In the late 1960s, Grand Seiko set a long-term goal—to design a caliber capable of achieving a monthly rate of ±1 minute. The Very Fine Adjusted initiative, also known as V.F.A., was born after this goal was set. It sparked a series of campaigns aimed at improving Grand Seiko’s calibers.
In the early ’70s, the brand put effort into a spring drive that could balance traditional and modern energy advancements. Everything paid off in 2004 after they rolled out the caliber 9R65, a powerful movement designed to offer a monthly rate of ±15 seconds.
Grand Seiko is setting the standards with the Spring Drive Caliber 9RB2, which is cleverly engineered to deliver an annual rate of ±20 seconds. The caliber is now featured in two new timepieces, one with a platinum casing and another with a titanium case.
The two watches draw inspiration from Kirigamine Highlands, a scenic landscape close to Grand Seiko’s Shinshu Watch Studio. Every single detail, from the dial color to the texture, is reminsicent of Kirigamine Highlands. While the platinum version stands out due to the deep blue dial, the titanium option is more subtle and laid-back, thanks to the light blue dial.
Just above the 6 o’clock denotation, there’s an inscription that reads—Spring Drive U.F.A. Even though the V.F.A (Very Fine Adjusted) initiative was behind Grand Seiko’s accuracy campaign, it evolved into U.F.A. (Ultra Fine Accuracy) to keep up with the times.
These two Grand Seiko models, SLGB001 and SLGB003, will be officially launched in early June. The platinum option (SLGB001) will be capped at 80 pieces with a $39,000 price tag. The titanium version will retail at $10,900.
