This week has seen a lot of Grand Seiko news, and we?re not quite done yet. In addition to the new SLGA007, a limited edition in stainless steel with the brand?s newest Spring Drive caliber, and the trio of green dialed, hand wound, dress watches that Blake wrote about yesterday, Grand Seiko has also introduced a new, and extremely rare, precious metal dress watch, the SLGA008. This is something of a companion piece to the SLGA007, featuring the same Series 9 case shape and hand set, and with a dial that?s similar in that it has a very obvious texture, but appears to read a bit more opulent. Let?s take a closer look. 

With the SLGA008, we can clearly see how Grand Seiko?s newest generation of higher end luxury watches relate to one another. You might remember that earlier this year Grand Seiko released the SLGH007, a limited edition watch in platinum with a gorgeous ?Tree Ring” dial in black. This watch was made to celebrate the brand?s 140th anniversary, and was released alongside the SLGH005 (the ?White Birch?) as a showcase for the still new 9SA5 movement. The SLGA008 is effectively the Spring Drive version of this release strategy, as it has the same tree ring textured dial as the SLGH007 (but in brown, this time, to match the rose gold case) and is a precious metal showcase for the all new 9RA2 Spring Drive caliber. 
Grand Seiko can only release so many next generation movements in, well, a generation, but there?s an appealing symmetry here wit...