Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT “Hotaka Peaks” SBGE295 (Live Pics & Price)
Inspired by the verdant slopes of the Hotaka mountain range in summer, Grand Seiko delivers another sporty GMT with an attractive green textured dial.
Nature is a recurring theme at Grand Seiko, beautifully interpreted on the textured dials (and cases) of many of its most popular watches. The latest model, reference SBGE295, is a sporty Spring Drive GMT with a green dial inspired by the Hotaka mountain range during the brief summer months. As a true GMT model (as opposed to an office GMT), the local hour hand can be adjusted independently via the crown in one-hour increments in both directions without affecting the other indications.
Like so many Grand Seiko watches produced in the Shinshu Watch Studio, the local scenery of the Nagano prefecture is a constant source of inspiration. Last year we saw the Grand Seiko GMT SBGE275 with a dial inspired by the snow-covered slopes of the Hotaka mountains. Still relying on the Hotaka mountain range as its muse, this time, Grand Seiko turns to the short summer season when the mountains are covered with vegetation.
The sporty 200m water-resistant stainless steel case features brushed and polished surfaces. With a 44mm diameter and thickness of 14.7mm, the robust case is large, but the downturned lugs and offset crown at 4 o’clock make it look smaller.
Green textured dial
Like the SBGE275, the new reference SBGE295 “Hotaka Peaks” has a rotating two-tone green and white sapphire crystal bezel with a 24-hour scale. The external scale is complemented by a two-tone green and silver sloped inner flange with day/night indications and a second 24h scale with odd numbers. The white areas of the resilient synthetic sapphire insert, all the numerals and the inverted triangle on the bezel are treated with LumiBrite and glow in the dark. The combination of a 24-hour bezel and a 24-hour day/night flange with the GMT hand means that you could technically track three different time zones.
The highlight of this GMT model SBGE295 is its attractive green dial with its irregular textured pattern. In keeping with its sporty nature, the hand and indices are extra large. Not only are they faceted, but the indices are also engraved with a ribbed texture and plots of lume on the 12, 3, 6 and 9 markers. The hour, minute and arrow-tipped GMT hands are brushed and have LumiBrite inserts, contrasting with the brightly polished central seconds hand. The inscriptions on the dial are printed in a silvery powder to match the daytime hours of the flange and part of the power reserve indicator located at 9 o’clock. The date window with a white background is positioned at 4 o’clock, in line with the screw-down crown.
Spring Drive
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 SBGE295 “Hotaka Peaks” comes with a three-link stainless steel bracelet with a triple-folding clasp with push-button release. It will be available on the 1st of July from GS Mastershops, Salons and Boutiques worldwide for a suggested retail price of EUR 6,600. For more information, please consult grand-seiko.com.
6 responses
always disliked the case shape of this series. sits awkward on the wrist and is way too big
Looks massive on the wrist
It look STUNNING, but I won’t be buying it because it has ridiculous thickness. And no, I don’t have a skinny wrist. I have 21cm wrist and it looks even funnier on a wrist like mine. Pops up like a mountain. They could easily make an 11case on this one as these movements are under 6mm.
Great piece but absolutely boring, uninspired pics.
There are plenty of spring drive GMT watches in the 40-42mm category. 44-45mm are the exceptions; not the rule.
As far as this one goes, the dial looks OK, but otherwise looks bland overall.
I absolutely love Grand Seiko, the best bang for you buck watch company on the market. They are hands down the king of dials. Who else can you buy a watch from that hand polishes their watches at these price points? And their movements are a work of art and technology. Their new Ever-Brilliant steel really makes the watch pop especially against their dials. I have to find a dealership near me to check out these watches in person and try them on.