In celebration of 65 years since the King of Monsters Godzilla made its first cinematic debut, Grand Seiko has got the creative juices flowing to create a seriously tasteful celebration piece.
Often dubbed as the ‘Japanese Rolex‘, Grand Seiko, Seiko’s super snazzy sub-division is a brand which certainly sweats the small stuff. Whether it’s tinkering away to create the pioneering Spring Drive, a sort of cyborg mechanical-quartz hybrid movement, or having teams of artists meticulously chisel away creating sublime dials, it’s a brand to be taken seriously.
On a lighter note this time, Grand Seiko has dipped its toe into a staple of Japanese pop culture; Godzilla. The Grand Seiko SBGA405 Godzilla 65th Anniversary Limited Edition is a celebratory watch which a number of subtle references to the infamous beast.
Stare at the dial all you want, you won’t find any obtuse call-backs to the monster, meaning that to anyone unaware, this is just a seriously good looking Grand Seiko in red. This red colour is the first reference to Godzilla.
With its sunburst pattern, the dial has an impressive level of depth depending how you look at it. The deep red can come across as a lighter colour depending on the angle of the beholder. The colour scheme Grand Seiko explains is a homage to the bright red hat ray Godzilla can fire out of his mouth when he feels like decimating a few Japanese landmarks.
Similarly, the red ‘sharkskin’ strap looks very reptilian, harking back to the scaly appearance of our favourite Tokyo-destroyer.
Turn the watch over and you shall see the peace-offering to true Godzilla diehards, of which there are many in Japan. Where would normally be a stamped lion motif on the display back, is a stamped Godzilla motif.
The illustration was in fact done by Shinji Higuchi, the co-director and director of special effects for 2016’s ‘Shin Godzilla’ film. The illustration shows a massive Godzilla stomping on the Wako building in Tokyo. Wako is a famous department store in Tokyo, famous for its jewellery, chocolates, porcelain, dishware, handbags, and of course, Seikos. Think of it as the Japanese answer to Harrods in London.
Finished in a darker matte titanium, the case is light yet noticeable at 44.5mm, putting it on the larger end of men’s watches. It displays the hours, minutes and seconds with Seiko’s usual sword-style hands. It also shows the date and the power reserve.
As with many Grand Seikos, it has a deceptively techy movement, the Spring Drive Caliber 9R15. This movement, regulated with quartz technology, has a whopping accuracy of + / – 10 seconds per month. For reference, a Rolex Submariner has an accuracy of around + / – 2 seconds a day.
Hitting shelves in November, the limited edition piece is priced at US $12,500 and has a production of only 650. Check out Grand Seiko’s website here.
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