My previous post gave a not-so-subtle hint about a new watch I recently acquired, and as someone who operates a blog about watches, it’s only appropriate that I dedicate a post in its entirety to this shiny, new, metal thing on my wrist. I’m typing this up in late March on an idyllic train ride in Switzerland clad with this timepiece, and if it weren’t for the crazy 62-hour turnaround trip to Hong Kong, I wouldn’t be here today with it…not that I wanted to take this to Watches and Wonders 2025 or anything. Certainly not. Why would a watch guy do that.
I purchased this piece pre-owned from K&L Watch in Hong Kong, a small, cubicle-like shop not far off Nathan Road in Kowloon. I had originally seen the listing on Chrono24, then found their website, then realized that because of customs uncertainties, the only way to ensure its possession before journeying on to Switzerland was to haul myself around the world to Hong Kong and pick it up myself. Well, the rest they say, is history.
Doubts Going In
I had tried on the piece earlier during the summer of 2024 at the Grand Seiko boutique in New York. I loved it. But I didn’t feel like it truly represented my personhood, and I’m very selective about that in my collecting philosophies. Well, it turns out that I was wrong, because there’s 100% a part of me that vibes with pastoral visions of clear running mountain streams, and if the Evolution 9 SLGH021 Genbi Valley isn’t that, then I don’t know what is.
My other quibble was the bracelet. Not because of its lack of micro-adjust since I think it’s massively overrated anyway, but because of its 20mm width at the clasp. It’s also the one conscience-defiler about my Alpine Eagle, and I was worried about that here too. Turns out, it’s fine. I’m unsure whether the presence of an actual clasp is what’s helping, but it doesn’t look that wide to me and I’m not about open a mental investigation into my brain as to why not.
The Goodies
Now onto the pleasantries. Obvious ones first, starting with the dial. There’s actually not much point dwelling on the dial since we all know it’s basically Grand Seiko’s bread & butter. The hue can vary, however, anywhere from a soothing Alpine-stream green to almost silver. Adding the sparkling indices and that applied gold logo, I’ll go ahead and claim this is Grand Seiko’s finest dial yet. Yeah, I went there.
Next, we can’t not talk about the Hi-Beat 36000 (5Hz) 80-Hour Dual Impulse escapement, the only novel escapement other than the Co-Axial in modern watchmaking. Not gonna get into the technical details here since it’s pretty widely distributed on the internet already, but innovations like this are what makes watches feel special to me! Even Patek got nothing on this.
Allow me to also mention Grand Seiko’s proprietary Ever Brilliant Steel that’s used here. I can’t be certain it’s not the placebo effect working on me or not, but the bracelet does seem like it has a different sheen to it than a standard 316L one would. Or maybe it’s just how the brushed finish is so wonderfully done that’s getting me. Or just the overall high quality build and tolerances. Oh, I don’t know. Everything just feels really nice in the hand, the bracelet just as much as the rest of the watch! I’m also a big fan of satisfying clasp action, and I’m pleased to report that this clasp is satisfying enough to function as a nice fidget toy in times of need. I wonder if all the naysayers of GS bracelets would change their minds after handling the Evolution 9 stuff, but considering the ever-present lack of micro-adjustment, I doubt it 🙄.
Final Thoughts
I’m gonna go out on a limb and just claim that this one’s here to stay. Grand Seiko isn’t perfect, but there are some things for which they have no peer in their price domain: case finishing (something about Zaratsu blah blah), movement tech, dial beauty, even movement finishing (at least for the 9SA5 movement)! It makes me feel like a million bucks!
Maybe it was a bit ironic to be trudging around Switzerland donning a watch whose owning company was the harbinger of the Quartz Crisis. But hey, game recognize game and Grand Seiko will present themselves hand-in-hand with the Swiss Elite at Watches & Wonders next week. And they deserve every bit to be there. Now if they could just taper their bracelets to 18mm.
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 SLGH021 “Genbi Valley”
Case Diameter: 40mm (wears like it)
Case Material:Â Ever-Brilliant Steel
Case Thickness:Â 11.7mm
Lug-to-lug length:Â 47mm
Weight:Â 169g (full set)
Lug Width:Â 22mm
Width at clasp:Â 20mm
Beat Rate:Â 28,800 vph/4Hz
Movement:Â Grand Seiko 9SA5