Grand Seiko is no stranger to crafting inspired, if not poetic, dials for their luxury watches. In the past, we’ve seen timepieces that pay homage to the watchmaker’s surrounding milieu, its own history, and that of its home nation of Japan. Today, the Seiko offshoot looks to the legendary katana sword for a trio of new U.S.-exclusive timepieces within its Heritage Collection.
Noted for its curved shape, the katana was first invented by a Japanese swordsmith nearly a century and a half ago. A few hundred years later, the sword evolved and became used by samurai warriors and the country’s military. Today, katanas are largely owned by collectors and practitioners of sword-based martial arts. However, in order to preserve quality, the Japanese government restricts swordsmiths from making more than 24 per year. Katana-themed watches, on the other hand, are an exception.
Using its 44GS Zaratsu-polished cases as a template, each of the new watches features a different colored dial, taking after a different element of the katana forging process and its tamagahane steel, which is made from melted iron sand. The outer edge of the blade is a high-carbon steel called kawagane, which has inspired the ref. SBGA489 variant, featuring a black dial. Meanwhile, the inner core of the blade, known as shingane, is the inspiration for the dark green dial on the ref. SBGA491. The third reference, SBGA493, is a limited-edition variant sporting a red dial with gold accents paying homage to the color of the heated blade when it’s being forged in fire. Only 500 were made.
Aside from the new dials, these watches have the same specs as a typical 44GS watch, with a 40mm case size, a Spring Drive Caliber 9R65 automatic movement with 72 hours of power reserve, and 100m of water resistance. The black and green variants will be available from Grand Seiko’s boutiques and its online store this month, while the red-colored SBGA493 won’t be ready until September. Prices range from $5,600 to $6,000.
