Among its range of 2021 debuts, Grand Seiko adds a new 40mm platinum-cased model within its vintage-inspired Heritage collection. The new watch, called the Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition (SLGH007), features the Caliber 9SA5, the brand’s superb new high-beat movement, and a dial meant to echo the beauty of tree grain, or rings.
The new Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition.
The watch debuts amid a 2021 Grand Seiko launch that also includes a new Spring Drive chronograph, a set of Elegance dress watches with dials inspired by the seasons, and a Spring Drive high jewelry model. We’ll show you details about these pieces in upcoming posts.
Platinum model
With its intricate depiction of tree grain, the new limited edition is meant to embody Seiko-founder Kintaro Hattori’s spirit and vision. “As if stretching back to reveal the very roots of Kintaro’s story, a series of delicate and organic lines echo the intricate rings that denote each year’s growth,” according to the brand.
Grand Seiko artisans have devised a dial with a three-dimensional appearance enhanced by how light plays off textural undulations. The wood grain effect appears realistic thanks to a subtle use of dark and light tones across the dial.
Grand Seiko says it plans to echo the design of this new model in the future, dubbing it Series 9, which will feature the larger hands designed to align exactly with grooved hour markers. In addition, this model offers its platinum case finished with a hairline pattern matched with a mirror finish.
As an anniversary piece, the watch’s precious metal is celebrated. On the dial, Grand Seiko places a star at six o’clock to indicate that the indexes are solid gold, as are the GS letters, the calendar frame and the buckle.
Inside, the Grand Seiko Caliber 9SA5 is billed by the brand as its finest – and for many reasons. Primarily, the movement is thinner and is more efficient than earlier automatic calibers, attributes driven in part by a wholly new Dual Impulse Escapement. This Grand Seiko invention combines direct impulse, where power is transferred directly from the escape wheel to the balance, with conventional indirect impulse. Twin barrels also enhance the caliber’s top-rate 80-hour power reserve.
Caliber 9SA5 is the thinnest Grand Seiko high-beat movement.
The Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition will be available as a limited edition of 140 at the Grand Seiko Boutiques and selected Grand Seiko retailers worldwide in July 2021. Price: $59,000.
The beauty of the Caliber 9SA5 high-beat movement finish is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback.
Movement: Automatic ‘Hi-Beat’ 36000 80 Hours Caliber 9SA5 , 36,000 vph (10 beats per second), accuracy (mean daily rate): +5 to –3 seconds per day, power reserve of 80 hours.
Case: 40mm by 11.7mm platinum 950 case and clasp, box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, see-through screw caseback, water resistance to 100 meters, magnetic resistance of 4,800 A/m.
Strap: Crocodile with three-fold clasp with push-button release.
Greubel Forsey now offers its GMT Quadruple Tourbillon with a titanium case and adds eye-catching new blue hues to the dial of the highly complicated 46.5mm watch.
The newest Greubel Forsey GMT Quadruple Tourbillon is housed in a titanium case.
With its new case, the watch is one-third lighter than the original white gold model, which Greubel Forsey debuted in 2019. To complement that lightness, the watchmaker attaches a new rubber strap, which quite effectively enhances the modern profile of the watch, adding a touch of sportiness. (An alligator strap is also available.)
As noted, the new dial treatment maintains that message, with an electric-blue-hued hour ring and power reserve indicator.Previously all black, the circular-grained hour ring retains its polished bevels, echoing the mainplate, which Greubel Forsey has made more contemporary with its own gray frosted and spotted finishing. The plate boasts a full complement of polished bevels and countersinks.
Greubel Forsey has also re-faced one of the watch’s many technical highlights: its titanium GMT globe. This miniature planet Earth, which Greubel Forsey debuted in 2011, now displays the continents amid newly bright blue seas, a livelier depiction than the globe rotating within the white gold GMT Quadruple Tourbillon two years ago. The new ocean color nicely matches the new blue finish of the power reserve, hour circle and strap.
