Grand Ambition

A darling of watch collectors, Grand Seiko is poised to grow beyond enthusiasts.

- By CHE KURRIEN

UNTIL THE PANDEMIC, few Indians visited Japan. It was a land too distant, too unfamiliar, even too expensive. But how things have changed—Japan now draws in record numbers of tourists from India and across Asia. This influx has spurred a great interest and appreciation for Japanese culture, cuisine, aesthetics and products. A big beneficiary of this has been Grand Seiko, the venerable watchmaker that has been around since the 1960s and is the highest expression of Japanese horological prowess.

In 2017, Grand Seiko launched the now-iconic SBGA211 “Snowflake”, a model that put the company on the global map. Four years later, its “White Birch” Hi-Beat 36000 80 Hours won the 2021 GPHG Men’s Watch Prize, and the following year, it had another blockbuster in the form of the “Shunbun” Heritage Collection. Watch collectors around the world covet these timepieces for their pursuit of perfection, but this fan base must be built upon to attract a broader, more mainstream buyer, said Seiko Watch Corporation President Akio Naito, when we caught up with him at Watches and Wonders earlier this year.

Grand Seiko is widely regarded as a gem among collectors and enthusiasts. Is your vision for the brand to be a luxury label with limited production, or to become a watch bought by aspirational customers in large numbers?