There's no time like the present to give your watch rotation an update, and Grand Seiko's Spring Drive "White Birch" may just fit the bill.
"Grand Seiko Style." If you're familiar with the term, you'll know exactly what this entails, but for the sake of those that may not, this is the stylistic embodiment of nine core design principles that gave the brand its distinct, timeless aesthetic.
Through this mantra, the brand has successfully navigated the last 6 decades to create styles that last. A true testament to its enduring aesthetic, the final weeks of 2021 saw the return of the 1967 44GS wristwatch, which served as the original embodiment of this strict direction of design.
Bringing a strong start to 2022, Grand Seiko offers an updated take on its 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Men's watch prize winner, the Heritage Hi-Beat "White Birch," with a similarly styled Spring Drive watch.
Mirroring the Japanese white birch forest-inspired aesthetic (Hiraniwa Plateau in northern Japan, to be specific) of the award-winning Heritage Hi-Beat – a model which recently celebrated its 60th anniversary – the Spring Drive features a subtly patterned silver dial to subtly contrast the 40mm stainless steel casing.
Beneath the surface, the watch is powered by the finest Spring Drive Caliber 9RA2 with an accuracy of -10/+10 seconds per month and 120 hours of reserve power.
The Grand Seiko Spring Drive "White Birch" is available for pre-order online for a full launch from February.
