A New Masterpiece is Born from <Grand Seiko>. ~The Mystical Scenery Created by a 'Hisen' Waterfall Captured Through Delicate Hand Engraving~
Seiko Watch Corporation announces a 50-piece global limited edition Grand Seiko Masterpiece inspired by the waterfalls of Shinshu. Launching July 10, the platinum watch features hand engraving and Caliber 9R02, priced at 12.1 million yen.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 14, 2026 at 16:10
- 🔍 Collected: April 14, 2026 at 07:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 19:53 (132h 21m after Collected)
Seiko Watch Corporation (Chairman, CEO and CCO: Shinji Hattori, Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo) will release a limited edition model from the Masterpiece Collection that captures the beauty of a rushing waterfall ('Hisen') flowing through a mystical virgin forest. Scheduled for release on Friday, July 10, the suggested retail price is 12,100,000 yen (including tax), and it is limited to 50 pieces worldwide.
## Product Features
### The Relentless Flow of Water Captured by a Master's Hand Engraving
Shinshu is the birthplace of Grand Seiko's Spring Drive models. Its Tateshina Highlands are home to beautiful virgin forests, with the Tateshina Falls flowing between the trees. The waterfall is also called a 'Hisen' (flying spring) due to the sheer force of its water. For this piece, a master craftsman has captured the fantastical scenery created by this waterfall using hand engraving. The delicate yet dynamic patterns applied to the case and dial create a diverse expression of light and shadow born from Japan's unique sense of beauty.
The patterns flowing in various directions on the dial represent pure spring water bubbling up from the earth. As if the water falls from the dial towards the case and splashes, countless radiating patterns are scattered across the entire case. The delicate design that continues from the dial to the case also represents the constant flow of time, just like water flowing down.
On the Platinum 950 case, Zaratsu polishing (*1) highlights the sharply defined ridges that characterize the "44GS," one of Grand Seiko's representative designs. The delicate sparkle of the carefully engraved patterns on the distortion-free surface harmonizes with the hairline finish.
*1 Zaratsu Polishing: A preparatory technique used to create a distortion-free, flat surface by rotating a circular metal plate and pressing the case against it to smooth the surface.
The material for the hour/minute hands and indexes is 14K white gold. The SD mark (Special Dial = indicating a dial with precious metal indexes) at the 6 o'clock position speaks to the special nature of this model.
The minute and seconds hands are carefully curved towards the minute track directly carved into the dial, resulting in excellent legibility. In addition, the seconds hand is a gray tempered hand (*2) that harmonizes with the overall model, gliding over the dial to quietly express the passing of time.
*2 Tempered Hand: A hand on which an oxide film is created by heating iron. Blue oxidized films are common, but for this piece, it is finished in gray to harmonize with the case and dial.
For the strap, two types are provided: a non-stitched crocodile strap (using the same material on the front and back) with a glossy glazing finish, and a cowhide strap crafted by KYOTO Leather® (*3). The Kyoto Leather strap expresses the dynamic flow of water and the sparkle of splashes bouncing off rocks through hand-processed foil stamping.
### A Spring Drive Movement Combining Thinness with an 84-Hour Long Power Reserve
The barrel is shaped like a bellflower, the flower of Shiojiri City, where Spring Drive is manufactured.
This model is equipped with the manual-winding Spring Drive movement "Caliber 9R02", created by the experienced master craftsmen of the luxury watch specialty studio "Micro Artist Studio" (*4). This "Caliber 9R02" is the thinnest among Grand Seiko's exclusive Spring Drive movements, at 4.0mm thick. It significantly contributes to the slim and refined case design, resulting in the same 9.6mm thickness as the original 44GS released in 1967. Furthermore, thanks to a mechanism fusing a "Dual Spring Barrel"—where two thinner-than-usual, long mainsprings are stacked in parallel within a single barrel—and a "Torque Return System" (*5), it achieves a long power reserve of approximately 84 hours, combining high practicality.
Furthermore, the "Caliber 9R02" has mirror finishes applied by exceptional craftsmen to the contours of the movement bridges and around the screw holes, so they shine beautifully from any angle. The entire flat surface of the bridges features a hand-applied hairline finish. The contrast with the mirrored parts, rubies, and temper-blue screws stands out, emitting a highly honed beauty. The 18K yellow gold plate is engraved with the words "Micro Artist", but this can be customized to any text upon the purchaser's request.
Since its birth in 1960, ...