In a tireless continuation of its nature-inspired watch releases, Grand Seiko proves in an unexpected way that flora, fauna, and geology are indeed infinitely resourceful. This new watch, the Grand Seiko SLGH021 Genbi Valley, has a rather uninspired name for its poetic design. The rest of the formula will be familiar, too, but this being a 9SA5-equipped Hi-Beat Grand Seiko, that is actually a good thing.
Situated mid-stream on the Iwai River in Iwate Prefecture, where Grand Seiko’s mechanical watches are manufactured, Japan’s Genbi Valley is an official Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument. The brand explains: “The grand and mysterious scenery of the Genbi Valley is expressed in this watch’s dial via a new molded pattern and light-green coloration.” Grand Seiko picks places so inviting, and the resulting dials are so beautiful, that it is only now that I realize it has been giving me serious FOMO all these years with these nature-inspired watches. It feels like I don’t get the full package without physically visiting the place referenced by the watch.
The 40mm wide, 11.7mm thick, 47mm lug-to-lug Grand Seiko SLGH021 Genbi Valley watch is crafted from Ever-Brilliant Steel — a more descriptive, but less sonorous name than, say, Oystersteel or Sedna Gold — that apparently has a PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) 1.7 times that of the steel typically seen in luxury watches. From what we understand, this refers to the corrosion resistance of the metal – you tell me if 316L or 904L stainless steel has ever corroded on you. The good news is that the case of the SLGH021 is water resistant to 100m and is equipped with a screw-down crown.
The Genbi Valley dial of the SLGH021 is a light green, engineered to mimic the little wavelets of crystal clear water. This is a guess based on the graphics since Grand Seiko’s press release says “Genbi Valley” a number of times but never specifies what part of the valley the dial’s color and pattern are meant to resemble, other than the “grand and mysterious scenery.”
It mentions that the Iwai River “flows from its source on the northern slope of Mt. Kurikoma that lies within Iwate Prefecture” and that it “eroded massive stones to create at times potholes, waterfalls, and ravines along a stretch of 2 km. This resulted in the natural beauty of the gorge called the Genbi Valley.” If Grand Seiko is serious about its sources of inspiration, it should try to create a more genuine and understandable connection between those and the resulting product — and that is true not just for the SLGH021, but arguably the majority of nature-inspired Grand Seiko watches in recent years.
The Grand Seiko SLGH021 Genbi Valley watch features the fresh Caliber 9SA5, a fantastic all-mechanical movement that beats at a high 5Hz frequency while an increased 80-hour power reserve is supplied to it from a pair of barrels and an efficient Dual Impulse Escapement. You can learn more about this highly impressive and, of course, fully in-house Grand Seiko movement here when we debuted it back in 2020.
In the metal we expect the SLGH021 to be as beautiful as previous iterations of this case, although we are still not a fan of the all-matt center links on this bracelet — with those narrow links polished, the overall effect is that much more luxurious and befitting for a five-figure-priced watch. The Grand Seiko SLGH021 Genbi Valley watch is priced at $10,400 USD and is limited to 1,000 pieces. You can learn more at the brand’s website.
