History and recent trends in Grand Seiko dials

Grand Seiko was established in 1960. In its early years, the dial finishes often featured simple radial patterns, reflecting the characteristic Seiko model-making approach known for its beautifully radiating designs. Carrying forward this tradition, Seiko continued to master the beauty of radial patterns and, over time, introduced geometric designs such as monograms.

Over time, dials were created to reproduce the designer’s vision through hand-engraved or machine-engraved patterns. The evolution of dials progressed from geometric patterns to those with a narrative background, allowing for the expression of richer nuances.

Today, I would like to showcase four dials from among the models whose dials are designed to look like scenes of nature, and discuss the charm and particulars of each.

A dial inspired by the surface of a lake (minamo) with a sense of tranquility and realism

What I like about this dial inspired by the surface of the water is that the calm waves are well represented. Not turbulent, but tranquil waves. I feel that this dial is able to capture that image in a realistic way, and it really brings out the lake-like ambiance.

In fact, there is a lake that served as a model for this dial. In the words of the craftsman who created the pattern, “I made this dial based on the image of Lake Suwa, which I used to see every day on my way to the workshop.” However, when I saw this dial, it reminded me of Lake Shikotsuko, which I saw when I visited Hokkaido. Perhaps the charm of this dial is that it brings to mind different scenes depending on the person who sees it.

The act of likening something to something else is at the root of the Japanese sense of aesthetics. This culture of mitate, or “likeness,” has long been enjoyed in various forms, including karesansui (dry landscape gardening) and bonsai trees in Japanese gardens, wabicha (tea ceremony), waka (traditional Japanese poems), Noh, Kabuki, and Rakugo (traditional Japanese comedic storytelling). With these naturally acquired sensibilities, designers also liken their work to various things in the process of creation, and customers who pick up these watches can also liken them to something else. I believe this is where the enjoyment and taste of this dial come from.

In addition, the color of the dial on this model deserves attention. In the past, Grand Seiko watches have generally been a deep blue color with business in mind. However, this dial, which looks like the surface of the water, uses a slightly brighter blue color to evoke a natural scene. A refreshing lake blue; the blue of a transparent water surface that changes its expression as the light hits it. This dial was designed with such an image in mind.

A dial called Iwao (Rock) that changes its expression with light.

Some dials give a very different impression depending on the angle of the light. An example that is particularly striking is this dial with a rugged texture reminiscent of a rock. Depending on how light strikes the dial, different expressions can be seen, particularly with darker colors under a very strong light. This effect is due to the pattern of the mold, directly engraved by the craftsman’s hand, and the dial is designed to allow the wearer to enjoy various changes in impression depending on the light. I think that is the key feature of this dial and its most attractive point.

A dial with the image of white birch, which gives the impression of looming three-dimensionality.

The beauty of this birch-inspired dial is that you can enjoy various expressions depending on the way the light hits it. The secret lies in the way the dial is engraved. If you look closely at the dial, you can see that the engraving is not uniform. The effect of random angles and pitches is that light is reflected irregularly, giving the dial a three-dimensional look. This is also derived from the irregularity of nature.

For me, the personal highlight of this dial is the special silver plating on the base, which gives it a looming impression. The glistening reflection of light creates an enchanting aesthetic, as if it is emitting some kind of aura.

In fact, this dial does not represent an image of the birch tree itself. Although we considered faithfully reproducing the characteristic bark to give it a birch-like appearance, since the actual bark of a birch tree runs horizontally, it does not match the vertical hairline pattern on the bezel, and so after various trials, we came up with the idea of a composition that gives a sense of depth, as if we were looking down on a birch grove. We decided not to reproduce the birch faithfully, but instead to express the conceptual feeling of birch that we had in mind. As a result, we feel that this has led to the birch-like image envisioned by each individual.

Dials representing tree rings that meticulously reproduce a feeling of dynamism

While the birch-inspired dial did not actually reproduce the birch itself, this dial with the motif of tree growth rings enhances its appeal by faithfully following the actual object of inspiration. If a dial is a canvas, we wanted to create a large stream that extends beyond its frame. I designed it with this in mind.

I created this work with the intuitive image of a sketch, with a bird’s-eye view and attention to the details of the pattern. The portion of the tree taken for the growth-ring motif is not the straight trunk, but rather the undulating roots of the tree. I hope you can feel the passage of time and the accumulation of history from this pattern.

The most notable point from the designer’s point of view is the three-dimensional dynamic of the tree ring pattern. In order to express this dynamism, we paid careful attention to the detailed grain modeling. Furthermore, in terms of manufacturing, we have endeavored to create a production method that can reproduce the same dial with the same specifications over a long period of time. Grand Seiko places value on passing on traditions of technology so that we can continue to produce the same products for many years to come.

Extending the appeal from the designer’s point of view.

In this issue, we have introduced Grand Seiko dials with motifs of nature. Each dial creates a watch that can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, depending on how you view it. This is due to the excellent skills and efforts of the craftsmen who produce these molded dials. A good molded dial can be used to create a variety of images. Expressing these images in design within the context of the Grand Seiko brand is one of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of being a designer.

In recent years, with the evolution of close-up photography functions on smartphones and the ability to easily upload photos to social networking sites, I feel that the quality of dials has become more widely communicated. While I am glad to hear that, if possible, I would like people to directly hold the actual watches in their hands and place them on their wrists to experience their quality. I am sure that you will be able to feel and enjoy your own personal story from a Grand Seiko dial, which presents various expressions depending on the light and angle.