Grand Seiko has artistically frozen snow on the dial of the GS9 Club Thailand final edition.
A Spring Drive sports watch with a GMT function, The Snowflake of Shinshu (SBGE297) boasts a white dial inspired by winter scenery in Nagano Prefecture.
The town of Shiojiri is home to the Shinshu Watch Studio, surrounded by a mountainous landscape that is even more stunning in winter. The white snow forms into light, hard crystals that sparkle in the sunlight, while delicate patterns are etched by the cold wind.
The beauty of the ethereal snow is captured in the subtly textured surface of the dial made by a special silver plating process. The date display and crown are located at 4 o'clock while a power reserve indicator is positioned at 9. Lumibrite coating on indexes and hands enhances legibility.
The dial is encircled by the blue ceramic bezel with a 24-hour scale, complemented by a two-tone 24-hour display on the dial ring. The golden GMT hand with a white tip is inspired by the morning Sun over Shinshu.
The atelier in Shinshu is the birthplace of Spring Drive technology while the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi in Iwate prefecture specialises in mechanical movements.
The Japanese company employed its expertise in electronic and mechanical watchmaking to develop the hybrid Spring Drive movement, whose motion is in one direction. As a result, the seconds hand glides continuously and silently with no tick or shudder while expressing the natural flow of time.
The snowy GS9 Club Thailand is housed in a 40.5mm stainless steel case, whose back is engraved with "1 of 65" to indicate the limited edition.
GMT hand is inspired by the morning Sun over Shinshu.
Engraved caseback of the GS9 Club limited edition.
