grab a macro lens, and compare that with the amazing dial, mimicking snow, and then you will understand. This is without even going into the Spring Drive movement in this piece, a revolution in both quartz and mechanical movements.
Now in 2020, Grand Seiko as a independent brand, has reached its 60th anniversary. The number 60 is a very special number, both for the brand, and for the Japanese culture. In Japan, the 60th birthday or anniversary is called Kanreki, meaning circle, or cycle (kan), and calendar (reki). This corresponds to the belief that when the 60th year arrives in a lifetime, you complete a full cycle, and comes back to the year you were born.
Japan uses, besides the regular Gregorian calendar, the Chinese sexagenarian calendar as well. This was introduced in the country in 604, making that the first year of the 60-year cycle in Japan. In summary, the Chinese calendar counts the year based on the solar position, and each year corresponds to an animal. The mouse, the horse, the cow, the sheep, the tiger, the monkey, the rabbit, the chicken, the dragon, the dog, the snake, and the hog. There are 12 signs, plus the combination with one Jikkan, a measure of space and time, based on the position of the year within the cycle. When the combination of the signs and the Jikkan uses all the possibilities, the cycle is complete. Therefore, besides been a milestone on itself, the 60th anniversary of the brand is something quite special.
For that reason, is easily assumable that a special run of watches would be issued to celebrate this year. And the first of those special, limited editions is already revealed.
There are four pieces in this collection. One quartz, one Hi-beat, one sport, and one ladies. Each of those with their own unique set of design and technical details. I am now going into details about each of the watches configuration, which you can find on the Grand Seiko official website or the Hodinkee article.
As soon as I saw this collection, I had two realisations. One, that Grand Seiko really knows what it is doing, by producing amazing pieces, with full of craftsmanship and simplicity. And two, that many people would just not understand this move from GS.
I really love Grand Seiko (and Seiko in general) and besides the technological and mechanical improvement that the brand is responsible throughout its entire life, I fully appreciate and admire their approach to design. As I said, I love the Snowflake, and the four season special editions from last year are absolutely stunning, capturing the feel and presence of how Japan experience the move through the seasons. This collection, the first of the 60th anniversary, is what Grand Seiko does, and does to the highest levels: admiration for its own culture, its history, its identity. It is the simplicity that holds complexity, and in the “boring” approach, as many people are complaining, that one can see the reverence to the beginning of a new cycle, a new beginning, and a continuation of Grand Seiko’s philosophy, to create high technological timepieces, in inspirational, simple, masterfully crafted design. I don’t want to change anyone’s mind, but I do want to show my perspective on GS’s approach to its own anniversary. As the brand themselves say, it is a rebirth, a renewal of goals and objectives, its a new beginning that should look to push the limits of craft and art, and to reflect back to its full and grand history.
The amazing blue dials also represent purity, cleanliness, connected to water. It shows how Grand Seiko can make dials and bezels so full of work, and at the same time to clean, so pure, water-like. Besides, the blue also presents the idea of calmness, stability, the sense of completion and restart. That is also seen in this collection. A mix of tradition and history, and high technological features, design, and artistry.
That is what this first collection represents. The idea of a completed cycle, and a restart, a fresh beginning to a brand that is synonymous of advance technology on one side, and awareness to their own culture, history, and the stories that the Grand Seiko timepieces tell. This is not a time to show off, it is time to reflect on its own trajectory, and reminisce on its ideology.
A perfect start of a new cycle for my favourite watch brand.
The Column Wheel 