Shizukuishi is a rural town in Northern Japan adjacent to Morioka City in the Iwate prefecture. A beautiful destination with an abundance of hot springs and surrounded by mountains, Shizukuishi is a far departure from the city life of Tokyo and has a feeling all its own. Embodying its surroundings, Shizukuishi is renowned for hand crafts like pottery, woodwork, lacquer craftwork and Nanbu ironware, many of which feature designs inspired by the alluring natural landscapes that can be found in the region. From the overbearing Mt. Iwate that can be seen from nearly anywhere in town, to the beautiful white birch of the woodland areas, the natural world of Shizukuishi is an essence that can be found within the works crafted in their hometown. Shizukuishi also happens to be the birthplace of all Grand Seiko mechanical calibers, the 9S series.
Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi opened on July 20th, 2020 in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Grand Seiko. This new manufacturer was designed by renowned architect Kengo Kuma and it too draws from nature as its primary source of inspiration. For example, the wooden panels, each slightly overlapping the next, is a traditional yamato-bari method where the rhythm of the panels is inspired by the rhythm that marks the passage of time. This new studio celebrates an anniversary of watch manufacturing in this region of Japan, starting in 1970 with Morioka Seiko Instruments becoming one of the main manufacturing sites for Seiko Watch Corporation. So this year marks an important milestone, not only because it is Grand Seiko’s 60th Anniversary, but because it also celebrates 50 years of watchmaking and manufacturing in Shizukuishi.
As a tribute to their hometown, Studio Shizukuishi announced earlier this year the release of a special limited edition of only 20 pieces paying tribute to the namesake of Shizukuishi, the hand-engraved Elegance Collection SBGW263 in Platinum 950.
The story behind this model’s concept derives from the origin story of Shizukuishi itself. It is said that nearly 1,000 years ago in the Nishine area of town, the spring water would well up and trickle down the roots of a large cedar tree. An old man heard the sound “tan tan,” (a Japanese onomatopoeia) which he then traced to a cave and discovered the water dripping down the root of the cedar tree and falling onto the stone below. The name Shizukuishi can be translated in English to “Shizuku” (dripping water) and “Ishi” (stone) and is conveyed in the hand engraving executed on the three-piece white gold dial of the SBGW263.
The dial is hand engraved by renowned artisan Kiyoshi Terui. Mr. Terui started with Daini Seikosha (now Seiko Watch Corporation) in 1970, and he began his path in luxury jewelry watchmaking in 1984. With knowledge he gained on his own, the self-taught Teuri developed techniques and tools for a style of hand engraving that resulted in remarkably defined shapes and had a brilliance unlike any other. These skills would be exemplified in the brand known as Credor for the Japan Domestic Market.
For Credor, Terui engraved the ultra-thin caliber 68, whose total thickness was a mere 1.98mm in height. The engraving took place on bridges where the thinnest parts were 0.25mm, which meant that Terui would have to ensure his engraving went no deeper than about 0.15mm to 0.2mm.
Earlier work of Mr. Terui on the Caliber 6898 used exclusively in Credor in Japan
In 2002, Terui was awarded as a “Contemporary Master Craftsman” by the Japanese Government, and in 2007 he received the “Medal with Yellow Ribbon” from the Emperor of Japan, both tremendous honors that demonstrate tremendous skill in his craft. He is one of few certified Gold Level Meister’s for Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi.
Terui and his small team are responsible for the creation of the dial for SBGW263. Though most of his work is done under the Credor brand (only having engraved one prior Grand Seiko model, and it was exclusive to the WAKO store), the significance of Grand Seiko as an independent brand and the aforementioned anniversaries offered Terui the perfect opportunity to create something unique with an everlasting beauty, practicality, and simplicity that is inherently Grand Seiko.
