Grand Seiko wasn’t mucking around at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023, with the fan-favourite Japanese watchmaker introducing their first-ever mechanical chronograph – a milestone for the brand.
Last year marked Grand Seiko’s first appearance at Watches & Wonders, and they kicked things off with a bang in the form of the Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon: an avant-garde, high-tech piece that was a real statement of intent from the brand.
The Kodo was a pretty tough act to follow, and indeed, most brands present at Watches & Wonders this year didn’t have releases as exciting as the ones they introduced last year. Grand Seiko was a notable exception, however.
The new SLGC001 Tentagraph, the latest watch in Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 range, might actually be more exciting than the Kodo because, unlike the Kodo, this is a watch that mere mortals will be able to get their hands on – and what a watch.
WATCH the reveal of the Grand Seiko Tentagraph below.
So, why ‘Tentagraph’? Because it boasts a movement with a frequency of ten beats per second, a three-day (72-hour) power reserve, and it is an automatic chronograph. A bit convoluted, but there you go. Let’s break that down and explain why that’s so impressive.
A three-day power reserve is already pretty impressive as far as automatic watches go, but Grand Seiko claim that figure represents its power reserve even when the chronograph is in continuous operation – making the Tentagraph the 10-beat chronograph with the longest power reserve in the industry today.
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It’s also a very handsome watch. Its 43.2mm case and bracelet are made of high-intensity titanium with alternating Zaratsu polished and hairline-finished surfaces: Grand Seiko have long been masters of finishing titanium in particular, and this is classic Grand Seiko goodness.
A ceramic bezel and a deep blue dial with Grand Seiko’s signature “Mt. Iwate” pattern only adds to its appeal, as does its exhibition caseback, which reveals its immaculate movement finished with Côtes de Genève and a unique Tentagraph rotor. Unlike many of Grand Seiko’s exhibition casebacks, they haven’t sullied the Tentagraph’s with any etching: it’s there to view in all its glory.
In short, this is a chronograph non pareil and one of the most interesting watches to come out of Japan in a very long time. Grand Seiko is a conservative brand and one not particularly known for its tool watches, but the Tentagraph proves they know how to innovate, and can make a tool watch as good as the rest of horology’s big players.
Find out more about the Grand Seiko SLGC001 Tentagraph at Grand Seiko’s online boutique here. They’re currently taking preorders for the Tentagraph, with deliveries to take place in June/July this year. Price: AU$20,500.