This is a modern re-interpretation of the celebrated 62GS from 1967. The 62GS was not only Grand Seiko’s first watch with an automatic movement, it was also, along with the 44GS released the same year, the watch that first expressed the design grammar, the Grand Seiko Style, that still shapes all Grand Seiko designs today. Like its predecessor, this modern re-interpretation has the characteristic sharp edges and perfect distortion-free surfaces that only Zaratsu polishing can create and a wide dial opening which was achieved thanks to a bezel-free construction.
To look closely at the dial is to be transported to Hana-Ikada, the much-loved scene at the moment soon after the spring equinox, Shunbun when cherry blossom petals scattered by the wind cover the surface of a river. The textured dial and its pale pink color capture the magic of this treasured moment in the Japanese calendar and not only express the beauty of Sakura but hint at the exquisite pleasure to be derived from a profound understanding of the ephemeral nature of time.
The watch is powered by Spring Drive caliber 9R65, which is hand assembled by the skilled craftsmen and women of the Shinshu Watch Studio.
Hana-ikada, the rafts of blossoms
When sakura blossoms fall into water, they swirl and float. The pink blossoms dance on the water, and the Japanese call them flower rafts, hana-Ikada. The pink dial of this model captures the spirit of the fleeting sakura season.
Starting with the beginning of spring (Risshun), the first of the twenty-four sekki, the season comes to life when the snow gives way to rain (Usui), and creatures awaken from hibernation (Keichitsui). As day equals night (Shunbun), the pure sky and renewal of nature come into existence (Seimei).
