Grand Seiko have always taken a rather unconventional route when it comes to their tool watches. The brand self-imposes a set of rules by which these are designed and developed, and oftentimes it doesn’t exactly jive with the kinds of practical concerns that I typically judge tool watches by. As a result, the brand has remained largely on my periphery. Whether intended or not, Grand Seiko tool watches are high on drama thanks to lavish finishes and techniques not generally associated with the genre, making them something of a niche within a niche. That’s not to say they aren’t brilliant, as often they are, but when it comes to grabbing one for an afternoon of odd jobs around the yard and house, well, that’s not exactly their MO.
Grand Seiko sport watches have a more overt beauty, and their oversized stature usually accentuates that. There is one watch within the Evolution 9 collection that I’ve found fascinating since it was released in 2023, and that is the Tentagraph, an automatic chronograph with a high-intensity titanium case. This year in Geneva, Grand Seiko brought a new variation in a ‘panda’ colorway to this collection, making it all the more enticing, and further challenging my notion of what a sport watch should be.
I’m of two minds about the Tentagraph, but overall there’s no denying that it’s a fascinating and beautiful watch to behold and wear. At 43.2mm in diameter, and 15.3mm in thickness, this is a substantial watch from pretty much every angle. The use of titanium and the shape of the case itself make it wearable, but there’s no getting around the mass sitting on your wrist. A slightly more refined approach to the physical dimensions would make this an entirely different proposition, as it’s an otherwise highly compelling watch.
As is, the Tentagraph sits in a slightly awkward position. It’s a big, chunky sport watch made of titanium, but it feels much fancier than that thanks to the level of finish the case has received, the level of detail put into the dial, and the open caseback featuring the beautiful high-beat caliber 9SC5. It’s a luxury sport watch by every metric, but gets the dimensions of something far more brutal in nature. It kind of sits on both sides of the fence, with great features all around, but not quite comfortable on either side.
The Tentagraph is very much its own thing, and for that I commend it. Would I like to see a variation that’s ~15% trimmer all around? Absolutely. But at this point I almost expect a certain level of drama when it comes to these kinds of watches from Grand Seiko. This reference isn’t even the most dramatic chronograph released by the brand in Geneva (that honor goes the ‘Lion’ SLGC009). The Tentagraph gets a truly beautiful dial, loads of beautiful details at every corner, and a truly world class automatic chronograph movement. Frankly, it’s hard to find fault here, even at the $14,100 asking price. It’s big, bold, and one hell of an experience in the metal. Grand Seiko
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