Grand Seiko revamps the Evolution 9 collection with nine novelties featuring new materials and bracelet and clasp updates, plus fresh interpretations of well-loved dial patterns.

A massive change is coming to the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 collection this season, so large that it has to be split into two phases, with a total of nine fresh references between them: Five Spring Drive models based on the Spring Drive U.F.A. Caliber 9RB2 will arrive in September, followed by four mechanical models based on the calibre 9SA5 in October. Seven of the nine will come in Grand Seiko’s proprietary Ever-Brilliant Steel alloy, a material recognised for its high resistance to corrosion and bright colour, whereas the remaining two will be made of High-Intensity Titanium. All will sport bracelets with more pronounced tapering from lug to clasp, equipped with the new three step micro-adjustment clasp designed to fine-tune fit in 2mm increments without the use of separate tools.

Of the five novelties in the first batch, the most prominent might be the moody, monochromatic SLGB007, which presents the Lake Suwa dial motif in black for the first time, to evoke the water surface reflecting faint moonlight, fitted with a 40mm case and bracelet of High-Intensity Titanium. The other four references are updates of beloved models now housed in the shinier and more scratch-resistant Ever-Brilliant Steel, and are made up of two with a dark-blue Lake Suwa dial motif, to represent the lake’s appearance in early sunlight, in 40mm (SLGB013) and in 37mm (SLGB015); and the classic White Birch and Atera Valley motifs (SLGB009 and SLGB011, respectively).

A movement unveiled in April 2025 in the form of the Evolution 9 Spring Drive SLGB001 and SLGB003 Ice Forest references (both of which also bore the microadjustment clasp), the 9RB2 is distinguished by an annual accuracy of +/- 20 seconds, which is a vast improvement over previous generations of Spring Drive movements. The most recent was the 9RA2 introduced in 2021, which had an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds a month. This significant leap is made possible by vacuum-sealing both the crystal oscillator and the integrated circuit to minimise interference from the environment.

The second batch comprises a quartet all powered by the automatic mechanical Caliber 9SA5, which operates at 36,000vph with a high-frequency Dual Impulse Escapement, and contains a twinbarrel system with two mainsprings providing an 80-hour power reserve. The birch dial pattern is rendered in three variations – in winter snow (SLGH031), at night (SLGH029), and in summertime daylight (SLGH033) – and the Genbi Valley motif, seen on the pale-green dial of the limited-edition SLGH021 from 2024, now joins the permanent core collection, though here expressed in light blue, as SLGH035.

This story was first seen as part of the WOW #86 Autumn 2026 issue.

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