Grand Seiko

Japanese design has long been characterized by beautiful simplicity and precision. These two concepts define Grand Seiko watches, first developed in 1960. At the time, they contained the highest caliber of mechanics available on the market and were encased in the best quality materials. Grand Seiko has continuously been in pursuit of the most ideal watch. Over the following decades, the designer focused on innovating not just the watch designs’ practical components, but also its fashionable features. 

Grand Seiko was always ahead of the curve in the watch-making sector. In the mid-1960s, Grand Seiko watches were improved to have water resistance up to 50 meters, and a calendar function was added. As far back as 1967, Grand Seiko watches deviated from perfect time-keeping by less than 1 minute monthly! About twenty years later, in 1988, Grand Seiko introduced quartz watches, which were astonishingly accurate at less than a 10-second deviation from perfect time annually. Grand Seiko achieved such precise standards by literally growing the crystals to be used in their watches, and hand-selecting each oscillator. With each mechanical accomplishment, Grand Seiko added comfort elements to their watch case and band designs, to make wearing their timepieces even more pleasurable. In the 1990s, Grand Seiko surpassed watchmakers’ standards by incorporating a power reserve that lasted 25% longer than others on the market. The addition of Spring Drive calibers further increased Grand Seiko’s level of perfection.

To this day, one of the most unique characteristics of Grand Seiko is that the studio is fully integrated, meaning all Grand Seiko quartz and Spring Drive watches are made in-house. Watchmakers, designers, engineers, and other types of craftspeople all work under the facility’s roof with a glorious view of the natural mountain range surroundings. Grand Seiko watch styles are extraordinarily influenced by the vistas surrounding the workshop. For instance, the Heritage collection was inspired by the dawn breaking on the mountains of Shinshu, Japan, while the Elegance collection grew from the sensations of the frozen lake there. Both the Evolution 9 and the 44GG draw on the striking imagery of Mt. Iwate—its snowy peaked silhouette, and the deep blue night sky in back of them.

The wonderful thing about nature is that it is always changing, which constantly re-inspires the artisans behind Grand Seiko. The Grand Seiko watch styles available through authorized dealer Lux Bond & Green have something for everyone, including both sporty and sophisticated styles. There are watches with dials in colors that range from the white, black, navy, and cognac brown, to naturally-inspired dark-forest green, icy snow-blue, creamy linen, pink fluffy cherry blossoms, and birch texture. Steel cases and steel or leather bands are thoughtfully applied to the exquisitely, uniquely, thoughtfully constructed Grand Seiko collections, which are available at Lux Bond & Green stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and online.