SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
45 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS
Ode to nature Grand Seiko has added to its iconic Heritage collection with a line of four watches, designed in tribute to the traditional Japanese calendar of 24 seasons.
For philosophers, nature has always been a subject for reflection on the immutability of time and contemplation of its intrinsic beauty, and that is exactly what is on offer at the Mifuneyama Rakuen park in Kyushu, located in Saga prefecture in southern Japan. The exquisite garden, created in 1845 during the Edo period, leads visitors to sacred temples and ancient trees. This year, the walk is accompanied by an exhibition staged by the teamLab collective, called “A Forest Where Gods Live, Ruins and Heritage — The Nature of Time”. In the light of this theme, it is no surprise to see Grand Seiko working with teamLab, whose artists are known for questioning our relationship with nature in a world where art meets science, and where technology collides with design. It is not the first time that Grand Seiko has supported the arts to bring a philosophical dimension to its historical activity and quest for perfection. It has held its exhibition “The Nature of Time” during Milan Design Week for the past two years, examining the passing of time and the Japanese
approach to time, notably through a mise-en-abyme of the Spring Drive, Seiko’s proprietary movement that revolutionized the industry when it was unveiled in 2004 after more than 20 years of research and development. By uniting in a single caliber the best in watch mechanisms with the ultimate precision of electronics, Seiko propelled the measurement of time straight into the twenty-first century. Fascination with the universe True to its nature-centered approach, this year Grand Seiko offers a more poetic stance to the measurement of time by celebrating the cycle of seasons as perceived by the Japanese in the past. Before the Gregorian calendar was introduced to the archipelago in 1872, Japan used a calendar made up of 24 Sekki, which were defined by 15° sections of the solar ecliptic. Although the calendar is no longer in use, it is still part of Japanese traditions relating to the cycles of nature, a topic close to the heart of Grand Seiko. Now, the watchmaker has dedicated four
timepieces to this ancient system, which have been added to its iconic Heritage collection. To create continuity, Grand Seiko has chosen to reinterpret the symbolic design of the 62GS, the company’s first self-winding watch, launched in 1967. Faithful to the original, these four seasonal watches feature a faceted case finished in the brand’s characteristic “Zaratsu” polish, and an open dial design achieved by the bezel-free architecture. For the movement, Grand Seiko has chosen the self-winding high-frequency caliber 9S85 (36,000 vibrations per hour) for the models in steel: Summer, with a vibrant green dial, and Fall, in a more contemplative blue. The titanium watches, Winter and Spring, in gleaming white to represent snow and shimmering pink for the blossoming of the new season, are powered by caliber 9R65, a Spring Drive movement with a 72-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per month. “The new Grand Seiko timepieces pay homage to Japan’s ever-changing nature,” concludes the watchmaker. It is a source of inspiration that has resulted in instruments as reliable as the universe itself. Christophe Roulet
GRAND SEIKO SBGA415 “WINTER” SPECIAL EDITION. THIS MODEL IS
G R AN D SE IKO SBGH273 “FALL” SPECIAL EDITION. TH IS MODEL IS
EXHIBITION “THE NATURE OF TIME” IN K YUSHU, JAPAN. THROUGH THE
EQUIPPED WITH THE 9R65 CALIBER. IT USES SOPHISTICATED MODERN
EQUIPPED WITH THE 9S85 CALIBER. IT USES MODERN TECHNOLOGY
CONCEP T OF “THE NAURE OF TIME”, GR AND SEIKO COMMUNICATES
TECHNOLOGY COUPLED WITH THE SKILLED HAND OF A MASTER CRAFTS-
APPLYING INNOVATIONS TO THE PRECISION CONTROLLING MAINSPRING,
THE UNIQUE WAY JAPAN HAS PERCEIVED TIME. IN LINE WITH THIS CON-
MAN FOR THE FINEST ADJUSTMENTS AND HIGHEST PRECISION POSSIBLE,
THE HAIRSPRING, AND THE ESCAPEMENT. TOGETHER THE MOVEMENT
CEP T, GR AND SEIKO SUPPORTED THE PROJECT IN WHICH TE AML AB,
HIGHLIGHTING THE SEAMLESS PASSAGE OF TIME WITH A SPRING DRIVE
SHOWCASES THE PURE POWER AND DYNAMISM OF THE MECHANICAL HI-
A LE ADER IN THE WORLD ART SCENE, E XPLORES THE CONCEP T OF
MOVEMENT. THE SILVER WHITE DIAL OF THE WINTER MODEL ILLUSTRATES
BEAT 36,000. THE RICH BLUE DIAL OF THE AUTUMN MODEL EXEMPLIFIES
AN “ENDLESS CONTINUIT Y OF TIME” THROUGH ART.
THE PURE AND CLEAR LANDSCAPE OF “MIYUKI” DEEP SNOW.
THE MELANCHOLIC EXPRESSIONS OF “TSUKIYO — THE MOONLIT NIGHT”.
