From Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa to images of Mount Fuji and Sakura, nature has been one of the cornerstones of Japanese culture and its aesthetics. Japanese watch manufacture Grand Seiko similarly draws inspiration from nature, with most of Japan’s naturalistic beauties finding themselves in its watch interpretations. The brand’s Snowflake and Sakura executions continue to be some of the most soughtafter Grand Seiko pieces, while the White Birch, Mount Iwate and Lake Suwa come hot on the heels of the aforementioned duo. With a new year and a new season of watch novelties on the horizon (Watches & Wonders Geneva 2025), Grand Seiko unveils two new timepieces from the Heritage Collection, the Heritage Collection Mechanical Hi-Beat 36000 SBGH351 and SBGH353.

Unlike how Western culture depicts nature, shizen (自然), which is used to translate the word ‘nature’, takes on a more profound meaning in Japan. It was defined as “spontaneous” or “unexpected situations or things (cannot be influenced by human power)” in the Dictionary of Ancient Japanese Words. Its definition later evolved towards the end of the Meiji era to incorporate the Western view as “mountains, rivers, grass, trees, the world of all those things which do not include humans and those things which do not include humans and those things which humans have made” and “everything between heaven and earth, including humans. The cosmos.” Similarly, the Japanese observance of the four seasons is more scrutinised and divided into 24 sekki (節気) or micro-seasons, closely intertwined with nature.

The SBGH351 captures the essence of rikka (立夏), the seventh sekki, which marks the start of summer as cool spring breezes welcome the sun’s summer rays. Rikka is the season of fresh green leaves, depicted by the verdant green dial that captures the sights and sounds of the lush grasslands surrounding Grand Seiko’s Studio Shizukuishi. Conversely, the SBGH353 reflects shūbun (秋分), the 16th sekki, which falls around the autumn equinox. During this period, the night skies are clear and depicted with a deep blue dial with subtle textures and the dial elements echoing the moon and stars’ illumination in the night sky. A closer inspection of both dials reveals the gold-toned Grand Seiko logo and seconds hand.

Both releases are sequels of existing pieces (SBGH273 and SBGH271) and modern reinterpretations of Grand Seiko’s iconic 62GS. The 62GS was first introduced in 1967 and was the manufacture’s first ever watch fitted with an automatic movement. Construction-wise, it featured a bezel-free construction and complemented the watch’s wide dial opening and Grand Seiko’s signature Zaratsu polishing. The SBGH351 and SBGH353 are now housed in one of Grand Seiko’s latest metallurgy developments — Ever- Brilliant Steel, measuring 40mm in diameter. Aesthetically, it offers a brilliant white hue that better reflects the Zaratsu polishing technique, while on the atomic level, it is more durable than regular stainless steel with its PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) rating 1.7 times higher than that of stainless steel. Housed within the two Asia Pacific exclusives are the Grand Seiko Mechanical Hi-Beat 36000 Calibre 9S85, whose higher operating frequency offers unparalleled accuracy and precision, another of Grand Seiko’s signature in this fitting tribute to Japan’s natural world.

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