Fragen und Antworten » Grand Seiko SLGB005 Evolution 9 Spring Drive

Hands-On Review of the Grand Seiko SLGB005 Evolution 9 Spring Drive UFA Limited Edition (with " Violet Dawn" Dial)







Engineered using Everbrilliantsteel, the new watch incorporates a dial every bit as attractive as its high-precision movement.



This spring, with the " Watches & Wonders" exhibition in Geneva, Fantastic Seiko unveiled its record-breaking Spring Drive Caliber 9RB2 to the world. According to Huge Seiko, it's the most exact mainspring-driven watch movement available, boasting an accuracy associated with ±20 seconds per year. This really is by design. The Spring Drive movement eschews simply mechanical construction, juxtaposing a regular mainspring and gear train which has a proprietary sliding wheel along with integrated circuit with a quartz crystal. This creates typically the truly smooth Spring Travel movement we've come to count on and love. Yet, its veracity is astonishing by just about any standard, marking a significant discovery for Grand Seiko's Spring Drive work at the Shinshu Toki no Takumi work shop.



Following the platinum SLBG001 and the bright titanium SLGB003, Grand Seiko not too long ago unveiled the third model within the UFA collection-the new SLGB005. From a distance, you might mistake this for just another 37mm ti model, with just a distinct dial. While the two are really similar, subtle changes fixed it apart.



The SLGB005 is engineered using Grand Seiko's Ever Outstanding stainless steel, a material that is certainly more corrosion-resistant than classic steel alloys and has a rather lighter hue, especially when slick. In the Evolution 9 layout language, this primarily signifies brushed surfaces embellished using wide Zaratsu-polished chamfers. Which has a smaller case diameter regarding 37mm and a thickness involving 11. 4mm, and water-repellent to 100 meters, this particular watch will undoubtedly appeal to those that find the compact case from the SLGB001 a bit light, mainly because it adds a touch of heft on their timepiece.



Probably confusing many Grand Seiko collectors is that this stainless steel product doesn't feature the new fine-adjustable clasp featured on the SLGB003, which was just released (and received widespread acclaim) throughout April of this year. This is certainly likely because the steel form isn't ready for mass manufacturing yet, but it will undoubtedly fail many collectors who had wanted it would remain a fitting on subsequent releases.



As a visual designation for this limited edition, a 18k rose gold Grand Seiko emblem is inlaid within the flat, standard Evolution being unfaithful clasp. We've seen often the 3D " GS" logo design on the dial in platinum finishes in the past, but I favor the classic silver look for this watch, as it complements the actual dial's hue more wonderfully. Honestly, I'd prefer the rose gold colored elements removed entirely or maybe replaced with white gold, as they jump out too much against the watch's radiant color scheme.



But I digress. The debate here is squarely on the switch. The " katauchi" (template) pattern, inspired by the frost-covered trees of Suwa Kirimine Plateau (near the Shinshu Toki-no-Takumi workshop), inherits the look of the previous two models. This particular nearly abstract herringbone style is a deep, inky magenta, fading to a lighter crimson toward the center. As with the majority of Grand Seiko's darker watch dials, the dark hue in the underlying lacquer coating looks solid and lustrous with dim light, transforming in a vibrant, undulating dial within bright sunlight. It probably would not be a new Grand Seiko dial without a slightly graceful press release. In this case, the call color is described as " reminiscent of a frosted mend emerging at dawn. "



As we generally say about many Great Seiko dials, the imprinted pattern in the " Violet Dawn" colorway is particularly wonderful. While the Caliber 9RB2 ended up being one of the most striking dials many of us saw at Watches & Wonders, ice blue being a dial color has never resonated with me. Therefore , I've looked for a darker dial around the Evolution 9 UFA. The brand new purple dial is absolutely amazing, with a gradient around the perimeters creating a dynamic look and the right amount of lacquer to give that a (literally) shimmering gloss. During my brief time donning this " Violet Dawn" dial watch, I presented it up to a window more than once to compare the dial underneath indoor and outdoor lights. It was fascinating to see precisely how it reacted so in another way under various conditions.



Thankfully, the caseback, etched with a more prudent, frosted Grand Seiko company logo, reveals the Caliber 9RB2 automatic Spring Drive activity. It boasts a 72-hour reserve of power and exceptional accuracy connected with ±20 seconds per year (approximately ±3 seconds per month). Grand Seiko attributes this specific performance improvement to a brand-new manufacturing and processing way for the quartz crystal, in addition to an improved temperature-compensating integrated outlet. Furthermore, a lesser-known element: for the first time, a Spring Drive movement features a regulating move, making maintenance much easier to the watchmaker.



This specific watch, powered by a beautiful Spring Drive movement, can be a truly stunning sight. Consider the dial is so spectacular, I personally hope that it will get a regular production model and also the titanium SLGB003, rather than a constrained edition. However , I hope that particular day we will see a non-limited edition UFA stainless steel design, preferably with a micro-adjustable buckle.