At Watches & Wonders 2026, Grand Seiko’s newest addition to the Elegance Collection brings together the things it does best. Namely, intricately textured dials with a nod to Japanese artistry, and its flagship Caliber 9R Spring Drive.
Engraved to resemble a weathered rock face, the SBGY043’s striking dial suggests the appearance of a mountain at dusk: Grand Seiko calls this pattern iwao, which translates to rock or crag. Depending on the angle it’s viewed from behind its domed sapphire crystal, different facets take on intermingling light and dark tones of blue, purple, and black. Its color is inspired by the tradition of katsuiro dyeing, a centuries-old technique and reportedly a favorite among the samurai class, which produces a deep indigo hue. Set against bright silver markers and hands — no blued seconds hand here, which is almost its own Grand Seiko tradition — it makes for an especially understated contrast.
This Iwao Blue version runs on the Caliber 9R31, a manual-wind Spring Drive movement with a 72-hour power reserve and visible through a clear caseback. The case is among the slimmest in the Elegance Collection, with standard zaratsu polishing and soft, rounded lugs. A nine-row stainless steel bracelet is the only option, which reflects the craggy-faced dial’s aura of ruggedness.
Grand Seiko enthusiasts, of which there are many, might remember this dial from 2021 — albeit in a sharp-angled Heritage case and with a Caliber 9R65 Spring Drive movement, the one with the dial-side power reserve. That model, however, was an Online Exclusive at Grand Seiko boutiques. If this Iwao Blue variant does become a permanent part of the collection, its $9,800 price tag comes in at the higher end of the lineup, at least slotting neatly with those of the Omitawari. Two of those models, in white and light blue, allude to the frozen ice on Lake Suwa. Here, with its twilight hues, the Iwao towers over them. Grand Seiko
Blake Z. Rong
2026-04-14 14:00:00