The tools used, known as gravers, are unique and crafted by Terui himself. They sharply cut into the surface of the 18k white gold dial creating a perfectly smooth and polished surface that is so brilliant that it does not require buffing as most engraved dials (or other objects for that matter) would. Due to the unique shape and meticulous polishing to the gravers, Terui can produce complex and curved shapes without withdrawing his graver from the metal. This results in a smooth, flowing curvature and, again, there is no need for any polishing in the end. Everything on the dial of the SBGW263 is engraved in this method with the utmost precision, done entirely by the hands of Mr. Terui.
The motif of Shizukuishi is embraced by hand carving the water droplets that run along the hour and minute hand, and the splashing drops as they collide against stone to express the hour markers. The second hand is individually tempered blue and curved-to-shape by craftsmen to ensure that the hand follows the shape of the dial.
The inner portion of dial is hairline finished and features the Grand Seiko logo and the SD (Special Dial) marking—the latter signifying that the dial incorporates solid gold—carved with such precision that you would think they had been engraved by a high-grade machine. The Grand Seiko logo is engraved in multi-layered depths, something never before seen in Grand Seiko. Each layer is ridged with a beautifully polished surface on each ridge. The complexity of the logo alone is something that can be appreciated for an infinite amount of time.
The case design was introduced in 2019 as a new thinner platform for the Elegance Collection. This styling creates a sleek and low-profile appearance at 39mm wide by 11.6mm thick, but retains the ability to be worn daily, just as any other Grand Seiko timepiece. This style brings a highly curved surface to a short but broad lug, and it attains a very high level of finishing despite the difficulty that comes along with polishing platinum. The sharp beveling, flat surfaces, and distinguished curves are all challenges for the case polisher even with steel, but it’s made even more complex because platinum is difficult and time consuming to finish. Accompanying the newly designed case is a newly designed sapphire crystal. The new shape is dual curved—dramatically so, in fact—coming in around 2mm in height and accounting for a good portion of the 11.6mm thickness. It adds an appeal that is somewhat vintage in appearance, but like all sapphire it remains scratch-resistant and, uniquely, the curved shape does not distort the dial.
The case design was introduced in 2019 as a new thinner platform for the Elegance Collection. This styling creates a sleek and low-profile appearance at 39mm wide by 11.6mm thick, but retains the ability to be worn daily, just as any other Grand Seiko timepiece. This style brings a highly curved surface to a short but broad lug, and it attains a very high level of finishing despite the difficulty that comes along with polishing platinum. The sharp beveling, flat surfaces, and distinguished curves are all challenges for the case polisher even with steel, but it’s made even more complex because platinum is difficult and time consuming to finish. Accompanying the newly designed case is a newly designed sapphire crystal. The new shape is dual curved—dramatically so, in fact—coming in around 2mm in height and accounting for a good portion of the 11.6mm thickness. It adds an appeal that is somewhat vintage in appearance, but like all sapphire it remains scratch-resistant and, uniquely, the curved shape does not distort the dial.
The case back is solid platinum 950, with an 18k yellow gold Grand Seiko lion medallion. The solid case back adds to the feel and heft of the watch and protects the 9S64 manual-wind caliber inside.
The 9S64 is completely developed and manufactured in-house, just like all Grand Seiko calibers, and it incorporates a proprietary mainspring to offer a power reserve of 72 hours in a single barrel design. It also utilizes MEMS manufacturing to create complex shapes of tiny escapement components (the pallet fork and escape wheel), reducing their weight and thereby improving the efficiency of the movement. This also allows for a specially designed shape for the teeth of the escape wheel, creating a step that retains lubricant that reduces the rate at which the lubricant is consumed. As with all Grand Seiko calibers, the 9S64 is tested to comply to the Grand Seiko Standard of accuracy of -3 to +5 seconds mean daily rate, and it’s tested in six positions over 17 days, exceeding the chronometer standard.
With only 20 pieces being made for the global market, this unique model marks two significant anniversaries, is hand crafted in a totally unique and impressive fashion, and pays tribute to the legend of Shizukuishi.
The SBGW263 is exclusively available at Grand Seiko Boutiques worldwide.
