In the early morning, light breaks through the mists of Shinshu, where all Spring Drive watches are made, revealing the surrounding mountainous landscape. It’s this daybreak, asaborake in Japanese, from which the SBGY011 draws inspiration.
SBGY011 has a white dial with a beautiful pattern. Over this shimmering surface floats a heat-blued seconds hand that glides without the faintest shudder thanks to the Spring Drive movement it conceals. The minute and seconds hands are gently bent at their tips, allowing them to closely trace the surface of the dial, while the indexes, hour hand, and minutes hand have been diamond cut to create a stunningly reflective – and highly legible – interface. Though there is no lume on the dial, it remains legible in low light thanks to the hands and indexes.
The slender case is a familiar one to Grand Seiko fans. It’s based on the signature Grand Seiko profile, the 44GS of 1967, which established the Grammar Seiko Style. Its Zaratsu-polished, distortion-free features impart a dynamic quality to the design, another distinctive characteristic of Grand Seiko watchmaking. The compact 9R31 Spring Drive caliber inside keeps the SBGY011 thin and comfortable while providing an aesthetic that is definitively Grand Seiko.
