The Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive 5 Days Lake Suwa SLGA021G

By now, it’s pretty well known that Grand Seiko loves to play around with dial textures and colours and is quite good at it too. So whenever a press release of a new model comes up, we immediately envision a specific type of watch with a faceted case, an intricately brushed and polished dial inspired by nature in both texture and colour, and a nice movement to back it all up. Just look at the immensely successful ‘Birch’ sub-collection, and you’ll know what we mean. This is also the case with the latest new addition to the sporty Evolution 9 collection, the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive 5 Days Lake Suwa Before Dawn SLGA021G.

The exterior should be familiar by now: a faceted stainless steel case design that follows the Evolution 9 ‘Grammar of Design’, finished with a mix of brushed and Zaratsu-polished surfaces. The diameter is once again 40mm, with a height of 11.8mm, so a pretty good fit for most people. A sapphire crystal covers both the front and back of the watch, and the sturdy crown screws down to ensure 100m water-resistance.

The real talking piece in pretty much all GS watches is the dial, and this one is another fine example. The deep blue tone looks amazing and is inspired by the rippling surface of Lake Suwa before the break of dawn. The wave-like texture is embossed so that it will play with the light during the day. The applied markers and hands are faceted, brushed and polished. The GS logo is also applied, and the date window has a bevelled frame.

Inside, the SLGA021G can rely on the formidable calibre 9RA2, Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive automatic with quartz regulation (more details here). This highly accurate movement combines the best of both worlds to run within an accuracy of ±0.5 seconds per day. It can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback, which will also grant you a look at the hidden 5-day power reserve indication. The finishing is very good, with blued screws, bevelled edges, and frosted plates and bridges.

As with all watches in the Evolution 9 collection, the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Spring Drive 5 Days Lake Suwa Before Dawn SLGA021G is fitted with a stainless steel three-link bracelet secured with a folding clasp. Being a non-limited edition, this Grand Seiko will be available from February from Grand Seiko Boutiques and selected retailers. The retail price is USD 9,100, and with that, it lands you a very good-looking watch, but one that is eerily close to the limited edition SLGA007 from last year, just with a darker blue tone and without the gold touches. We’ll leave it there for now.

For more information, please visit Grand-Seiko.com.