Grand Seiko Elegance SBGZ001; Perfect In Platinum

Platinum has the reputation of being the most prized of all the precious metals. In luxury watchmaking, it is in most cases used only for top-of-the-line models. Here they often create a contradiction, as the appearance of polished platinum is rather understated. Grand Seiko takes a different approach for their Grand Seiko Elegance SBGZ001, which is crafted in their renowned Micro Artist Studio.

The pattern on the dial is inspired by the snow that falls in the Japanese Shinshu region. It not only gives the watch a unique appearance, but just like with real snow, is there also a subtle yet mesmerizing play of light. This pattern is also hammered by hand in the platinum case at the Micro Artist Studio. This changes the platinum’s appearance completely, especially in relation to what we are typically used to. While a lot of time and effort has been invested in the decoration of this watch, function doesn’t follow form. Both the hour markers, as well as the hands, are polished to perfection for excellent legibility, while a blued seconds hand adds a dash of color.

For Grand Seiko, the movement is equally important. Caliber 9R02 represents, in many ways, the best that Japan has to offer. This manual wind movement comes with an innovative Torque Return System that uses the excess torque output when fully wound in part to rewind the mainspring. This results in a very generous power reserve of 84 hours. The movement is visible through a sapphire caseback. This is very fortunate, as this allows us to admire the finishing, which is of a very high level. Caliber 9R02 sports blued screws, polished screw wells, beveled bridges, and a mainspring barrel with cutouts reminiscent of the bellflower, which is the symbol of Shiojiri, where the Micro Artist Studio is located. The movement also features a gold plaque with the name on the studio, hand-engraved on it. On request, this can be replaced with the name of the owner, making this extraordinary watch even more special.