Practicality and durability are vital attributes of all the best sports watches. Possessing both of those values, Seiko decided to to fuse them together into a new sports watch series: four new models, each one a limited edition. All use Spring Drive GMT calibers and two feature chronographs. The materials and five-piece construction are designed for strength and lightness. The inner case is made from high-intensity titanium and the outer shells and bezel are zirconia ceramic which is stronger and tougher than any other fine ceramic and seven times harder on the Vickers scale than stainless steel. This combination of materials makes the case 25% lighter than stainless steel and virtually impervious to scratches. While the black color is new to Grand Seiko, the clear ridges on the facets of the case and the diamond-cut hands and markers make the watches instantly recognizable as Grand Seiko.
The movements are specially adjusted to deliver an even higher level of precision, ±10 seconds a month, and the Grand Seiko lion in 18K gold graces the oscillating weight to symbolize the enhanced accuracy. The green dial model also conveys a subtle symbol of the provenance of this new design. The fir tree motif on the dial was inspired by the Onbashira festival that is held every six years in Suwa, near the studio where the watch is made. The centerpiece of this festival is the carrying of huge fir trees down the mountainside to the shrine, where they are raised as symbols of the shrine’s renewal and its 1200 year old tradition.
