If you're Grand Seiko, how do you make your best-seller, the SBGA413 "Shunbun, " even better? Put it in rose gold, of course.
That's exactly what Grand Seiko has done with the new SBGY026 "Hana-ikada, " a new limited edition of 100 pieces that features a familiar, pale pink dial, but now in a rose gold case. If you know Grand Seiko, you're probably asking yourself: "from which pale pink corner of Japan's beautiful natural world did Grand Seiko take inspiration for this delightful new restricted edition? "Well, after the spring equinox (i. e., the actual "Shunbun"), comes real springtime - "warm winds flutter Japan's cherry trees, setting the light pink petals through the air, " Grand Seiko says. If this is Japan's version associated with "April showers bring May flowers, inch then, well, the Japanese have a way of framing things much more romantically than Americans ever could.
breitling endurance pro replica
omega speedmaster moonwatch replica
And this romantic state of mind is reflected in every detail of the new Hana-ikada. Matched with a rose gold colored case, the effect of the subtle pink dial is enhanced. While in some light and at some angles the red tone of the Shunbun is hardly noticeable, it's suddenly hard to miss on the Hana-ikada.
Vintage collectors, especially vintage Patek enthusiasts, go absolutely nuts for "pink-on-pink" anything, and that's because it almost always looks drop-dead gorgeous. It's hard to replicate the charm of a classic pink-on-pink watch in the modern world, but Grand Seiko's managed to do something gorgeous that stands on its own with the SBGY026.
Unlike some other Grand Seiko dials, the particular dial from the SBGY026 curves slightly to follow the matching curve in the crystal. This allows the light to hit the textured dial in more and different ways. It seems more curved than the titanium Shunbun - there's also no rehaut, no date, no power reserve. In other words, no distractions. The dial's finishing is on full display.
Inside the SBGY026 is the manual-wind Spring Drive caliber 9R31, perhaps most notable for its dual-spring barrel, meaning it has two mainsprings allowing for a 72-hour power reserve. There's a sly little power reserve indicator on the back of the movement (and visible through the sapphire caseback), the absolute best place for a reserve of power indicator. It can accurate to +/- 15 seconds per month, and the Spring Drive motion means typically the seconds hand sweeps smoothly across the soft pink switch.
The rose gold case measures 38. 5mm x 10. 2mm. Is actually polished, wears slim on the wrist, and it's got applied and complementing indices. Great Seiko released a handful of impressive sport watches this week too - more on those coming soon - but to me, a watch like the SBGY026 is Awesome Seiko in its purest form. A slim, dressy view, beautiful distinctive dial, Springtime Drive caliber, and not a lot more. It comes on a brown croc strap with a three-fold clasp that is (of course) gold.