Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGD202 8-Day Power Reserve 18k Rose Gold Watch
In recent years, Grand Seiko has increasingly launched artistic watches with technology, materials and stories to compete in a field previously dominated by high-end Swiss watch brands. A good example of this is the new Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGD202 18k Rose Gold 8-Day Power Reserve, which is similarly priced but aesthetically different from the platinum-cased 2016 Grand Seiko SBGD001 we see here in person. Of course, Grand Seiko offered a few things that the European brands couldn't, not the least of which was the Spring Drive movement with its eight-day power reserve - and plenty of Japanese 'inspiration'.
The SBGD001 has a platinum case with a white dial, while the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGD202 has a brown dial with a rose gold case for an overall drab yet cohesive look. Actually, the brand says the dial is black, but what appears to be flecks of gold makes me think it's brown. Seiko simply calls them "stars" and doesn't actually tell us what exactly causes the effect, except that it's produced by a "special process that combines plating and painting." I imagine it looks luxurious, in line with the dial of the platinum SBGD001 watch, which has a layer of shimmering diamond dust on the dial. As with most Grand Seiko watches, the legibility of the faceted hands and hour markers with a 'zaratsu' finish promises to be excellent.
When Grand Seiko released the SBGD001, we noticed that it was an attempt to take emulation of European values and the concept of luxury and its marketing to a new level. Seiko has been working harder lately to create an air of mystery around certain production facilities, "master craftsmen" and "traditional techniques" - to be fair, much of the country is indeed fascinating and mysterious, a place that values craftsmanship and sophistication . First, the brand tells us how the watch was created at its miniature artist studio in Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture. This is where more artisanal and low-production items happen, such as Credor's Spring Drive minute repeater, sonnerie and Eichi watches, which Seiko wants you to imagine surrounded by serene mountains and natural beauty.
That's where the dial comes in, as it's supposed to be inspired by the night sky seen from the mountains of Nagano. We've seen other watches based on such Japanese nature themes, such as the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT SBGJ021 with Mount Iwate at sunrise, the pine trees on the dial of the Grand Seiko Black Ceramic Chronograph SBGC017, and of course the Platinum Spring Drive SBGD001 A diamond dial should look like snow. I don't think Seiko has gone too far with the marketing language, but we wanted to focus on the watch itself.
The 9R01 Spring Drive movement is visible through the sapphire crystal case back, which also displays the power reserve indicator. Sometimes I like to display complications on the back of the case. The power reserve indicator doesn't need to be referenced all the time, but turning the watch around to check while admiring the view of the movement is a great way to interact with the watch. Of course, like this hand-wound movement, the power reserve indicator is always appreciated. The internals of the 9R01 movement are not immediately obvious as you mostly see a solid bridge with some of the 56 jewels and some screws exposed, but a bridge like this is said to be stronger in the event of a shock -- even if it's not as visually appealing as a more "cutout" one.
Seiko tells us that the bridge section at the top of the case back view reflects the shape of Mount Fuji... Caliber 9R01 uses three barrels and, as you know, provides a power reserve of eight days (192 hours). This is great and doesn't compromise accuracy, as we promise +/- 0.5 seconds per day, which is +/- 10 seconds per month. How many Swiss watches in this price range even claim to be accurate? We know of course that the Seiko Spring Drive movement is much more accurate than a traditional mechanical watch because the escapement has been replaced by a very high frequency quartz oscillator - while it is still powered by the mainspring, like most mechanical Watches are like watches. Check out our article here for an in-depth look at how Spring Drive works and its background.
The Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGD202 case, now in rose gold, has the same dimensions as its platinum predecessor, both 43mm wide x 13.2mm thick (water resistant to 100m), and features an anti-reflective coated box-shaped sapphire crystal dial . These dimensions would make this austere, simple, conservatively designed watch feel bolder on the wrist than the pictures suggest. Fans of Grand Seiko will be able to appreciate just about everything about the new Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGD202 watch, but like the SBGD001, the price strays away from value territory, where the brand has been strongest, and into serious luxury territory.