If there’s one brand that people have been waiting for an approachable diver from, it’s certainly Grand Seiko. After teasing exactly that, Grand Seiko formally revealed the Spring Drive U.F.A. Ushio 300 Diver in Geneva this week sporting a new Ultra Fina Accuracy caliber 9RB1. The watch is a part of the Evolution 9 collection, and is represented in two references featuring green (SLGB025) and blue (SLGB023) dials. As usual when it comes to Grand Seiko, there’s plenty of impressive technical details on a granular level, but stepping back and taking the watches in as a whole reveals a design that feels about right on point for the brand.
I think it’s worth addressing the broader design language when it comes to Grand Seiko, and how the brand attempts to create contrast between themselves and iconic divers from Seiko. Generally speaking, Grand Seiko does not acknowledge their Seiko Group stablemate, and goes to lengths to ensure they aren’t viewed merely as a more premium version of Seiko, but rather, as their own thing. The fact remains, however, that the word is right there on the dial, and some overlap has and does exist between the two.
A diver like this from Grand Seiko will naturally draw comparisons to divers in Seiko’s range, and I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Seiko has a pretty good track record with the genre, after all. Taken at a glance, the UFA Diver certainly shares some DNA with what we find in the Prospex collection, but zooming in reveals a different story. It walks a fine line in that regard, but ends up firmly in its own territory. Which is a good place to be for a watch that costs $12,400.
Rather than taking cues from the existing SLGA015 (which does feel much closer to Seiko design language), these new divers lean closer to a watch like the GMT reference SBGE285, which is a very good thing. The thick hands feel, bar shaped hour markers, and power reserve placement all echo the confident visual trends seen in the GMT, and it comes as no surprise that they work pretty well here. The dial is framed by a ceramic bezel within a 120 click assembly, and the case itself is kept in check at 40.8mm in diameter and 12.9mm in thickness. Further, that case and bracelet are constructed from titanium, so this should be an absolute darling on the wrist.
The real show is happening inside, though. This watch uses the second modern Ultra Fina Accuracy caliber after first being introduced last year in the SLGB001 and SLGB003. The caliber 9RB2 in those watches housed the power reserve indication in the movement itself, and provided a date complication at three o’clock. With the diver, Grand Seiko is building on that with the caliber 9RB1, which places the power reserve on the dial, and ditches the date altogether. Not a bad tradeoff, if you ask me.
What makes this movement so impressive is its ability to keep time to within +/- 20 seconds per year. This is a Spring Drive, keep in mind, so accuracy is kind of the name of the game here, and the UFA takes it to another level for a watch still powered by a mainspring. Power reserve is 72 hours and there is an automatic winding system at work.
The idea of a hyper accurate hybrid movement dive watch feels a bit niche, but it’s one that Grand Seiko should own, and that’s what they’ve done here. The design is referential enough, but makes plenty of space to remain clearly unique to the Evolution 9 collection. It’s still a proper diver, too. There’s a 300 meter depth rating, a closed caseback, a clocking clasp with plenty of extension space to be worn over a suit, and the lume is top notch. My only real gripe here is wishing for a flat matte dial instead of the textured business going on, and a different bracelet design, which feels a bit tired here.
Overall a wonderful effort from Grand Seiko and one that will hopefully serve as a base upon which to build. Both watches will be available from Grand Seiko from June of 2026. Grand Seiko