In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Spring Drive, Grand Seiko enriches its sport collection with new models inspired by the strength and power of the lion. The lion has long been the symbol of Grand Seiko and was born together with the first Grand Seiko in 1960. It reflected the ambition of the Grand Seiko team to make a watch that was as precise, durable and beautiful as could be and revealed the intensity of their determination. They defined their goal as making the “king of watches”. So it was that the lion mark came to symbolize the inner strength of Grand Seiko and inspire its watchmakers to create the very best timepieces of which they were capable.
The lion has stamped its mark on several aspects of the design, notably in the strong and angular case, the claw-like shape of the lugs and the delicate lion’s mane pattern on the dial. In addition, all three watches carry the lion symbol in the form of an 18k gold insert in the oscillating weight, denoting the enhanced accuracy of the specially adjusted movement (+/-0.5 seconds a day).
In addition to the enhanced precision of the movements, the new design has several features that ensure that each watch combines the highest level of performance with the greatest legibility and comfort on the wrist. Because of Spring Drive’s high resistance to shock and temperature, an enhanced precision of 0.5 second a day is maintained even in the most demanding sports environment. The hour, minute, seconds and chronograph hands are of a new and substantial design that increases the legibility of the time, which is further enhanced by the use of Lumibrite on the hands, hour markers and bezel and by the high definition dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. The watches sit easily on the wrist, thanks to the curve of the lugs and the low center of gravity of the case. The bracelets, too, are designed for comfort, with thicker, H-shaped links that wrap easily around any size of wrist.
These three timepieces are instantly recognizable as coming from the Grand Seiko stable and have all the characteristics that define Grand Seiko. The 44.5-mm cases are Zaratsu polished and the surfaces of the hands and hour markers have diamond-cut edges. The dials feature an interplay of light and shadow that only Grand Seiko’s Japanese sensibility can create.
One of the two chronographs has an 18k rose gold case and the other is in high-intensity titanium, as is the three hands version. These limited editions are available in a phased release, starting in May, 2019.
