Any Grand Seiko fan worth his or her salt should know by now that the affinity for the natural world and its wonders is, well, second nature for the Seiko’s illustrious sibling brand. If Grand Seiko’s vaunted takumi craftsmen could bottle lightning and apply it on a dial or two, they would.
It’s not quite lightning yet, but the Japanese artisans have looked upward for that aha moment. Once more, the environs of Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, where all mechanical GS models are lovingly made, have proven to be the elusive muse for designers.
This time (pardon the pun), someone from the studio looked at Mt. Iwate during twilight (or tasogare in Japanese). This period between day and night, and its surprising mix of colors, are now immortalized in a tableau that is the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Asia Limited Edition 2021.
Through a textured gray dial, the designers want to call to mind the ridgelines of the mountain when viewed from Shizukuishi. The bottom half of the chapter ring evokes “the gentle faint glow of the sun at dusk.”
Limited to 600 examples, the GMT timepiece is powered by a Caliber 9S86 engine boasting 10 beats per second (or 36,000 vibrations per hour). It gets up to 55 hours of power reserve – a perfect weekend wind-and-forget wrist candy. Each unit is Zaratsu-polished.
It gets a 40mm stainless steel case and bracelet with a three-fold clasp and push-button release. The case back is transparent so you can see the moving innards of this limited edition, which will be exclusively released in in Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East, with an approximate price of US$6,400. You could say it’s an endangered species.