Many displays
These cosmetic changes haven’t altered the globe’s dramatic time display. The Earth is surrounded by a fixed 24 hours ring around the Equator. This ring displays local time for all the longitudes and takes into account the day/night with an indicator. A peek through the side of the case, through a sapphire window adjacent to the globe, reveals a clear view of the Equator and the southern hemisphere.
Beyond the new livery, the latest Greubel Forsey GMT Quadruple Tourbillon remains a feast for the eyes. The multi-level, three-dimensional dial offers the main hours and minutes subdial at the highest point (between 1 o’clock and 2 o’clock), with the coaxial small seconds and second time zone at 4 o’clock forming the second highest point.
You may recall that each Double Tourbillon 30° features a first cage rotating in one minute and angled at 30°, fitted inside a second upright cage that rotates once in four minutes. Greubel Forsey explains that the combination of the inner cage inclination and the different rotational speeds of the two cages cancel any timing variations. A spherical differential transmits the average timing rate of all four of the tourbillon cages, improving their chronometric performance.
The back of the watch also delivers both awe and information. Universal time can be spied, with a fixed 24-hour scale showing day and night zones and a disk with abbreviations of twenty-four cities. The same disk also distinguishes between the time zones that utilize Daylight Saving Time and those that don’t.
Greubel Forsey plans to make eleven examples of this new titanium-cased GMT Quadruple Tourbillon, each priced at 760,000 Swiss francs. The watch will be made, eventually, as an edition of sixty-six examples.
Specifications: Greubel Forsey GMT Quadruple Tourbillon, in titanium
Movement: Manual-wind, olive-domed jewels in gold chatons, three series-coupled fast-rotating barrels, 21,600 vph, inner tourbillons inclined at a 30° angle w/1 rotation per minute. Outer tourbillons: 1 rotation in four minutes.
Functions and displays: GMT, 2nd time zone, rotating globe with universal time and day-and-night, universal time on 24 time zones, cities observing summer time, lateral window showing the equator and southern hemisphere, GMT pusher, quadruple tourbillon, hours and minutes, small seconds, power-reserve (72 hours).
Case: 46.50mm by 17.45mm titanium with asymmetrical convex synthetic sapphire crystal.
Dial: Multi-level in gold, anthracite color, gold hour-ring, colored blue, and blued power reserve with gold hour markers.
Strap: Rubber or hand-sewn alligator, titanium folding clasp, engraved with the GF logo.
iW spoke with Zenith CEO Julien Tornare during LVMH Watch Week 2021 in January. He detailed how Zenith developed the hot new Chronomaster Sport and why the watch is an especially important launch as Zenith continues expanding its appeal globally in 2021 and beyond.
The new Zenith Chronomaster Sport.
IW: How important is the Chronomaster collection to the Zenith identity?
Julien Tornare: It is clear that Chronomaster is a key product collection for us. You may remember that in 2017 we launched the new Defy, and not everybody was pleased that we were emphasizing that Defy collection. At the time I had issues with the Chronomaster collection because it was going in too many directions at once. This made some people confused. It had a variety of size, shape, colors, and it was too much of a patchwork.
But Defy was selling well; we have been fortunate. Defy was giving the brand fresh air, exactly what we – with Mr. Biver – wanted at that time. And it gave me time to sit back with my friend Romain Marietta (products development, heritage director at Zenith) and think about the key design elements for Zenith, specifically for Chronomaster. We started to show some new designs in 2019 with the 50th anniversary celebration of the El Primero.
Of course we were scheduled to launch the new Chronomaster Sport this past June. Plus, we were to launch a new classic version later during 2020. So now we are on a slightly delayed schedule.
Are you pleased with the reaction to the new Chronomaster Sport?
We knew that we would bring back an iconic watch with the Chronomaster, which many people were waiting for.We expected a good reaction, but put the reaction since it was launched has been incredible. We did not expect the enthusiasm to such a great extent.I am very happy and proud and I congratulate our entire team.
