Back in February Grand Seiko launched the latest edition of their Sakura-Kakushi styled watches, based on early spring cherry blossoms. It’s a beautiful watch that’s available in the UK exclusively through James Porter & Son, one that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. Fortunately, while we were digging into Grand Seiko’s new releases in Geneva, they also had the Sakura-Kakushi 18K Rose Gold 62GS to hand.
In the metal it’s even more impressive than I initially thought. The high shine polish on the rose gold really makes the case pop, especially with the long lines around the edge of the watch, which are a distinctive element of the 62GS. Conceptually the lack of bezel initially concerned me but it’s really not an issue and being able to see the dial nice and clearly through the exposed sapphire crystal enhances the overall experience.
The other major thing I notice is that the dial appears much paler in person. In the original press images it has almost a salmon tint to it, like it’s reflecting the gold of the case and numerals but that doesn’t happen all that much in reality, leaving it a pristine silver colour. The choice of silver comes from the Japanese Sakura-Kakushi micro-season, which is the period of time when early spring blossom is covered by late winter snows. Hence, the silver snow over the rose gold blooms.
As is always the case with Grand Seiko, the dial is stunning. With delicate engraving that lets you see every line as you play the light across the display. My personal preference leans towards the Snowflake or Birch designs but if you tell me the Sakura is your favourite, I cannot judge you in the least for it. The display is completed by Dauphine hands and facetted baton hour markers with a date window at 3 o’clock.
Turning the watch over shows the exhibition caseback, which is as beautifully polished as the rest of the 38mm x 12.9mm case. Looking through the crystal you can see the immaculately finished 9S85 automatic calibre with 55-hour power reserve and 5Hz hi-beat frequency.
They often say don’t meet your heroes, but when it comes to Grand Seiko, I can’t recommend it enough. They don’t disappoint. The Sakura-Kakushi 18K Rose Gold 62GS is £28,500, exclusively available in the UK from James Porter & Son. Now I just have to figure out how to afford one. It might even be worth a trip up to Glasgow to see all the other incredible exclusives they have on offer such as the Soko Frost as well as their impressive array of independent brands.
Price and Specs:
Model:
Grand
Seiko Sakura-Kakushi 18k Rose Gold 62GS
Ref:
SBGH368
Case:
38mm
diameter x 12.9mm thickness, 18k rose gold
Dial:
Copper-pink
inspired by Spring in Tohoku
Water resistance:
100m
(10 bar)
Movement:
Grand
Seiko calibre 9S85, automatic, 37 jewels
Frequency:
36,000
vph (5 Hz)
Power reserve:
55h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds, date
Strap:
Brown
crocodile leather with 18k rose gold three fold clasp
Price:
£28,500,
available exclusively at James Porter in the UK
More details at Grand Seiko and James Porter.
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