Chapter 11

Grand Seiko and the “Nature of Time”

The craftsmen and women of the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, where all 9S series watches are made, have a love of, and respect for, nature that is very evident in the timepieces, and especially the dials, that they create. Celebrated examples include those whose texture evokes the slopes of the 2,038-meter Mt. Iwate that is visible through the studio’s windows and, of course, the award-winning dial that is inspired by the several white birch forests nearby. The influence of nature on the work of Grand Seiko’s designers and engineers is further enhanced by the fact that the seasons in northern Japan are very distinct and give the landscapes around the studio a rich variety of ever-changing tableaux, from the deep snows of winter to the verdant hillsides of summer.

“The Nature of Time” is much more than a description of what Grand Seiko offers; it is an insight into a uniquely Japanese sensibility in which nature, tradition and craftsmanship are interwoven.