Grand Seiko Updates The White Lion With The SBGD213 Jewellery Watch

Once we take into consideration jewellery watches, these watches bedazzled with gems and provided at extravagant costs, Grand Seiko shouldn’t be one of many manufacturers that often involves thoughts. Extra doubtless, we conjure photos of Christiano Ronaldo’s emerald Jacob & Co., the diamond-encrusted Reina de Naples from Breguet, or any variety of glowing watches from Van Cleef & Arpels. Once we consider Grand Seiko, alternatively, it’s often to surprise when it is going to run out of pure landmarks to encourage its dials or whether or not or not the Spring Drive will be counted as a mechanical motion. However in 2020 and 2021, Grand Seiko debuted two watches with dazzling gem-set dials (the diamond and sapphire SBGD205 and the diamond and emerald SBGD207., respectively). After which, in 2022, it uncaged the SBGD209 “White Lion,” a watch set with tons of of diamonds and black spinel. Now, for Watches & Wonders 2023, the model is updating that third jewellery watch mannequin with two beauty adjustments, presenting the Grand Seiko Masterpiece Assortment 8-Day Jewellery Watch SBGD213.

Grand Seiko launched the SBGD209 “White Lion” in 2022.

The case of the SBGD213 is similar to that of the SBGD209, and each take their kind from a set of Twentieth Anniversary watches from 2019. To listen to the model inform it, the design is impressed by the “energy of a lion,” with sturdy, angular (drilled) lugs. The SBGD213 case is product of absolutely polished 950 platinum (as is the deployant clasp on the hooked up blue crocodile strap), measuring 44.5mm throughout and 14.4mm-thick; definitely, these aren’t the scale we’d count on on watches which are explicitly marketed as jewellery watches, however the case design is borrowed from a sports activities watch. Additional, the motion additionally seems to beget bigger circumstances, not having appeared in any below 43mm. Rather than the brushed sides discovered on the case of these anniversary watches, although, the SBGD213 options 112 pavé diamonds, whereas the mounted bezel is ready with 60 baguette diamonds and the crown encompasses a sapphire cap. Be aware that the underside of the lugbox, because it had been, seems to proceed past the top of the strap, which suggests you can feasibly swap for a wide range of different choices if that tickled your fancy. And never that you simply’d want it, however the case does present 100m of water resistance.

The dial seems no much less a marvel, and to me, is much more spectacular than the platinum case. Across the periphery, a mix of 48 diamonds and 12 sapphires marks out the minutes, whereas the hour monitor options the identical stability of stones lower in tapered baguettes, with a triple sapphire setting at 12 o’clock. The 2 tracks are separated by a skinny 18k white gold band, one other of which additionally separates the hour monitor from the central blue mother-of-pearl dial. Using blue sapphires and mother-of-pearl join the watch on to Grand Seiko: Very similar to the lion has served because the model’s brand for 63 years, so too is blue effectively established because the model’s signature shade. It additionally seems to be extra legible than the White Lion mannequin. The arms definitely stand out however aren’t what you’d count on on a time-only costume watch coated in sparkly rocks. That’s as a result of they had been taken from the Twentieth-anniversary sports activities watches and are styled accordingly, similar to the case that they match. These unique arms had been lumed, although, which wouldn’t match right here; Grand Seiko has made strong the minute hand and lower out the lume plot on the hour. I might’ve most popular each arms be strong—or for there to be a sapphire in there! What’s nice, although, is that the hour hand will be independently set, excellent for once you select this $260,000 watch to put on whereas touring.

The SBGD213 is barely the sixth mannequin to function 9R01 Spring Drive caliber. The hand-wound, time-only caliber encompasses a full plate, making the jewels (just some of the 56 jewels are seen) and blued screws appear to be constellations in opposition to the brushed floor. The caliber encompasses a triple-barrel setup that gives eight days of energy reserve, with an indicator built-in into the plate as a substitute of on the dial (thank goodness). For individuals who don’t know, Spring Drive actions have a standard mainspring and geartrain, however as a substitute of an escapement, use a glide wheel and what the model calls a Tri-Synchro Regulator. This regulator makes use of kinetic, electrical, and magnetic energy, with the mainspring driving the gear practice ending within the glide wheel, an built-in circuit always checking the glide wheel’s price in opposition to the frequency of a quartz oscillator, and an electromagnet making use of a “brake” to the glide wheel when any deviation in frequency is detected. The result’s a motion that has the sturdiness and (practically) limitless energy of a mechanical motion and the accuracy of a quartz motion. For the 9R01, which means -/+10 seconds monthly.

It is a jewellery piece as solely Grand Seiko might do it. Take an objectively sporty case, pavé it, then cowl the dial with diamonds and mother-of-pearl and maintain the sporty arms to match the case. And but, it’s nonetheless a surprising watch, with handset gems and ending that appears to rival the easiest. Given the ultra-limited nature of those watches and the discharge schedule, I feel it’s protected to say that whereas Grand Seiko isn’t going to make a model shift to haute joaillerie, we are able to definitely count on it to proceed releasing distinctive jewellery watches.  The Grand Seiko Masterpiece Assortment 8-Day Jewellery Watch SBGD213 is priced at $260,000 USD and restricted to simply eight items. For extra data, please go to the model’s web site.