The morning after we launched the new Chronomaster Sport I had messages from all over the world. I had so many retailers I have known call and say they needed this new Chronomaster.
Does the Chronomaster Sport complete the collection?
Now it is very clear what Chronomaster is.We have the Revival, we have the Chronomaster Sport, and coming up next we’ll have the Classic side. This repositions Chronomaster very clearly for us. Chronomaster for me is the past and present.And Defy is the present and the future. So they are connected and complementary.
How did you approach development of the Chronomaster Sport?
We looked at three pieces in 2018 to help us design the new Chrono master sport.
The Zenith A277 was made in 1965, four years before El Primero. But you can already see this sporty influence on the new watch, especially with the sporty bezel and a bracelet. Then, a few years after that, we launched the Luka. This was also a big deal for us. Here you see it again the black bezel, the sporty chronograph look, and the same basic bracelet.
And finally, we looked at the Rainbow, which was also very important for us in the 1980s in the 1990s. That case, and again with the sporty bezel, were influential.
Three historic Zenith watches informed the new design.
All three of these watches help us create the new Chronomaster Sport.
Of course we added the Zenith three-color chronograph counters.We worked on those colors to have them elegant and more beautiful – not too flashy.The blue and the grays are quite light and very slightly shiny.The watch is 41mm in diameter and 13.6mm thick, so still elegant and not too thick. Easy to wear.
The new El Primero 3600 caliber offers a 1/10th of second display from the 5 Hz (36’000 VpH) escapement, as well as an extended power reserve of 60 hours.
And you used a new movement inside?
Of course, we worked on the movement, which is the El Primero 3600.The upgrades from the earlier El Primero include the column wheel in blue, which makes it clearly visible.We added ten hours to the power reserve to reach a total of sixty hours of power reserve.
And for me a real chronograph should be one-tenth of a second, like the El Primero. When you get 36,000 vph, which is 5 Hz, you can measure one-tenth of a second exactly.With 3 Hz and 4 Hz you measure the one-sixth or the one-eighth of a second, which is not really how we measure any event. And here we really wanted to show off our ability to measure one-tenth of a second.
Zenith can now showcase three different watches with chronograph hands rotating around their dials at three different rotation speeds.
What were the biggest challenges to making the new Chronomaster Sport?
We wanted to keep the identity of our caliber very clear.I also told Romain that I want it to be most comfortable watch available in the industry.
I still believe that is very important to put any watch on your wrist to see how it feels. I am too often disappointed by the way certain watches feel on your wrist. This new watch is smooth as silk.It is super easy to wear.
I wanted a very simple way to measure the one-tenth of a second. And with one of the very first samples, like took it home and gave it to my ten-year-old son.And he looked at it and he could explain how it worked. I wanted this watch to be that easy to read.On many watches it is easy to get lost, especially if you’re not familiar with watches.
Of course, here we have a counter for the seconds, a counter for the minutes, and the one at 9 o’clock for the small seconds.
Can you tell us more about other 2021 Zenith debuts?
The Zenith Chronomaster Revival A385.
Our new brown-dialed A 385 Revival watch is also quite interesting. We have done some research, and it seems that this original watch in 1969 is the first gradient type dial. When we launched the A384 Revival in August 2019 it became immediately a bestseller, in part because of its original 37mm size.
You might remember that ten or twelve years earlier we had lunched this in a larger size (42mm) which I thought lost the proportions of that original. At 37mm you get perfect proportions.
The new Zenith Pilot Type 20 Silver Chronograph.
Will we see additional sports watches from Zenith?
Yes of course. Overall, we have a Revival, the soon-to-be released Classic, and then the Sport. This is a very clear organization within the Chronomaster collection. There’ll be additional sport variations.
How did you choose the newest Zenith ambassador Aaron Rodgers?
