Grand Seiko?s first release of the year is a (sort of) seasonally appropriate pair of US exclusive special editions, one powered by the 9R65 Spring Drive movement, and the other running on the Hi-Beat 9S85. We?ve seen these kinds of paired and grouped releases before from the brand, and Grand Seiko fans will not be surprised to learn that these new references take their design inspiration from the changing of the seasons, a theme they?ve returned to frequently in the last few years, particularly with regional limited and special edition watches. Let?s take a closer look at the all new SBGA471 and the SBGH295. 

Both of Grand Seiko?s new watches feature pale blue dials with what appear to be very subtle texture effects. The shade of blue is inspired by s?k?, the Japanese micro-season that occurs at the end of autumn, when a winter frost first begins to take hold. As you might recall, this isn?t the first time Grand Seiko has used s?k? as an inspiration for a new watch, but these new pieces read like the flipside of the coin when it comes to that transition from one season to another. The earlier release in 2020 was meant to elicit thoughts of the crunch of fallen leaves and an impending chill, whereas the new s?k? pieces reflect a landscape that has already been covered by a thin sheet of ice. As many who live at some of the higher latitudes know, that change can seemingly happen overnight. 
The SBGA471

The SBGA471 is the Spring Drive powered reference, an...