Nature's Passing

Grand Seiko's latest timepieces turn to nature for inspiration while sharpening its horological chops.

- WORDS FARHAN SHAH PHOTOS GRAND SEIKO

SLGB001 and SLGB003

In a pivotal scene in Interstellar (2014), astronaut Cooper, played by Matthew McConaughey, subjected his spacecraft to extreme G-forces to try and dock with an out-of-control space station. CASE, the ship's AI, tells Cooper that it's docking is impossible because of the excessive spin and instability. Cooper replies, through gritted teeth, "No, it's necessary."

It's one of cinema's most iconic seven-minute sequences and it was the scene that came to mind when I first touched Grand Seiko's new Evolution 9 SLGB003 and SLGB001 (limited to 80) watches.

The Japanese watchmaker has pulled off a remarkable feat. Underneath the dial beats the new Calibre 9RB2, which delivers a 72-hour power reserve and more importantly, an accuracy of ±20 seconds a year. That is not a typo. This is the most accurate mainspring-powered watch in the world right now.

This achievement is possible thanks to the quartz oscillator aged for three months that regulates the Spring Drive mechanism. Traditional balance wheels are affected by temperature, position, humidity, wear and tear, and a plethora of other factors. The quartz oscillator is immune to these variables; it's housed in a vacuum-sealed package with the integrated circuit, and focuses entirely on monitoring and adjusting the speed of the mainspring so that every second is as accurate as can be.