A Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition, with engraving that evokes a birch forest

GRAND SEIKO

Birch Forest Dial Evokes Views from the Shizukuishi Watch Studio

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Grand Seiko brand, a limited edition model featuring an engraved dial inspired by the birch forest visible from the Shizukuishi Watch Studio—where Grand Seiko's mechanical movements are crafted—will be released. Limited to 120 pieces worldwide, it is scheduled to become available sequentially in Japan and overseas starting July 10, 2020.

Text by OZAKI Sayaka | Edit by TSUCHIDA Takashi

A Soft, Engraved Sheen to Grace Your Wrist

The Shizukuishi Watch Studio, established in 2004 in Shizukuishi Town, Iwate Prefecture, is a sacred place for the manufacture of Grand Seiko's mechanical timepieces. It is a manufacture that handles everything from the production of components such as the hairsprings and gears that govern the heart of mechanical watches, to assembly, adjustment, inspection, and shipping.

In 2020, celebrating its 60th anniversary, Grand Seiko unveiled the "Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition," which expresses the vitality of the birch forest seen from the Shizukuishi Watch Studio through a three-dimensional pattern on a green dial. The lattice-like pattern is inspired by the scene where the green leaves and the white bark of the trees shimmer in the summer sun. It is finished with a sharper impression than press-molding, using a mechanical engraving technique that faithfully reproduces the original plate.

This technique involves reading an original plate five times the diameter of the dial and directly engraving it with a cutting tool from the outside towards the center, with slight vibrations. The trace created by this technique forms a single continuous line, producing a unique, soft luster that elegantly adorns the wrist.

This commemorative model, limited to 120 pieces worldwide, will be available at Grand Seiko Boutiques and Grand Seiko Salons starting Friday, July 10, 2020.