Grand Seiko this week debuts two new U.S. Special Edition watches designed to celebrate the end of Autumn (or sōko in Japanese).
The 39mm steel watches, each powered by Seiko’s hybrid Spring Drive caliber, feature a bamboo-themed dial with a vertical textured pattern, a green seconds hand and a green power reserve hand.
While both watches utilize he same textured dial that is meant to recall stalks of bamboo within Japan’s famed Arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto, particularly as seen at the end of Autumn during the first frost.
Grand Seiko’s incredibly skilled artisans have once again created beautifully rendered dials. In addition to the unusual texture throughout each dial, the applied markers and the hands are skillfully facetted, adding eye-catching depth to an already inspired design.
One model features a dark grey dial (SBGA429), representing shadow, while the second model offers a brighter silver color (SBGA427), representing light. The green seconds hand and power reserve hand are brighter green on the darker dial, enhancing their contrast while also underscoring the natural theme of both these Soko U.S. special editions. 
Grand Seiko will deliver each watch with a steel bracelet and a crocodile leather strap with green stitching that matches the watch’s green hands. 
Hand-adjusted
Inside, Seiko fits its Spring Drive 9R65 Caliber, made at the watchmaker’s Shinshu Watch Studio. Spring Drive, as a reminder, is Seiko’s own highly accurate (to one second per day) spring-driven movement with an electro-magnetic regulator that functions with only a mechanical mainspring driving a gear train.
Grand Seiko adds the watches to its Heritage Collection.
Price: $5,000.
Specifications: Grand Seiko Soko U.S. Special Edition, Grand Seiko Heritage Collection
Movement: Caliber 9R65 Spring Drive, accuracy ±1 second per day / ±15 seconds per month/average, power reserve is 72 hours.
Case: 39mm x 12.5mm stainless steel case, dual-curve sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, screw-down see-through case back
Bracelet: Stainless steel and (second strap, supplied) crocodile leather with three-fold clasp push button release.
Price: $5,000
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