Grand Seiko SLGH013 Snowscape Watch Review
The Grand Seiko SLGH013 Snowscape is inspired by the winter landscape surrounding the firm’s Shizukuishi Studio. It features a gorgeous textured dial and a Zaratsu polished case made of Ever Brilliant Steel. Moreover, it is fitted with the brand’s superb automatic Caliber 9SA5. Grand Seiko is no stranger to success having scooped numerous prizes over the years. Could this be another hit for the Japanese marque?
Music moguls often say it is impossible to know with any certainty if a record will be a hit or not. The same could be said about new watches. Often launched with great fanfare, sometimes with a few friends of the brand in tow, the probable success of a new release is always an unknown. Or at least so I thought…
Grand Seiko SLGH002
Back in 2020, Grand Seiko released the SLGH002. Made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of GS, the model featured updated hands and indexes along with an 18-carat yellow gold case endowed with an exquisite blend of brushed and polished surfaces. Typical of Grand Seiko, the legibility was beyond reproach and the attention to detail was simply superb.
Calibre 9SA5 – Hi-beat
Nevertheless, it was the movement beating within the SLGH002 that distinguished the model as truly exceptional. The Caliber 9SA5 has a frequency of 36,000 vph (5Hz), delivering superior precision when compared with a 4Hz movement. This is because the higher frequency mitigates the positional influence on the rate. In itself, the 5Hz, or ‘Hi-beat’, calibre is nothing new for GS, but the necessary know-how continues to elude many rival brands.
Calibre 9SA5 – free-sprung balance and overcoil
Beyond its high frequency, the Caliber 9SA5 features a dual impulse escapement, a free-sprung balance and an overcoil (see my review of the SLGH002 for more details). The Japanese marque has also equipped the movement with a new horizontal gear train, helping to reduce its depth. The finishing surpasses that of its forebears and siblings and is said to resemble the ‘shapes of Mt. Iwate and a bend in the Shizukuishi River that runs near to the studio where the watch is made’.
Calibre 9SA5 – dual impulse escapement
Arguably, with the advent of the Caliber 9SA5, Grand Seiko has put on notice the Swiss lever escapement. However, this doesn’t come as a surprise, after all it was Grand Seiko that masterminded Spring Drive, the remarkable hybrid movement that took approximately 27 years to develop.
GPHG Men’s Watch Prize in 2021
Following its launch, and after hungrily devouring all information on the Caliber 9SA5, I knew it would be a hit. Its brilliance was clear. Moreover, I could not envisage the movement merely equipping the SLGH002. My predictions came true, the Caliber 9SA5 has since made numerous appearances in a variety of models including the winner of the GPHG Men’s Watch Prize in 2021, the SLGH005.
Grand Seiko – some of the finest habillage you will find
Grand Seiko could have become blasé, knowing it had a superb automatic movement in its repertoire, but it has remained humble while continuing to create a number of exceptional models incorporating this movement. Indeed, the high-end brand has repeatedly paired the Caliber 9SA5 with some of the finest habillage you will find.
Grand Seiko SLGH013 Snowscape – 44GS case
Recently, the firm released the Grand Seiko SLGH013 Snowscape containing the virtuous movement and housed in a 44GS case made of Ever Brilliant Steel. The curiously sounding ‘Ever Brilliant Steel’ exhibits an extraordinarily bright appearance and delivers very high levels of corrosion resistance. The model features a textured dial, inspired by the ‘Snowscape of Mount Iwate’.
Grand Seiko – inspired by nature
The significance of Mount Iwate won’t be lost on GS devotees. Grand Seiko’s Shizukuishi Studio, where all GS mechanical watches are made, enjoys views of the snow-topped mountain. In fact, the Japanese firm often takes inspiration from its surroundings when creating new models. A few years ago, GS looked at the freshly fallen snow outside its design studios and replicated it with the now iconic ‘snowflake dial’. Quite simply, Japanese nature influences much of what Grand Seiko does.
Grand Seiko SLGH013 Snowscape – closing thoughts
Returning to the specification of the SLGH013 Snowscape, Grand Seiko has employed razor-edged hour and minute hands along with multi-faceted indexes that proclaim the time in a highly legible form. The Zaratsu polished case is silky-smooth and exhibits a mirror-like finish. Priced at £8000, the Grand Seiko SLGH013 Snowscape represents incredible value for money and makes a compelling case for acquisition. Will it be a hit? Undoubtedly.
Further reading
https://www.grandseikoboutique.uk/
Technical specifications
- Model: Grand Seiko SLGH013 Snowscape
- Case: Ever Brilliant Steel; diameter 40mm; height 11.7mm; water resistance 10ATM (100 metres); sapphire crystal to front; exhibition caseback.
- Functions: hours; minutes; central sweep seconds; date
- Movement: Caliber 9SA5; Self-winding movement; frequency 36,000 vph (5Hz); 47 jewels; power reserve 80 hours.
- Strap: Ever Brilliant Steel bracelet with 3-fold clasp.
- Price: £8,000 including VAT (RRP as of 9.9.2022)