In 2019 I went to the United States several times to meet various possible ambassadors. I was in search of someone who could represent the philosophy of ‘time to reach your stars’ for the Zenith. And I didn’t want a celebrity who would just show up on the red carpet with the watch.I wanted someone who could talk about his or her story and who could explain what kind of a star he or she has been following over the years to reach an objective. We have done this in China and Japan, and in Europe.
It’s more about the personality. I met actors and singers and other sports celebrities, but when I met Aaron Rodgers I thought he was just a great guy. He’s a good spirit. Nothing to prove anymore.
NFL great Aaron Rodgers is the new Zenith brand ambassador for the U.S.
Can you preview any additional watches for 2021 from Zenith?
We will have the third category of the Chronomaster collection.This will be about elegance, thinness and an A386 spirit, because Chronomaster would not be complete without that particular offering as well. Also look for a new Defy. That will be an amazing watch also. For the United States that will be a big one.
And of course we do not forget high complications within the Defy collection. This year we will present some of our iconic high complications – and in a crazy material. This will be in a very small edition and it will include an experience that I can almost guarantee none of the future owners have done in their lives.It will allow him to really feel what a high complication is in real life.
The new Zenith Defy Urban Jungle.
Will we see new watches for women?
I don’t like to talk about women’s watches particularly at Zenith because we focus on making beautiful, authentic watches with our own movements with our own philosophy, and then make them beautiful.
We don’t really separate them as men’s watches or women’s watches.I think we make beautiful watches that can be worn by men and by women. Diamonds are used sometimes yes, and in some parts of the world diamonds are very popular among men, and in some others less. If you look at the Chronomaster Sport, it is a typical 41mm watch that can be worn buy a man or woman.
At Zenith we like to live in a balanced way between the past, present and the future.Between tradition and innovation. And it is clear that we are gaining market share in terms of vintage.You just need to follow the recent auctions.We have launched the Zenith Icons program to great success. Chronomaster Sport is bringing a contemporary dynamic into the collection. This will live perfectly alongside the vintage, or Revival, collection, as well as the more classic directions that you will soon discover.
As its first 2021 debut, Zenith launches Chronomaster Sport, an evolution of the bedrock Chronomaster, the Le Locle watchmaker’s most direct link to its historic El Primero automatic chronograph, which debuted in 1969.
The new Zenith Chronomaster Sport.
Already sporty in its historical guise, the new 41mm steel Zenith Chronomaster Sport more directly –and boldly – displays its split-second timing abilities with the added utility of a wide black ceramic bezel etched with 1/10-of-a-second measurement marks.
The new bezel enhances the visibility of the timing function, linked to the El Primero’s 36,000 vph frequency, beyond even the clean black ceramic bezels found on the existing Zenith Chronomaster 2 limited edition references. As far as we’re aware, the new Chronomaster Sport is the only production sport watch that offers a 1/10-of-a-second timing scale linked to its central chronograph hand. When activated, the hand rotates once around the dial in ten seconds.
To underscore the robust nature of the new Chronomaster Sport, Zenith here uses the El Primero 3600, the movement Zenith debuted in that earlier Chronomaster 2. The caliber, with a newly blued column wheel and “new architecture,” is more efficient than earlier El Primeros, according to Zenith, and offers a higher power reserve, now rated to sixty hours. Zenith has affixed a new skeletonized rotor to the movement, visible through a clear sapphire caseback.
The new El Primero 3600 caliber offers a 1/10th of second display from the 5 Hz (36,000 VpH) escapement, as well as an extended power reserve of 60 hours.
The new dial
In addition to adding a wide ceramic bezel with 1/10-of-a-second scale to the front side of the new Chronomaster Sport, Zenith has also enhanced the collection’s dial and bracelet to differentiate it from previous Chronomaster offerings.
