Grand Seiko opens the Shizukuishi Studio

Designed by acclaimed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, premium Japanese watchmaker Grand Seiko has a new home now as it announced the official opening of the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi in Iwate Prefecture. The new studio is now home to the crew that assembles and adjust each of the brand’s mechanical watch.

Up until now, the Shizukishi studio was housed within the Morioka Seiko Instruments building. This is a milestone movement in the history of the 60-year-old Japanese brand that was hived off from Seiko as a separate company in 2017.

Kengo Kuma, whose portfolio includes the National Stadium in Tokyo, the centrepiece of next year’s Tokyo Olympics; the Rolex tower in Dallas; and the LVMH Group’s Japan head office in Tokyo is known for his mastery of highly original connections between buildings, sites and nature. Spread across a floor area of 2,244 square meters, the new facility not only gives the watchmakers an enhanced working environment but also opens up future production potential. The studio also has an exhibition space where visitors can immerse themselves in the brand’s history as well as explore the nuances of Grand Seiko’s mechanical watches.

To mark the occasion, a Grand Seiko has also unveiled a limited edition watch made at the studio. It will be presented in the lounge and will be available for purchase. The new Ref. SBGH283 is based on the models from the Heritage collection and feature a stainless steel case that is 40 mm wide and 13.3 mm thick.

The green dial is supposedly inspired by the landscape that surrounds the studio. The watch is powered by the high beat Caliber 9S85A, which has a power reserve of 55 hours and an escapement that oscillates at 5 Hz (36,000 vph). Once the Covid-19 travel restriction are lifted, the new studio will welcome visitors.