The Grand Seiko SBGJ271G Yuki Gesho timepiece is inspired by the ‘snow covered’ scenery surrounding the Japanese brand’s Shinshu watch studio. It is equipped with the Spring Drive calibre 9S86, a self-winding movement, accurate to +5 to -3 seconds per day. However, as Angus Davies explains below, this is just one of several recent releases from Grand Seiko. 
It seems the secret is out, the excellence of Grand Seiko is no longer the preserve of a small group of GS geeks. On the contrary, the brand is now widely recognised for making exceptional timepieces. Indeed, the Japanese marque has a sideboard buckling under the weight of trophies.
There are several reasons for the brand’s growing popularity. Firstly, it doesn’t seek to emulate German or Swiss rivals, rather it embraces its Japanese origins, referencing nature and the nation’s traditional artisanal crafts and culture. For instance, the dials, often inspired by the landscape and other natural phenomena, wonderfully play with colours and textures. The cases encompass Zaratsu polishing, juxtaposed with ‘hairline finished’ surfaces, replicating the appearance of light and shadow.
Furthermore, Grand Seiko has not aligned itself solely to the Swiss lever escapement, it also makes watches incorporating quartz and Spring Drive movements. In 2020, the brand also released an exceptional mechanical movement, the Caliber 9SA5, featuring a revolutionary dual-impulse escapement.
Consistent with its stated aims, when the brand was launched in 1960, the company’s models deliver peerless legibility, precision and notable wearer comfort.