Introducing the Grand Seiko Elegance Collection SBGW295 in Titanium and Urushi

Similarly, the hour markers are created using layers of lacquering and finished with sprinkles of gold powder, a traditional technique known as maki-e. The challenge lies in the fact that the watch dial is domed and curves down towards the edge, making it more difficult to achieve uniform depth and width for the markers. To ensure the quality of the dial, Grand Seiko turns to its favourite collaborator, Isshu Tamura, who has been partnering with Seiko for over a decade.

The rest of the watch is conventional, except for the titanium case, a rare material for dress watches. In this case, it’s made of Brilliant Hard Titanium, a proprietary alloy that offers a brighter surface than traditional titanium alloys, making it both lightweight and luminous. The SBGW295 has a 38 mm case, instead of the original 35 mm, which remains elegant and is perhaps a better size for modern times. The watch is powered by the cal. 9S64, a workhorse movement found in all of Grand Seiko’s mechanical hand-wind watches with a central seconds.