Grand Seiko has got to be one of the most prolific watchmakers of 2021, if not the THE most. It is a special year for them after all, celebrating the Seiko brand’s 140th anniversary. So far we’ve seen watches like the GPHG winning Birch Forest, the Spring Drive Chronograph GMT and more recently the Shizuri-Yuki. Each watch tied in some way to the Japanese landscape or their watchmaking history. Now, the new ‘Katsu-iro’ SBGA469 Heritage Spring Drive brings us a fusion of, yes the Japanese landscape, but also historic Japanese culture.
Technically, we’ve seen watches like this from Grand Seiko before because it’s part of the Iwao series. A collection of watches that take their dial inspiration from the texture of solid rock. It’s that aspect that provides the nature part of this timepiece’s inspiration. But just because the pattern of fine lines that creates the rocky texture isn’t new doesn’t mean it isn’t gorgeous, especially up close.
The new element is the colour, which is Katsu-iro. Katsu-iro is the deepest shade of indigo in traditional Japanese colours and carries lots of symbolism, as it was believed to bring good fortune in battle. As such, it was widely used on the armour of Samurai warriors in the Sengoku period and became very popular. From any other watchmaker that would sound like marketing talk but frankly if Samurai were around today, they’d probably wear a Grand Seiko spring drive because they combine aesthetics with functionality so well.
Speaking of functionality, this watch houses the 9R65 spring drive movement with a 72-hour power reserve and power reserve indicator. That’s the same movement used in the iconic Snowflake model. The case is also a similar 41mm diameter piece in stainless steel.
Price wise, the ‘Katsu-iro’ SBGA469 Heritage Spring Drive falls in the mid-range of the Heritage collection at a well placed £4,300. The textured dial puts it above its simpler cousins at £2,000 but it’s also not a limited edition up at £8,000. However, it is technically a special edition as it is a web exclusive, only available on Grand Seiko’s Boutique Online.
Price & Specs:
Model: Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Spring Drive Iwao ‘Katsu-iro’
Ref: SBGA469
Case/Dial: 49mm diameter x 12.5mm height, stainless steel case, ‘Katsu-iro’’ indigo dial with the texture of solid rock
Water resistance: 100m (10 bar)
Movement: Spring Drive calibre 9R65, automatic, 30 jewels
Power Reserve: 72h
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve indicator
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Price/availability: £4,300, available exclusively at Grand Seiko boutiques online
More details at Grand Seiko Boutique.
The case back says limited edition – please can you state why? Since the article says it is a special edition but not limited. Any idea how many of these are produced globally?