Grand Seiko launched the Evolution 9 series in 2020 in order to honor the company’s history and surrounding Japan while debuting a new generation of its famed Spring Drive movements. In the past few years, its models have featured dials that evoked the likes of the mist-filled mountains of Nagano and the white birch trees in the forest near the brand’s Shinshu studio.
The watchmaker’s latest addition to the Evolution 9 collection, Ref. SLGA021, sports a deep blue dial with steel hour markers and runs on a Caliber 9RA2 Spring Drive 5 Days movement. The case itself is nothing new, featuring the line’s standard 40mm stainless steel design with 100m of water resistance, an anti-reflective dual-curved sapphire crystal, and an open caseback. However, the real magic comes from the dial itself, which is made to look like the rippling waters of Japan’s Lake Suwa in the moonlight — and it definitely does.
While the Evolution 9 collection featured a limited-edition (and sold out) Lake Suwa watch a couple of years back for the brand’s 140th anniversary — albeit with some minor aesthetic differences, such as the gold accents — this new version is significant because it’s not a limited release. So now, fans have a better chance of acquiring one of the most spectacular Grand Seiko watches ever.
Expected to ship in February, the new Evolution 9 “Lake Suwa” edition is available to pre-order now on Grand Seiko’s website for $9,100.
