Grand Seiko and the Ancient Art of Paper Manufacturing: How SBGJ283 Celebrates Japanese Washi

Over the years, Grand Seiko has effortlessly combined in its creations traditional Japanese craftsmanship with cutting-edge watchmaking. The brand draws inspiration from Japan's natural beauty and cultural heritage, regularly incorporating into its watches elements of Japanese art and craft. In fact, every watch pays homage to the country's artistic heritage, with dials resembling the texture of snow-covered landscapes and ripples in water, and cases getting polished with the traditional Zaratsu technique for a flawless mirror finish. 

The latest release from Grand Seiko brings into focus yet another timeless Japanese craft. The 150-piece limited-edition Asia-Pacific-exclusive SBGJ283 model honours Japanese craftsmen who continue to keep alive the art of Washi, a Japanese word for traditional papers made from the long inner fibres of certain plants. Here, wa means ‘Japanese’ and shi means ‘paper’.

Before examining the new timepiece in detail, let's revisit the 800-year-old art of paper manufacturing. Washi craftsmen continue to skilfully make the paper by hand, faithfully preserving a unique process that is passed down through generations. This paper is largely made from the inner bark of three native Japanese plants: kozo  (mulberry tree), mitsumata, and gampi. It is used for calligraphy, lanterns, and interior décor, as seen on shoji screens. Branches of the (kozo, gampi, or mitsumata) shrub are clipped and soaked, the bark is removed, and the stiff, pliable inner bark is laboriously separated, cleaned, crushed, and stretched. When crushed fibre is added to a liquid solution and coupled with tororo-aoi (fermented hibiscus root) as a mucilage, a paste-like consistency is achieved. This ‘paste’ is then tossed until evenly spread on a bamboo mesh screen (known as a su) to make each sheet of paper. The wet sheets are stacked up and then stretched out to dry on wood in the sun or in a hot drier.

The new Washi-inspired Grand Seiko SBGJ283 variant has a 40 mm 44GS Ever Brilliant Steel case, lugs, and a crown at 3 o’clock, in addition to a polished bezel. The off-white dial colour expresses the quintessential Washi texture. The patterned dial has a red 24-hour GMT hand, adjusted in one-hour increments, representing red fruits of kozos; dauphine hour, minute hands; a thin second hand; a date window at 3 o’clock; and bar-shaped hour markers. The 12 o’clock markers get dual-shaped markings. On the outer periphery of the dial rests a 24-hour scale. Hours are marked in Arabic numerals, the odd ones with inverted triangles. Pulling the crown out by one notch enables the hour hand to be adjusted without stopping the seconds hand, so that the highly accurate timekeeping delivered by Hi-Beat 36000 is not lost.

Powering the watch is caliber 9S86, a Hi-Beat 36000 movement, renowned for its precision of +5 to -3 seconds per day and adapted with a GMT function with a maximum power reserve of about 55 hours. The timepiece’s exterior features several flat surfaces that exhibit an unblemished, mirror finish. Completing the watch is a stainless steel bracelet whose alloy boasts a PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) value 1.7 times higher than that of the grade of steel used in most high-end watches; it also comes with a three-fold clasp with push button release and a complimentary brown crocodile leather strap. The new limited-edition timepiece will be exclusively available at Grand Seiko boutiques and authorised retailers across the Asia-Pacific region from 1 January 2025.