Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Japan Seasons Special Edition Four-Piece Set

About This Collection:

Japan marks the calendar year with twenty-four micro-seasons, called sekki, which follow the gradual changing of nature as each week passes. To commemorate the passing of time in line with the changing of seasons in the US, Grand Seiko released the Four Seasons Heritage Collection, which consists of a timepiece for each of the traditional seasons celebrated in the States. The collection features two different movements between the four watches, the 9R65 Spring-Drive movement utilized in the Spring and Winter pieces and the mechanical hi-beat 36,000 9S85 movement in the Summer and Fall pieces. Each piece features a unique dial designed to represent the colors and textures prevalent throughout Japan during each season, presented in a reimagined take on the classic 62GS bezel-free case in titanium for the Spring and Winter pieces and stainless steel for the Summer and Fall.

The History: In 1960, a specialized group of craftsmen set out to design and create an in-house movement for Seiko that resulted in the Calibre 3180. This movement became the foundation for a new line of Seiko timepieces that would become the Grand Seiko. The pursuit was to create the “ideal watch” in every way, from precision, legibility, and beauty. Having conquered the movement, the designers next set out to create a case and finish that modeled their idea of beauty, including zaratsu polishing. This polishing process creates a mirror-like quality to the case finish and the hands and indices that give the Grand Seiko its distinct appearance.

The Shunbun SBGA413: The first of the Four Seasons collection is the Spring “Shunbun” timepiece, which marks the arrival of Spring in Japan when the cherry blossoms begin to fall and cover the rivers in pastel pink. The SBGA413 features a 40mm titanium case with a sapphire crystal and an exhibition case back, showcasing the Spring-Drive Calibre 9R65 movement. Built by the skilled craftsmen and women of the Shinshu Watch Studio, the textured dial in pale pink features zaratsu-polished hour markers, hour, minute, and second hands, a gold-colored applied Grand Seiko logo at the 12 o’clock position, a date window at the 3 o’clock position, and a power reserve indicator.

The Rikka SBGH271: The second of the Four Seasons collection is the Summer “Rikka” timepiece, which marks the arrival of the early Summer season when the fields and grass turn lush green in Japan. The SBGH271 features a 40mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal and an exhibition case back showcasing the automatic Mechanical Hi-Beat Calibre 9S85 movement. Built in the Shizukuishi Watch Studio in the Iwate Prefecture, the dial on the Rikka is a deep, rich green with gold-colored hands and hour markers and a date window at the 3 o’clock position.

The Shubun SBGH273: The third timepiece in the Four Seasons collection is the Fall “Shubun” SBGH273, which marks the arrival of Autumn Equinox. Celebrating the “Tsukiyo,” which is the moonlight night, the dial of the Shubun is dark blue with light striations, which symbolize the clouds passing through the sky. The dial also features zaratsu polished hour markers, hour and minute hands with a golden-colored second hand and a gold-colored Grand Seiko applied logo at the 12 o’clock position. The SBGH273 features a 40mm stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal and an exhibition case back showcasing the 9S85 Mechanical Hi-Beat 36,000 movement, built by the craftsmen and women of the Shizukuishi Watch Studio.

The Taisetsu SBGA415: The final timepiece in the Four Seasons collections is the Winter “Taisetsu” SBGA415 timepiece, which marks the arrival of winter in Japan. With a light grey textured dial representing the deep winter snows covering the mountains, the SBGA415 features a 40mm titanium case with a sapphire crystal and an exhibition case back showcasing the Spring Drive Calibre 9R65 movement. The dial features zaratsu polished hour markers, hour and minute hands with a blued seconds hand, and a gold-colored applied Grand Seiko logo at the 12 o’clock position. A date window sits at the 3 o’clock position with a power reserve indicator between the 7 and 8 o’clock positions on the dial.

The Collection: Each piece of the Four Seasons collection features a three-piece push button clasp bracelet, built in titanium for the SBGA413 and SBGA415 timepieces and in stainless steel for the SBGH271 and SBGH273 timepieces. Each piece comes with an individual full box and paperwork set, including the operating instructions and warranty cards for each piece, as well as a limited edition wooden display box from Grand Seiko, displaying all four timepieces together, with the Grand Seiko logo as well as the names and Japanese characters for each piece.

The Details:

The “Shunbun” SBGA413 Spring timepiece shows minimal wear marks with some small scratches on the bracelet links, which are visible in the photos. The SBGA413 comes with both outer and inner boxes, operating instructions, a warranty card, and a Grand Seiko polishing cloth.

The “Taisetsu” SBGA415 Winter timepiece shows some wear on the case back and bracelet, which is visible in the photos. The SBGA415 comes with both outer and inner boxes, operating instructions, a warranty card, and a Grand Seiko polishing cloth.

The “Rikka” SBGH271 Summer timepiece shows minimal wear on the case back and bracelet. The sapphire crystal on the SBGH271 has a small chip at the crystal's edge near the 4 o’clock position. The SBGH271 comes with both outer and inner boxes, an operating instruction booklet, a warranty card, a Grand Seiko inspection certificate with certificate holder, and a Grand Seiko polishing cloth.

The “Shubun” SBGH273 Fall timepiece shows some minor surface wear on the case back and the lug near the 1 o’clock position. The SBGH273 comes with both outer and inner boxes, an operating instruction booklet, a warranty card, a Grand Seiko inspection certificate with a certificate holder, and a Grand Seiko polishing cloth.