New Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches launch with striking nature-inspired dials

Alongside the four Hi-Beat models announced today, Grand Seiko has also revealed five new Spring Drive Evolution 9 references — SLGB007, SLGB009, SLGB011, SLGB013, and SLGB015 — all due in September 2026.

Where the Hi-Beat models run the `mechanical 9SA5, these five use the 9RB2 Spring Drive U.F.A. caliber, which Grand Seiko introduced last year. U.F.A. stands for Ultra Fine Accuracy, and the numbers back it up. The 9RB2 claims an annual accuracy of ±20 seconds, an extraordinary figure for a mainspring-driven movement. The tradeoff is a 72-hour power reserve, down from the five-day reserve on older Spring Drive Evolution 9 models, which should be a reasonable trade-off for most wearers.

Four of the five share the same 40 mm case at 11.7 mm thick and 47.2 mm lug-to-lug. The fifth, the SLGB015, gets a smaller 37 mm case with a 44.3 mm lug-to-lug and 11.4 mm thickness — the only smaller option in the batch, and the one most likely to appeal to those who've found the standard Evolution 9 case too large.

Again, the dial lineup takes a lot of inspiration from the natural landscapes around Grand Seiko's Shinshu Watch Studio in Shiojiri, Nagano. The SLGB007, in High-Intensity Titanium, has a dark textured dial inspired by Lake Suwa at night. The SLGB009 goes with a white birch pattern in Ever-Brilliant Steel, the SLGB011 captures the blue-green Atera Valley river in Ever-Brilliant Steel, and both the SLGB013 and SLGB015 reference Lake Suwa in blue, also in Ever-Brilliant Steel.

All five get the updated tapered bracelet with a three-step micro-adjustment clasp, a box sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating, a power reserve indicator, and 10-bar water resistance. They'll be available from Grand Seiko boutiques and selected retail partners worldwide from September 2026. US pricing hasn't been confirmed.

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