Back in the spring, Grand Seiko launched the new Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A collection, a record breaking watch with an accuracy of +/-20 seconds per YEAR, powered by a mainspring. The initial collection consisted of a platinum edition with a blue dial and a titanium edition with a silver dial. Now though they are adding a third reference and a third material to the series with the Evolution 9 Spring Drive U.F.A SLGB005, which is a steel edition with a violet dial.
Starting with the case, it’s specifically made from Grand Seiko’s Ever-Brilliant Steel, a stainless steel alloy with improved corrosion resistance and a brighter silver colour. It gives the watch a brighter lustre and makes the alternating brushed and polished finishing across its facetted design stand out more. At 37mm in diameter with a thickness of 11.4mm it remains a svelte timepiece, in keeping with the popular dimensions among collectors at the moment.
The dial features the signature ice forest texture of the collection, which is a dramatic, angular engraving. Here it’s presented in a dark violet colour with a slight dégradé gradient around the edges. Conceptually it’s supposed to represent the final moments before dawn when the dark shadows of night are starting to ever so slightly get lighter. Turning from black through to blue and violet in the frozen forests of the Japanese landscape. I will admit that it’s perhaps a bit of a stretch, especially in comparison to the Moonlit Birch that actually looks like the surface of a tree at night, and is more just an excuse to have a nice purple dial.
While this specific limited edition of 1,300 pieces is primarily an aesthetic and material update to the collection, the main reason to purchase one remains the movement inside. The Spring Drive Caliber 9RB2 with 72-hour power reserve and that insane +/-20 seconds per year accuracy. That’s what gives the collection the U.F.A (Ultra Fine Accuracy) designation. It operates by using an automatic rotor to wind a mainspring that releases energy to power a quartz oscillator.
Priced at £9,500 it’s a touch more accessible than its £9,950 titanium cousin, which makes sense, and dramatically more accessible than the £35,500 platinum edition, which makes even more sense. This is the type of launch that I would chalk up to being a nice addition to the range in terms of it’s always good to have more colour and material options available, while the release itself isn’t necessarily groundbreaking in isolation.
Price and Specs:
More details at Grand Seiko.
