In Japan, the four cardinal seasons are experienced in six phases. Each of them gives a heightened focus to precise moments of change in the weather and the environment. Altogether, the phases are known as the 24 sekki and you’re a fan of the colder months—Grand Seiko’s newest offerings will channel the early days of winter on your wrists.
Dubbed the Sōkō Frost, the two special edition watches are made to celebrate the end of autumn and the “first frost” of the winter season. The 40 mm timepieces are made exclusively for US collectors and feature icey blue dials inspired by natural scenery such as frozen trunks of bamboo trees and clear blue skies. Both examples join Grand Seiko’s Heritage Collection, as an extension of the brand’s 2020 US Special Edition Sōkō Collection.
The first of the Sōkō Frost models, SBGA471, comes in a high-intensity titanium case and features Grand Seiko’s 9R65 Spring Drive movement. This allows for +/- 15 seconds a month accuracy inside the manufacturer’s iconic 44GS case design that was established 55 years ago. Inspired by the frozen trunks of bamboo trees in Japan’s Arashiyama forest, the piece features a vertically textured dial and a transparent caseback. It’ll even provide you with a lengthy 72-hour power reserve and mirror polished surfaces that are shaped by the watchmaker’s signature Zaratsu polishing technique.
The SBGA471 timepiece (left) with a titanium case and the SBGH295 model (right) with a 62GS case design. Grand Seiko
The second reference, SBGH295, differs greatly with a stainless-steel case and a mechanical hi-beat 36,000 movement. Its higher oscillation rate of 10 beats per second also allows it to achieve greater accuracy than its counterpart while maintaining a power reserve of 55 hours. The timepiece features a reimagined 62GS case design, which debuted in 1967 as the watchmaker’s first automatic timepiece, and its dial is inspired by clear blue skies over the Sea of Japan during early winter months. Some collectors may even remember the model’s kirazuri blue dial from the brand’s first US limited-edition collection, which released in 2018. Click here for an in-depth primer on Grand Seiko’s evolution.
The Sōkō Frost timepieces are priced at $6,000 and $6,900, respectively. You’ll find both on Grand Seiko’s website and in-store at its US locations.
