Earlier this year at Watches & Wonders, Grand Seiko revealed the SLBG003, which turned out to be one of the most impressive watches of the whole show. Housing the new 9RB2 Spring Drive caliber, the UFA (Ultra-Fine Accuracy) movement is certified to an almost incomprehensible +/- 20 seconds per year, or roughly 3 seconds per month. That makes it, according to Grand Seiko, the most accurate movement powered by a mainspring. It’s a truly impressive horological achievement.
Of course, as soon as a brand like Grand Seiko introduces an entirely new platform like the UFA, enthusiasts are on pins and needles waiting to see what comes next. It’s not that we can’t appreciate what we have in front of us, but particularly with Grand Seiko, we know that variants are coming in the form of new dial options and case materials. If you had asked me in the Spring when we’d see the first derivation on the UFA line, I probably wouldn’t have expected to see a new watch so soon, but last week Grand Seiko dropped the Evolution 9 Spring Drive UFA SLGB005, nicknamed the “Violet Dawn” for its deep purple dial. It’s always interesting to see what new watches in a new sub-collection come to pass, not just for what it says about where the line is going, but perhaps where it’s not.
The SLGB005, like its predecessor, is what we’d probably call a small-medium size by today’s standards, measuring a conservative 37mm. Unlike the titanium SLBG003, however, this watch is clad in a steel case (Ever-Brilliant Steel, to be precise), so it should have a bit more wrist presence than the lighter weight model introduced earlier this year. The dial, as mentioned, is a purple gradient, which is lighter at the center than the perimeter. It has the same “Ice Forest” texture as the previous titanium (and platinum) reference.
One of the reasons the SLBG003 was such a hit was the introduction of a new bracelet with a micro-adjustable clasp. This is the feature that Grand Seiko fans have been asking for more than any other. If you don’t believe me, find literally post about a Grand Seiko watch across the entire internet (OK, maybe a slight exaggeration) and look at the comments asking for micro-adjustment on the clasp. When I found out Grand Seiko was introducing this feature in the weeks ahead of Watches & Wonders, I almost couldn’t believe they had finally done it. The lack of micro-adjust almost seemed like a principled stance they were taking at that point.
Of course, there was some consternation that followed, as Grand Seiko indicated that their new clasp would not be arriving on watches throughout the collection anytime soon. And that’s even the case with watches with the UFA designation, as the SLGB005 does not include said clasp. We’re guessing that the reason comes down to the materials used – Grand Seiko would have to have separate tooling for steel versus titanium bracelet and clasp manufacturing. Still, this is surely to be something of a disappointment for collectors hoping that the new clasp would start to trickle into the catalog through future releases. It just doesn’t appear that we’re quite there yet.
Apart from the lack of a micro-adjustable clasp, the Violet Dawn shares most of its specs with the earlier UFA pieces, including a 100 meter water resistance rating and roughly 11.5mm case height.
The SLGB005 is a limited edition of 1,300 pieces, and will be available beginning in November. The retail price is set at $11,100. Grand Seiko
Zach Kazan
2025-10-01 20:00:00