MOUNT FUJI MAY BE SYNONYMOUS with Japan, but with throngs of tourists and hikers threatening to overrun the country’s tallest peak, those in the know are headed to Mount Hotaka instead.

Japan’s third highest mountain sits in the highlands of Nagano prefecture, where hikers can make their way from Kamikochi or Shinhotaka for a spectacular view of the vast mountain range.

This is the view that the watchmakers at Grand Seiko’s Shinshu Watch Studio enjoy every day, and Mount Hotaka was the inspiration behind the brand’s new Spring Drive GMT watch. A perfect companion on your travel adventures, the timepiece – also known by its reference number SBGE295 – tells the time in three time zones. It’s sporty, luxurious and yet reasonably priced for a product by an upscale Japanese watchmaker. The dial is designed to evoke the verdant tones and textures of summer in the Hotaka highlands, as well as the greenery that covers the mountain peaks.

The SBGE295 is not the first Grand Seiko watch to find its muse in Mount Hotaka. Past models of the brand – SBGA413, SBGA415 and last year’s SBGE277 – also featured a dial texture similar to the SBGE295.

The SBGE295’s dial is mounted on a 44 mm wide stainless steel case with Grand Seiko’s signature Zaratsu finish, told by the alternating mirror-polished and hairline surfaces along different parts of the case. The lugs are turned down and hug the wrist, giving the watch a shorter appearance from lug to lug. With an offset crown at 4 o’clock, the watch looks smaller than it is. The overall package is designed for comfort.

Time in three different time zones is shown on a 24-hour chapter ring on the dial’s circumference, used together with a GMT hand and 24-hour rotating, bi-directional bezel. The timepiece is a true GMT, because the hour hand can be adjusted while the GMT hand stays fixed to home time.

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All these are made possible by Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive Caliber 9R66, the movement on which the SBGE295 runs. It has a power reserve of 72 hours when fully wound. The power reserve is tracked by an indicator placed next to the 8 o’clock index on the dial.

Evolution 9 Spring Drive

Another new Grand Seiko timepiece that reflects Nagano’s natural beauty is the Evolution 9 Spring Drive 5 Days High-Intensity Titanium “Lake Suwa” SLGA019, which first appeared in a limited edition in 2021.

Though not exactly a travel watch, the SLGA019 is a high precision timekeeper with an accuracy rating of plus and minus 10 seconds per month (not per day). Its wavy dial in striking blue brings to mind the surface of Lake Suwa and its gentle waves in the early morning hours – one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

The dial appears to be in many colours, depending on the angle at which it catches the light. This reinforces the connection to the wind moving across and chasing the water’s surface. The finish of the watch movement is also compared to the natural beauty of Shinshu, another name for Nagano.

The SLGA019 belongs to Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 collection which, according to Grand Seiko, “speaks to the next generation with its confident links, powerful presence and quiet radiance but also drawing on its deep roots in the traditions and culture of Japan”. The Evolution 9 style in a watch is identified by powerful hands and prominent, grooved indexes.

Framing the dial of the SLGA019 is a 40 mm case made of high-intensity titanium, an alloy 30 per cent lighter than stainless steel but with a greater resistance against corrosion. Its high-intensity titanium allows the Grand Seiko’s Zaratsu polishing to be applied to achieve a mirror finish. To finish off, the watch is paired with a high-intensity titanium bracelet.

An easy-to-wear lower profile, with the soft curvature of the mid-case hugging the wrist, ensures the watch is comfortable to wear all day long.

The SLGA019 is powered by Calibre 9RA2, a movement highly accurate for timekeeping. Thanks to a shielded thermal sensor, the movement is “thermo-compensated”. Calibre 9RA2 incorporates two barrels to provide up to 120 hours of power reserve.

The new Tentagraph

Grand Seiko’s new Tentagraph SLGC001 is also a tribute to Japan’s natural landscapes. This time, it’s inspired by the ridged contours of Mount Iwate, which is visible through the windows of the Grand Seiko Studio Shinukuishi, where the Tentagraph and other Grand Seiko mechanical timepieces are hand-assembled and adjusted.

Mount Iwate is located in Iwate prefecture in the Tohoku region, and is one of Japan’s 100 most beautiful mountains.

The SLGC001 is also part of Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 collection, with a high-intensity titanium case and bracelet. This chronograph is ideal for motor sports lovers, especially those in Singapore for the Formula 1 race weekend. The Tentagraph is extra-special because it is Grand Seiko’s first mechanical chronograph.

The timepiece is driven by a new version of Grand Seiko’s hi-beat movement which beats 10 times per second. It’s highly accurate (plus 5 to minus 3 seconds per day) in measuring the time of the day as well as elapsed time. The movement is fitted with an energy-efficient escapement and two barrels that allow the watch to run for three days, even when the chronograph is activated. This makes the Tentagraph the 10-beat chronograph with the longest power reserve in the market.

The vertical clutch and column wheel construction of the chronograph also makes the new Tentagraph SLGC001 very easy to operate.

Price: S$8,400 (Spring Drive GMT), S$13,900 (Evolution 9 Spring Drive 5 Days) and S$18,800 (Tentagraph)