Introducing Two New Grand Seiko Exclusives – SBGA507 and SBGA509



Grand Seiko pays tribute to the changing skies over Lake Suwa with its new regional releases.

In the heat of summer, Grand Seiko introduces two cool new 44GS designs for the U.S. market, both inspired by the various hues of sunrise and sunset over Lake Suwa, southeast of the Shinshu Watch Studio, where Spring Drive watches are made.

Both watches are powered by Spring Drive Caliber 9R65, which has a 72-hour power reserve and a monthly error of ±15 seconds. The movement is visible through the transparent caseback of the stainless steel case (with a stainless steel bracelet), which measures 40mm x 12.5mm. But as always with these limited editions, the focus is on the dial. Both watches feature kirazuri woodblock print textures, one in rose pink and the other in soft blue. For those of you who don’t quite understand its meaning like me, kirazuri is Japanese for “glittering painting” and it appears in the Japanese art of woodblock printing, where mica powder is added to give it a shimmering sheen.

While I haven’t seen these watches in person, they should have typical Grand Seiko dials that play with light.

You may not feel it, but Grand Seiko seems to be going slower and more thoughtful with limited editions, giving great attention to each new piece without overwhelming consumers with large quantities of inventory. Sure, these are new limited editions, but they have all the good things about Grand Seiko in terms of design, finishing, and the brand’s more affordable price. What’s not to like?

I’m not sure there’s anything special about Grand Seiko’s pink dials, but they seem to be more popular than I expected. The SBGA413 may have a softer pink hue, but the demand for this watch leads me to believe that the SBGA509 may be the most popular. The blue dial seems to change color quite a bit in the light, which also makes it a versatile choice between dressy and sporty.