Just released by Grand Seiko is this new trio of US-exclusive watches inspired by that most ubiquitous of Japanese swords, the katana. All three of the watches are done in the 44GS case (which happened to turn 55 years old last year in 2022) in stainless steel with Spring Drive movements. While two of these new Grand Seiko?s will be standard production, one of them is a limited edition of 500 pieces.

Before getting into the respective dial variations, let?s establish what?s common throughout the three. All are housed in a 40mm wide and 12.5mm thick steel case with 100m of water resistance. They are outfitted with the classic Spring Drive Caliber 9R65 which has a power reserve of 72-hours and is accurate to +/-1 second per day. The 44GS case isn?t just the quintessential Grand Seiko style that established the brand?s ?Grammar of Design? but it is also the case style that maximizes the surface area that shows off the Zaratusu polishing.
Now, on to the watches. The SBGA489 has a black dial that is inspired by kawagane which is the carbon steel used for the outer sharp edge of a katana blade. The second watch, the SBGA491 has a dark green dial that is inspired by shingane which is the inner core of the katana blade. You?ll notice the granulated texture on the dials which is meant to evoke the unique textures of tamahagane which is the ?jewel? of steels used to create the sword. The contrast of the Zaratsu polishing and what appears to be a more matte finish on the dial s...