Grand Seiko Heritage Collection SBGW303 Europe Exclusive Limited Edition of 400.

Grand Seiko unveils its new European exclusive, inspired by autumnal twilight, offered in a limited edition.

The textured dial of this limited-edition timepiece is inspired by Mount Iwate, as seen from the Shizukuishi Studio where Grand Seiko mechanical timepieces are manufactured. It expresses the beauty of autumn landscapes, when the slopes adopt a complex variety of colors, where the deep green of the forest blends with the yellows, reds and oranges of autumn foliage. At dusk, the mountain is illuminated by the light of the setting sun, offering a mysterious effect: a dark gray-green color reflected in the dial of the European Edition 2023, reference SBGW303.

The textured dial, representing the ridge lines of Mount Iwate, further accentuates the beauty of this autumnal twilight. Another feature of this panorama – the night light produced by the Moon – is captured on the dial. As the sun begins to decline towards the west, the Moon is still white, but its light gradually becomes more intense, eventually taking on a vivid golden hue. Just as the word “Moon” is known in haiku as a seasonal word for autumn, there is an ancient Japanese tradition of appreciating the Autumn Moon. The gold-plated Grand Seiko logo of this SBGW303 symbolizes this Moon. The watch is powered by caliber 9S64, a hand-wound mechanical movement. The case’s distortion-free mirror finish, achieved through Zaratsu polishing, is the work of “Takumi” master craftsmen, while the faceted hour markers and hour and minute hands enhance legibility, bringing to life the myriad expressions of light and shadow in minute detail.

The view of majestic Mount Iwate, the highest mountain in Japan’s Iwate prefecture, inspires the Takumi from the large windows of the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, where all Grand Seiko mechanical watches are handcrafted with the utmost precision. Since ancient times, the Japanese have appreciated the subtle beauty of light and shadow and their natural effects on the passage of time. While light and shadow are considered a contrast in the West, Japan finds beauty in their coexistence, maximizing it in design, from fine art to architecture.