Grand Seiko SBGC247

This limited edition timepiece is just one of only 700 created worldwide to commemorate 20 years since the first Grand Seiko GMT timepiece, which enables the wearer to tell the time in multiple time zones at once.

The design is inspired by the “Skovla,” snow patterns on the highlands of the Northern Alps seen in the distance from the Shinshu Watch Studio. “Skovla” are the marks left by the fierce winds shaving off the surface of accumulated snow. ‘The Nature of Time’ theme features prominently in Grand Seiko watch designs – a Japanese spirituality where each moment is a unique expression unveiled through light and shadow. The watchmakers’ pride in their surroundings is represented from engineering watch movements which emulate the smooth motion of time passing, to creating dials reflecting the beauty of Japanese nature.

This timepiece is powered by the brand’s iconic Spring Drive movement, one of the most significant developments in recent watchmaking which took 28 years to develop. With a superior level of precision, Spring Drive generates energy with a mainspring combined with an electronic regulator, never requiring a battery change. Seiko Watch Corporation pioneered Spring Drive which is only available in their timepieces.

In Spring Drive, the second-hand moves in perfect glide motion, reflecting the natural and continuous flow of time itself. It has a 72-hour power reserve, and a power reserve indicator on the bottom left of the dial. The chronograph utilises a Ready/Start button with a half-press shutter, to ensure the most precise possible operation, the chronograph start and stop buttons have a ‘ready’ stage so that the chronograph is armed by pressing the button halfway.

Every Grand Seiko features signature high standards of precision, durability and legibility, handcrafted in Japan by Takumi artisans. Grand Seiko: beautifully, precise Japanese watchmaking, from the pinnacle of Seiko Watch Corporation’s in-house ‘manufacture.’