With an all-new hand-wound movement and Urushi lacquer dials, these additions to the Elegance collection seem destined to be firm favourites

By Chris Hall

Ahead of Baselworld 2019, Grand Seiko has released details of four new watches to join its Elegance collection. Three are cased in gold (two red and one yellow) and one in steel; two have Urushi lacquer dials and three will be limited in number. What you really need to know, however, is that all of them look pretty great. 
The four watches introduce a very slightly new case shape, measuring 39mm across and 11.6mm thick, and what looks like a more steeply domed sapphire crystal than previously found in the range. All come on leather straps – these are being pitched as dress watches, so no steel bracelets here. The first impression, particularly when looking at the most eye-catching of the gold models, is something reminiscent of the Grand Seiko 8-Day Spring Drive, but these are purely mechanical, and a whole lot smaller. 
As with most of the significant watches Grand Seiko has released since it became a standalone brand, these watches have got some lavish dial-work going on. Common to all four watches is a new dial configuration, thanks to the new movement powering them – which we’ll come back to in a second. The two rose gold cased watches (SBGK002 and 004) have Urushi lacquer dials, one glossy black and one in a rich burgundy red with a sunburst pattern beneath, and unique to these are over...