VIDEO: Why is the Grand Seiko SLGH005 White Birch causing waiting lists?

Zach Blass

Grand Seiko has garnered attention from new and veteran collectors with their nature-inspired dials and exquisitely finished and faceted geometries. For the longest time, were you to ask anyone about Grand Seiko and their flagship model the immediate response would be the SBGA211 Snowflake. It has served as a gateway watch into the brand, a timepiece anyone who knows anything about watches would find hard to criticise. But a new era is upon us, and Grand Seiko has raised the bar with the new 9SA5 powered SLGH005 “White Birch” – another strong textured white dial entry into the catalogue. Since its release, many have wondered whether or not the White Birch will usurp the throne – overtaking the Snowflake as the brand’s flagship model.

The White Birch did not debut the first ever Series 9 design into the Grand Seiko collection, but it was the first standard production model in stainless steel for buyers to enjoy. The Series 9 case holds the title for the presence of the most alternating finishes to a case surface, the play between light and shadow abundantly clear. Its stainless-steel case, 40mm in diameter, 11.7mm thick, and 47mm lug-to-lug, will wear well on a variety of wrist sizes – its slender sporty profile within goldilocks dimensions. As a sportier design, a 22mm width folding clasp bracelet sits flush against the narrower lugs of the case, entirely satin-brushed on its front to better hide any scratches it takes on.

The white textured dial is inspired by the white birch trees surrounding Studio Shizukuishi. The pattern is applied via a press pattern stamp, with tons of pressure applied to the dial base – the same method in which the Snowflake dial is created. To provide better contrast against the dial, the hands are distortion-free mirror polished which means that when light hits them straight on they will go darker against the bright dial. The broad hour hand, a signature of Series 9 designs, has a sort of frosted line of texture that symmetrically splits the hand. The faceted mirror polished hour indices are channelled to give them each a great amount of depth to their design. The minutes track is stepped, radially indicated via the inner bezel. In this instance, the black on white date disc at 3 o’clock matches the dial – resulting in little break to the gorgeous White Birch texture.

The caliber 9SA5 inside represents the pinnacle of 9 series caliber designs, a completely new design from the ground up that incorporates an entirely new dual-impulse escapement designed in-house. The twin barrel movement has 80 hours of power reserve, a hi-beat frequency of 36,000 vph, a new free-sprung balance, and new Grand Seiko overcoil hairspring distinct to the brand and perfected through over 80,000 simulations. It is very well finished, with striping to the bridges and chamfers on their borders. Nature does not only inspire the externals of the watch, but the internals as well. The movement aesthetic is inspired by the rippling waves of the Shizukuishi River near the studio where the watch is made.

So, does the White Birch take the title of Grand Seiko’s flagship model? In my opinion: no. The watch only debuted earlier this year and needs more time before there can be a strong claim to the throne. What it does represent, however, is the pinnacle of their mechanical watch designs outside of the Micro-Artist Studio and their masterpiece collections – a strong evolution for the Grand Seiko brand.

Grand Seiko SLGH005 pricing and availability:

SLGH005 The Grand Seiko SLGH005 White Birch is available for inquiry and purchase via Grand Seiko Authorized Dealers (Master Shops and Salons), Boutiques, and the GS9 Club Shop for members only. Price: $9,100 USD / $13,600 AUD.