SpotlightPresenting The Grand Seiko Asia Pacific Limited Edition SBGJ283 GMT

The fact that Japanese love their centuries-old traditions and culture needs no introduction, and this combined with their obsession with perfection and meticulous craftsmanship brings about the magic it does. Every timepiece crafted by Grand Seiko is an exemplary manifestation of their passion to honour their past and carve the future. From the Shirakaba dial, inspired by the beauty of white birch forests that surround the studio in Shizukuishi, where all Grand Seiko mechanical watches are crafted, to the play of light in the shunbun dial that represents the sakura blossoms, the Mason has found the perfect way to combine their creative expression and their roots, through their dial making prowess. The all-new SBGJ283 Asia-Pacific Limited Edition Automatic GMT, as the name suggests, is only available in Southeast Asia, and is limited to 150 pieces. It is yet another ode to the Japanese culture and tradition.

The Dial Forms A Traditional Canvas

Inspired by the 800-year old traditional artform of paper-making, handed over from generations, where skilled craftsmen still continue to produce Washi, a form of hand-made paper used for calligraphy, to create lattens and more. The dial of this watch boasts a delicate pattern with an authentic Washi texture in lustrous off-white colour, that creates a stunning interplay of light and shadow, a signature of many Grand Seiko timepieces. Traditionally, Washi was made with Kozo (mulberry tree). The hands, applied indices and the date window carry the mason’s signature finishing and add a depth to the watch face, while the red GMT hand give it that much needed splash of contrast.

Housed in a 40mm case and bracelet made of Ever-Brilliant Steel that exhibits extremely anti-corrosive qualities, making it 1.7X less prone to corrosion than the material used in most high-end watches. It presents a modern reinterpretation of the 44GS standards, originally introduced in the 1967, with nine signature elements such as sharp edges, delicately curved sides, the iconic Zaratsu polishing and more, mostly focused towards giving it a unique character and providing high legibility of time. The watch also comes along with a complimentary brown leather strap with pink stitching, themed to match the female flower of the mulberry tree. With a thickness of only 14mm, the multi-faceted case also boasts a combination of immaculate finishes, in addition to the unblemished mirrored surfaces.

Watchmaking Brilliance At Work

The watch is powered by the self-winding, Hi-beat 36000 caliber 9S86, a movement renowned for its precision of +5 to -3 seconds per day. Grand Seiko revived the legacy of 10 beat movements, which gave rise to the Caliber 9S85, the first movement of its kind in 41 years. Visible through the exhibition case-back, the brilliant calibre is beautifully decorated and carries the limited edition on the caseback. The high beat rate of the movement also makes the seconds hand move in a smother fashion, while boosting accuracy and still maintaining an impressive power reserve of 55 hours. Grand Seiko has redesigned the hairspring and mainspring using the cutting-edge MEMS technology to increase precision, improve durability and maintaining a rate of 36,000vph. The watch is also equipped with a red, one-hour GMT hand and a date window at 3 o’clock.

Final Thoughts

This limited-edition timepiece brings together some of the most important watchmaking principles ie technical prowess that keeps the watch always showing the correct time with its ingenious Hi-beat 36000 caliber 9S86, the craftsmanship, with pleasing aesthetics and a combination of high-end finishes, and historical significance that brings it all together to form a stunning timepieces that is a complete conversation piece.