Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Grand Seiko Sport Spring Drive GMT SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion”
The lion roars again at Grand Seiko with the arrival of a new Spring Drive GMT model.
Grand Seiko and the lion symbol go back a long way. United on the first Grand Seiko watch of 1960 featuring the emblem of a proud lion on its caseback, the feline has inspired the case architecture and dial of the “Tokyo Lion” series. Just two years after Grand Seiko was granted independence from Seiko in 2017, the brand launched its Sport Collection. Populated with a host of robust sports watches, one of the most eye-catching models celebrating the 20th anniversary of the GS Spring Drive movement was the limited-edition SBGA403. With its powerful angular case, the dial featured a surprising texture replicating the fur of a lion’s mane. For 2024, Grand Seiko roars again with the launch of the SBGE307 “Tokyo Lion” with a GMT complication.
Joining the 2023 Spring Drive Chronograph GMT SBGC253, which became a regular fixture in the permanent Sport collection, and the SBGA481 three-hands-and-date, the new “Tokyo Lion” is the first GMT model powered, like all members of this family, by the Japanese brand’s hyper-precise hybrid Spring Drive movement.
Far more aggressive and angular than other GS Sport watches, the case is mighty on all fronts. Measuring 44.5mm in diameter and 14.3mm thick, the hardened titanium case has claw-shaped lugs and exaggerated sloping facets. Thanks to the curvature of the lugs and the case’s low centre of gravity, it sits flush on the wrist. Coupled with the use of titanium, the case and bracelet are more resistant and about 30% lighter than a stainless steel equivalent.
The brand’s signature Zaratsu polishing (distortion-free, mirror-polished surfaces) contrasts with the impeccable hairline finishing, exalting the dynamic angular design. The fixed black 24-hour bezel for the GMT has Lumibrite numbers and is topped with a sapphire crystal insert. Fitted with a dual-curved sapphire crystal over the dial, a see-through screwed caseback and a screw-down crown, the case is water-resistant to 200 metres.
Similar to the dial of the chronograph/GMT combo, this SBGE307 Lion GMT has an elegant ivory-white colour. A series of organic brushed strokes on the dial effectively reproduce the texture of a lion’s mane. The large hour markers are beautifully faceted, and each recessed area is filled with Lumibrite. However, the handset, with the short and very wide hour hand, is a signature feature of this “Tokyo Lion” Sport sub-collection. The hour, minute, and seconds hands and the red GMT hand are treated with Lumibrite. Completing the dial, the date window is at 3 o’clock and the power reserve indicator is at 7.30.
Grand Seiko’s unique Spring Drive calibre, which fuses the precision of quartz regulation with a mechanical calibre, ensures the impeccable accuracy of ± 1 seconds per day or ± 15 seconds per month and allows the seconds hand to glide silently and smoothly across the dial. Calibre 9R66, Grand Seiko’s first 9R Spring Drive movement with a GMT function, was released in 2006 and delivers a robust 3-day power reserve.
Availability & Price
The Grand Seiko SBGE307 Tokyo Lion with GMT is not a limited edition. It will be available from 1 August 2024 at Grand Seiko Mastershops, Salons and Boutiques and retails for EUR 11,700. For more information, please consult grand-seiko.com.