Both dial options, matte white and black, appear to contrast more starkly with the three subdials. The steel case, with familiar pump-style pushers, now links to an integrated steel bracelet similar to those conceived by Gay Frères, which has historically supplied many of Zenith’s metal bracelets. Zenith also offers a sharp-looking blue or black rubber strap option with a steel deployant buckle.
As noted, Zenith is offering the Chronomaster Sport with either a white dial or black dial in two references. Whether the black or matte white dial, both with signature El Primero tri-color chronograph registers are blue, anthracite and light grey, each graduated to sixty.
Price: $10,000 (steel bracelet) and $9,500 (strap)
Specifications: Zenith Chronomaster Sport
Movement: Zenith El Primero 3600 automatic, frequency: 36,000 vph (5 Hz), power-reserve of 60 hours.Functions: Hours and minutes in the center. Small seconds at 9 o’clock, 1/10th of a second Chronograph. Central chronograph hand that makes one turn in 10 seconds, 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock, 60-second counter at 3 o’clock.
Case: 41 mm stainless steel with black ceramic bezel, water-resistance to 100 meters.
Dial: White or black matte dial with three different applied colored counters, hour-markers and hands are rhodium-plated, faceted and coated with SuperLumiNova
Bracelet: Steel, blue or black rubber bracelet. Double folding clasp with security mechanism.
Price: $10,000 (steel bracelet) and $9,500 (strap)
Panerai underscores its deep connection with divers of all types this week as it introduces the Luminor Marina 44mm − Guillaume Néry Edition (PAM01122).
Inspired by free diver and brand ambassador Guillaume Néry, Panerai has outfitted the new dive watch with a 44mm titanium case produced using Direct Metal Laser Sintering technology, which shapes titanium using a 3D printing process.
The new Panerai Luminor Marina 44mm − Guillaume Néry Edition (PAM01122),
Referencing Néry’s deep-dives, Panerai is also adding sporty touches such as a rubberized coating on the bezel, crown and bridge lever, a convex crystal and a dial with an eye-catching dégradé effect that Panerai says emulates “the shades produced as sunlight filters through the depths of the sea.”
Water resistant to 300 meters, the Luminor Marina 44mm − Guillaume Néry Edition is powered by Panerai’s own Caliber P.9010, a fairly thin automatic movement equipped with two barrels for a three-day power reserve. Panerai built a quick-change feature into this movement that allows the wearer to easily adjust the time and date with in one-hour increments, with the hour hand connected to the date indicator.
In addition, Panerai has equipped the watch with an especially sporty strap made from black recycled PET material with white stitching and a trapezoidal pin buckle.
Panerai is also enhancing the package of the boutique-only watch with its first white rubber strap emblazoned with ‘Officine Panerai.’ In each gift box buyers will find a screwdriver that will assist the owner when removing the buckle to swap straps.
The caseback includes an engraving depicting the silhouette of the freediver and Panerai Ambassador Guillaume Néry.
Panerai will make the new watch available in its own boutiques as a limited edition of seventy, each of which will be covered by a new seventy-year warranty. Price: $18,900.
Movement: Automatic Caliber P.9010, 6mm thick, 28,800 vph, two barrels, three-day power reserve.
Panerai’s own caliber P.9010, with two barrels and supplying a three-day power reserve.
Case: 44mm by 16.2mm sandblasted DMLS titanium, safety lock crown protection device (protected by trademark) in sandblasted titanium, titanium bezel, crown and bridge lever with rubberized coating, sapphire crystal, twelve-sided screwed caseback, sandblasted titanium with DLC coating, engraved with the “70 Years Warranty” logo, water resistant to 300 meters.
Dial: Black with dégradé effect, sandwich structure with Arabic numerals and indexes in white SuperLuminova with green luminescence. Seconds at 9 o’clock, date at 3 o’clock.
Strap: Recycled PET, black with white stitching and trapezoidal pin buckle in titanium with DLC coating. Additional white rubber strap with luminescent “Officine Panerai” personalization.
