Worn on the wrists of celebrity icons Mick Jagger, Roger Moore and Arnold Schwarzenegger, to name but a few, Grand Seiko sets its own standards in the world of watchmaking. Handmade in Japan, since 1960 the brand has made some of the world’s most precise watches, rivalling the quality of Swiss models.
This month, at Grand Seiko Boutique, 68 New Bond Street, the Japanese watchmaker has released two new Grand Seiko timepieces, available only to its European clientele.
First is the SBGY040, £26,890, which takes inspiration from chisen-teien – beautiful pond gardens that are celebrated for their tranquility and calming nature. With a deep blue crocodile strap and dual-curve sapphire crystal glass, the new addition is a Spring Drive European exclusive. Choosing 18k gold for the 38.5mm case with the back made of sapphire glass, Grand Seiko’s SBGY040 is effortlessly elegant with a mesmerising patterned dial that evokes the waters at Shinjuku Gyoen.
Joining the SBGY040 is a new model of the Grand Seiko Mechanical. A watch unlike any other, the SBGW321, £5,290, is made to reflect Japanese koi, traditionally found in chisen-teien. Symbols of prosperity, good fortune and longevity, Grand Seiko could not have chosen a more fitting emblem for its latest design. Using high-grade materials and an accuracy of +5/-3 seconds per day, the SBGW321’s box sapphire crystal glass allows you to see through to the fish-scale effect of the new Grand Seiko Mechanical European exclusive’s textural red dial.
If one thing’s for sure, it’s that these up-scale timepieces are made to love and to last.
Grand Seiko boutique, 68 New Bond Street, W1S 1RR