It’s not often that Grand Seiko offers Europe a set of exclusive timepieces but here we are, and it must be said that the Europeans got lucky here.
The pair of 37mm stainless steel watches, named the Asakage (ref. SBGW267) and the Yukage (ref. SBGW269), take their inspiration from Japanese architecture. Particularly, Grand Seiko took inspiration from the interplay of light and shadow often present in Japanese architecture and the shoji screen cover that diffuses light for artistic effect.
Yukage is the word for shadow and it is a stunning looking dress watch. The dark brown and the silver is just a perfect combination and really does bring the shadow aesthetic of Japanese architecture not with black as would be expected but with a luscious brown evocative of wood in the dark.
Asakage you could assume is the opposite, meaning light. This watch actually suffers from being too good at achieving its theme. The result is a watch that does indeed look like timber during the day, but that lends it a certain blandness. There’s more drama on the Yukage and the Asakage looks like a watch you would give to you boring aunt. But credit must be given for a brilliant execution of the theme.
Both watches are powered by the 9S64 Calibre that provides up 72 hours power reserve.
The watches are available via Grand Seiko’s website and are priced at £4,150 ($7,850 AUD).