The New Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Atera Valley SLGA025

A contemporary yet gentle evolution of the original “Grammar of Design” established with the 1967 44GS, the Evolution 9 collection is the vision of the future for Grand Seiko. More modern, more ergonomic, presented in a sporty-chic attire and mostly equipped with new generations of the emblematic calibres 9R and 9S, this collection has already been home to some highly appealing watches – the White Birch models being the best representatives of this collection. There’s now a new edition, a watch that shares many of its elements with the acclaimed Titanium Lake Suwa SLGA019, but with a new dial texture and colour. Here’s the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Atera Valley SLGA025. 

At first, this new Atera Valley SLGA025 feels highly familiar, and for good reasons. It’s an evolution of multiple references we’ve reviewed here on MONOCHROME, such as the Minamo SLGA007, the White Birch SLGA009, the Lake Suwa SLGA007, the Lake Suwa SLGA021 or the Titanium Lake Suwa SLGA019 – the latter being the closest to the watch we’ll review today in terms of specs and materials. All share the same recently designed case with an evolution of ergonomics and the innovative, powerful Calibre 9RA2.

With this new Atera Valley SLGA025, we’re looking at the same specifications as the Lake Suwa SLGA019, thus a modern and lightweight watch made of High-Intensity Titanium – approximately 30% lighter and more scratch-resistant than stainless-steel, and equivalent to grade 5 titanium. Dimensions are well-known, with a 40mm diameter, a relatively thin profile of 11.8mm, a length just below 48mm and, something that’s slightly debatable, a wide bracelet of 22mm. For the rest, you have sapphire crystals front and back, a screw-down crown, and 100m of water resistance.

What truly sets apart this new Grand Seiko Atera Valley from the rest of the collection is its new dial – which comes with an unprecedented combination of colour and texture. These incredibly detailed dials have become a hallmark of the Japanese brand, which masters the process like few other brands on the market. Earlier this year, Grand Seiko treated us with the Genbi Valley, an automatic Evolution 9 with a light emerald-green water-like, Kirazuri-textured dial. The Atera Valley is somehow its Spring Drive brother. Here, inspiration comes from a valley and a river located South of Shiojiri, where stands Shinshu Watch Studio, the birthplace of all Grand Seiko Spring Drive timepieces.

While the handset and applied markers are classic Evo9 collection (and, as always, highly impressive), the SLGA025 comes with a new randomly scratched texture and a deep turquoise colour reminiscent of the waters found in the Atera Valley. The texture is rather discreet and only appears under close inspection. The colour, however, is particularly appealing in the metal. The watch comes worn on a high-tensity titanium bracelet and is light on the wrist.

Inside is the Calibre 9RA2, made in-house at the Shinshu Watch Studio. It relies on the brand’s proprietary Spring Drive technology, which merges the precision of a quartz regulation with the beauty and perpetuity of an automatic calibre. This Calibre 9RA2 is a substantial upgrade over previous movements, such as the 9R6x architecture. It improves all elements – size, performance, decoration and functionality – and sets a new standard for any spring-powered watch. The movement is slimmer yet packs five days of power reserve (vs. three days in the past) with dual barrels. It also features a much faster date mechanism and even better accuracy (±0.5 seconds per day or ±10 seconds per month). The power reserve indicator is discreetly visible on the back.

Released as part of the permanent collection and available immediately, the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Atera Valley SLGA025 will be priced at EUR 11,100. For more details, please visit grand-seiko.com.