As the only Japanese brand to participate in the "Watches and Wonders" this year, Grand Seiko has attracted the attention of many players. This year, the brand unveiled three new products, including the return of a high-frequency hand-wound movement for the first time in half a century, the 20th anniversary of the 9RSpring Drive with a new dial technology, and the Kodo constant-force tourbillon, the brand's innovation in the world of fine watchmaking, this time in the "Dawn Edition".
Let's start with the newly released high-frequency hand-wound calibre 9SA4 and the Evolution 9 Style with this movement. This is the second hand-wound high-frequency movement to be launched after the 45GS calibre in 1968.
Calibre 9SA4 beats at 36,000 VPH (5 Hz) and retains many of the features of the previous 9SA5 automatic movements, including a free-sprung balance wheel and a series of twin springs at the ends, resulting in a power reserve of 80 hours. However, the 9SA4 is not just the version of the 9SA5 with the rotor removed, it restructures about 40% of the basic movement components. With the same amount of power as a manual winding, the number of crown revolutions is reduced by 15% compared to the 9SA5, and the power reserve hand on one side of the bridge indicates the winding of the watch.
The Evolution 9 Style with this movement is housed in a 38.6 mm "ultra-bright, high-strength titanium" case. The material has a higher brightness than conventional titanium, which is better suited to the aesthetics of the Crown Blue Lion dress watch. In keeping with the Grand Seiko's "family design", the use of a more compact and slender hour hand and a narrower faceted lug.
The nature-inspired texture of the dial is a feature of the Crown Blue Lion. Inspired by the birch trees that grow in northern Japan and near GS Shizukuishi Studios, Evolution 9 Style has a pattern that echoes the intricate, multi-dimensional textures of birch bark.
In addition to the unlimited edition of the "Ultra-Bright High Strength Titanium" version (Ref. SLGW003), the brand also offers an 18-carat rose gold case version (Ref. SLGW002) limited to 80 pieces.
2024 also marks the 20th anniversary of the first creation to feature the 9R Spring Drive movement, for which the brand has launched a limited edition of 700 pieces, the 9R Spring Drive 20th Anniversary with chronograph and GMT functions. The dial is manufactured using a new process called "optical multi-coating", which gives different tonal effects when viewed from different angles.
Unlike the formal style of the Evolution 9 Style, this game is sporty and has a water resistance of 200 meters. The case of this anniversary limited edition is made of high-strength titanium with a black 24 o'clock bezel. Thanks to a new technology, the dial, inspired by the sunrise over the Hotaka Mountains, is presented with different warm color effects.
The dynamic storage display is located at 7 o'clock, the hour, minute and scale hands are covered with green Lumibrite coating, and the GMT hand and the numerals on the bezel glow blue. It is water-resistant to 200 meters. The Spring Drive is undoubtedly the most iconic technology of the Blue Lion, carving out an exclusive track between a quartz movement and an automatic mechanical movement. Powered by calibre 9R96, this anniversary limited edition has a daily error reduction of ±0.5 seconds per day, and is set with an 18-carat gold logo badge on the oscillating weight of the movement.
At Geneva Watch 2022, the Blue Lion unveiled the first Kodo constant-force tourbillon, a masterpiece of the Maison's exploration in the field of fine watchmaking. For this, it was awarded the Chronometry Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève in the same year. Kodo, the romanized word for "heartbeat" in Japanese, vividly depicts the movement of a constant-force tourbillon. Limited to 20 pieces after two years, the new Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon continues the design of its predecessor in a 950 platinum and ultra-high-strength titanium case, with an off-white Urushi lacquered leather strap and sapphire for the first time in the movement. The brand named the dawn mood depicted by the pale blue sapphire as the "Dawn Edition".
Powered by the hand-wound calibre 9ST1, the constant-force system and the tourbillon are integrated into a single mechanism that transmits torque from the constant-force system to the balance wheel without wear and tear, and the constant-force system can last for up to 50 hours.
The 9ST1 calibre consists of some 340 parts, of which more than 100 are located in the "heart" of the movement, in an integrated constant-force and tourbillon cage with a diameter of only about 10 mm. A ruby is set on the stand of the constant-force system as a small seconds hand, which not only ensures legibility, but also symbolizes the rising sun.
That's it for the new Blue Lion at Geneva 2024. Personally, I think the most noteworthy is the 9SA4 high-frequency calibre, which is equipped with the Evolution 9 Style, which also has revised the hands and other details, and is presented in an "ultra-bright high-strength titanium" or 18-carat rose gold case (limited edition). As part of the 20th anniversary of the 9R Spring Drive calibre, the Sport Collection SBGC275 of the SBGC275 model uses a new process called "optical multi-coating", with the dial taking on different colors at different angles. The Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon Dawn Edition continues the style of its predecessor by using sapphire in the movement for the first time, taking the material technology a step further. (Photo/text Watch Home Xiao Feng)