The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Titanium Lake Suwa SLGA019 (Live Pics & Price)

The Evolution 9 collection by Grand Seiko is home to some very impressive sporty-chic watches, mostly known for their nature-inspired dials. The Japanese powerhouse has made it a habit to draw inspiration from the surroundings of the manufacturing facilities. A light dusting of snow, blooming cherry blossom trees, a birch wood forest, you’re probably quite familiar with the overall concept by now. Some of the very best models are the ones inspired by Lake Suwa. New to this group of sports watches is the Lake Suwa SLGA019, which not only is lighter in weight but also in colour. 

This new Titanium Lake Suwa adopts a high-intensity titanium exterior, something we first saw with the introduction of the Night Birch SLGH017 last year. This cuts the weight down quite substantially, adding to the comfort of the watch (which was already very good!). The size and shape of the 40mm by 11.8mm case are identical to that of the previous Lake Suwa editions, with mostly brushed surfaces enhanced by Zaratsu-polished elements. For the rest, you have sapphire crystals front and back, a screw-down crown, and 100m of water resistance.

Where the Lake Suwa SLGA021 that preceded this one had a midnight blue dial, the new Lake Suwa SLGA019 has a lighter tone of blue. It has the same rippled texture, inspired by the surface of Lake Suwa rippling under a gentle breeze. The applied markers and hands are faceted and brushed and Zaratsu-polished. The date window has a nice bevelled and polished frame and reveals a white disc with black digits.

Mechanically speaking, nothing has changed as the SLGA019 comes with Grand Seiko’s in-house 9RA2 Spring Drive movement. This quartz-mechanical hybrid has a power reserve of 120 hours in total and is accurate to within ±0.5 seconds per day, or ±10 seconds per month. The movement inconspicuously shows the power reserve on the back, keeping the dial uncluttered. The finishing is very pleasant, as always, with blued screws, frosted plates and bridges, and bevelled edges.

The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Titanium Lake Suwa SLGA019 comes on a three-link high-intensity titanium bracelet, fitted with a three-fold clasp with push-button release. The price is set at EUR 11,100 and it will be available as a non-limited edition from Grand Siko Boutiques and selected retailers worldwide from July 1st of this year onwards.

For more information, please visit Grand-Seiko.com