Grand Seiko continues to commemorate the quarter-century anniversary of its excellent Caliber 9S mechanical movement series with a new release of two GMT watches —one sporty model and one dressy edition—each powered by a specific edition of the caliber.
Both watches feature dials that echo the skies over Mt. Iwate, in the Iwate Prefecture in Japan, where Grand Seiko hand-assembles its watches.
One model, the Sport Collection GMT Caliber 9S 25th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGJ275, underscores its artistic source of inspiration with a dial specifically meant to mimic the dense clouds at daybreak over Mt. Iwate, when humid air creates a blue and white tapestry. 
Grand Seiko of course also provides a terrific view on the back of the new watch. Through the clear sapphire crystal case back you’ll see the movement’s titanium rotor, which the watchmaker has tinted light blue by using an anodic oxidation process.
Not only is the back design noteworthy aesthetically and technically, it marks the first time Grand Seiko has placed a clear caseback on a mechanical watch with water resistance of 200 meters. 
Back on the front, you’ll see a sapphire blue and white rotating bezel marked to indicate three time zones. Grand Seiko fits its Hi-Beat GMT Caliber 9S86 to power the watch, providing a frequency of 36,000 vph and very stable precision. The 2,000-piece limited edition is priced at $7,600.
Dressy model
On the dressier side of the debuts is the new Grand Seiko Elegance Collection Caliber 9S 25th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGM253.
This model is certainly more classical than the sporty debut, and its dial presents a more serene sunray finished blue dial depicting the sky over Mt. Iwate on a clear day. 
Without the sporty bezel, this debut instead boasts a dressy mirror-finished bezel and case with curved lugs with a Zaratsu mirror finish and box-shaped sapphire crystal. 
Like the sporty model, the model SBGM253 also clears a view to its movement, here a Caliber 9S66 GMT set with a titanium rotor also colored blue using the same anodic oxidation treatment as used on SBGJ275.
Like the sports model, the dressy debut allows for multiple timezone display, here two zones rather than three.
The movement allows the wearer to adjust the local hour hand independently while the tempered blue GMT hand can be aligned to a second time zone as indicated on the blue 24-hour scale.
A limited edition of 1,700, the watch is priced at $5,600.
Specifications: Grand Seiko Sport Collection Caliber 9S 25th Anniversary Limited Edition: SBGJ275
(Limited edition of 2,000)
Movement: Automatic Caliber 9S86, frequency: 36,000 vibrations per hour (10 beats per second) Accuracy (mean daily rate): +5 to –3 seconds per day, power reserve: 55 hours, GMT hand. Water resistance is 200 meters and magnetic resistance to 4,800 A/m.
Dial: Blue and white cloud pattern.
Case: 44.2mm by 14.8mm stainless steel, dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating See-through screw case back.
Bracelet: Three-fold clasp with push-button release.
Price: $7,600.
Specifications: Grand Seiko Elegance Collection
Caliber 9S 25th Anniversary Limited Edition: SBGM253
(Limited edition of 1,700)
Movement: Automatic Caliber 9S66, frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, accuracy (mean daily rate): +5 to –3 seconds per day, power reserve: 72 hours, GMT hand.
Case: 39.5mm by 13.7mm stainless steel, box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, see-through screw case back, water resistance to 30 meters, magnetic resistance to 4,800 A/m.
Dial: Sunray blue.
Bracelet: Three-fold clasp with push-button release.
Price: $5,600
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