Grand Seiko is expanding their Evolution 9 collection with nine updated references that will serve as core pieces, spanning two different sizes, two different material options, and both U.F.A. Spring Drive and pure mechanical calibers. The slew of releases stand in contrast to the staggered releases we’ve seen from the brand in the past, and offer buyers a range of options in a single go. On the surface, this move appears to provide a range of options for enthusiasts to finally dial in their ‘just right’ Grand Seiko, but a closer look reveals some frustrating restrictions that might feel arbitrary at a glance. The truth is somewhere in between.
The concept of Evolution 9 was introduced back in 2020, with watches releasing a year later. The idea was an evolution of Grand Seiko’s ‘Grammar of Design’ principles that date back to the 1960s. This still serves as the foundation for design decisions enacted today, all centered around principals (which have grown from three to nine) meant to reinforce themes of legibility, quality, and craftsmanship. Truth be told, my feeling is that the original trio of tenets were more focused, effective, and allowed for a greater range of creativity to be expressed. However, the Evolution 9 collection has chosen to tighten the reins, creating a blueprint that goes well beyond mere themes and goals.
The resulting watches to come from the Evolution 9 thus share many traits, from the design and finish of their cases to the width of their hands tracking the time. With this new collection, Grand Seiko establishes a new framework for this structure to live within, expanding the Grand Seiko style in the process. With that said, you’ll find some familiar dials making appearances, as the brand’s penchant for using nature for inspiration remains in place, and effective as ever across a range of colors and textures.
The Spring Drive portion of the collection consists of five references housing the 9RB2 caliber, with four of them sized at 40mm, and a single at 37mm. Likewise, four of them are constructed from ever-brilliant steel, while one lone example is rendered in high-intensity titanium. The single appearance of titanium isn’t entirely uncommon, but making a 37mm case only to use it with a single dial feels like a missed opportunity.
Moving to the pure mechanical portion of these releases we find an additional four references, all sized at 40mm in diameter, with another sole example in titanium. These watches use the excellent 9SA5 automatic caliber with 80 hours of reserve and accuracy to within -3 / +5 seconds per day. The same general dial tones are found throughout, with white and black joining a range of greens and blues all inspired by Japan’s natural beauty.
Setting aside the color and textures, the dial design elements remain consistent throughout, with a set of wide hands tracking against applied faceted indices, and a framed date aperture at three o’clock. As such, these watches feel very much like a subtle evolution from other references we’ve seen in this collection over the years, though there are some notable, and welcome refinements. The biggest of these is a new tapered bracelet, something fans have been pining for since the onset.
This new bracelet makes a market difference at a glance, and it comes with a clasp that houses a quick adjustment system. The lug width is still relatively wide at 21mm considering the 40mm diameter, but this stance seems to be a preferred element of Grand Seiko design. The bracelet taper will be the easiest way to differentiate these new references from existing watches within the Evolution 9 collection, for instance the SLGH017 remains alongside the new SLGH029, though the average buyer may have a difficult time telling them apart. It’s the same story throughout.
Pricing for both the 9RB2 and 9SA5 powered references starts at $10,200 in steel, and rises to $11,400 in titanium. All of the watches will be available by September of this year. Grand Seiko
