NEW: Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT ‘Mt. Hotaka Peaks’ SBGE295
The revered Japanese brand serves up a gloriously verdant dial inspired by the Hotaka mountain range at the height of summer
Grand Seiko’s Shinshu Watch Studio, where all Spring Drive production takes place, is headquartered in Nagano prefecture, central Japan. The fact that it is in the immediate vicinity of the Hotaka mountain range—a part of what is known as “the Japan Alps”—is pure horological serendipity.
Over the years, Grand Seiko’s watchmakers have only had to look out their workshop windows for inspiration (lucky them!), resulting in pieces such as 2022’s broody SBGE277 with its dramatic rock-pattern dial symbolising the rugged Hotaka winterscape.
This year, they get to show a different side of the Hotaka range with the advent of the new Spring Drive GMT, where the textured dial of the SBGE295 evokes the verdant tones and dynamic textures of its emerald-green highlands in the summer.
The leafy green dial of the stainless-steel case with signature Zaratsu finish has notably large indexes and hands. They are coated in Grand Seiko’s Lumibrite compound that glows under dark conditions, as is the rotating, bi-directional bezel with a durable synthetic sapphire overlay. A 24-hour chapter ring frames the dial and can be used together with the GMT hand and the 24-hour bezel track to follow a total of three time zones.
Another notable feature is the downturned lugs that hug the wrist and are designed for comfort. This gives the SBGE295 the appearance of being shorter from lug to lug. Indeed, paired with the offset crown at four o’clock, the watch appears smaller than its 44mm x 14.7mm x 50.8mm dimensions would otherwise suggest.
The SBGE295 runs on Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive Calibre 9R66. The movement has a 72-hour power reserve when fully wound, and there is a visible power reserve indicator next to the eight o’clock index on the dial. The 9R66 is a true GMT, so the hour hand is independently adjustable while the GMT hand remains fixed to home time.
Travellers to Japan often speak of its unforgettable natural vistas in spring, during cherry blossom season, and in autumn, when the foliage turns a riotous yellow, orange and red. But for those in the know, the country is at its most visually striking in summer (punishing heat notwithstanding, but that’s a story for another day). Kudos to the watchmakers at Grand Seiko who have skilfully captured the lushness of Hotaka at this time with the SBGE295, and to great effect too.
End of content
No more pages to load
