Grand Seiko, as a brand, is generous with new releases every year. Of course, many of their newest watches are dial variations, so when they release an entirely new model, we’re especially interested. The titanium SLGW003 “Birch Bark” was announced earlier this year, and we’ve now had a chance to put it through its paces.
Grand Seiko released the titanium SLGW003 “Birch Bark” alongside the 18k rose gold SLGW002 back in April. Thomas gave us a rundown of the models and was impressed. Today we’ll be focusing on the titanium SLGW003 and going into more detail on the finer details of the watch.
Grand Seiko SLGW003 “Birch Bark”
While “Birch Bark” is officially part of the Evolution 9 lineup, that’s not surprising since it’s not a heritage piece. However, Grand Seiko does cite a historic model as a source of inspiration: the original Seiko 4520-8000, the “45GS,” from 1968, was the sub-brand’s first high-frequency watch. The relevance of this fact will become clear shortly.
This is a 38.6mm x 45mm dress watch made from Grand Seiko’s proprietary Brilliant Titanium alloy. This material is highly corrosion-resistant, scratch-resistant, and bright in color, the latter feature complementing the brand’s famous Zaratsu polishing effect. Prospective wearers will be pleased with the watch’s 9.95mm thickness, which isn’t bad considering the box-shaped sapphire crystal. Water resistance to 30 meters is to be expected for a dressy watch.
Take a closer look at the beautiful dial
Grand Seiko is well known for its exceptionally textured dials. “Birch Bark” is exactly what it sounds like, and while a wooden dial might sound a bit retro, this one is clean and modern. The SLGW003 combines polished hands, applied indexes, logos and black printed details. Fans will love the blue central seconds hand for a gentle contrast. I’ll admit that Grand Seiko dials can sometimes feel a bit textured and overly decorated, but in person, this dial is much better.
A new movement with beautiful finishes
We mentioned the Vintage 45GS, and this is a big deal. The “Birch Bark” heralds the brand’s first high-beat manual winding movement in over 50 years, the 9SA4. This is a big deal. The movement is also a beautiful thing to view through the sapphire case back, where you can see the beautiful facings and bevels of the 47 jewel caliber. The 9SA4 features twin barrels, a dual impulse escapement, and an 80-hour power reserve. Thankfully, there is a power reserve indicator on the back of the watch. The movement is adjusted to 6 and is accurate to within +5/-3 seconds per day.
Wearing “birch bark”
There are many things I found interesting about wearing the SLGW003. Firstly, the watch is extremely comfortable and lightweight. Its size and downward curved lugs make it extremely comfortable to wear. Due to cross-border customs reasons, I tried the watch on an embossed leather strap instead of the OEM alligator strap, which combined with the titanium folding clasp was excellent.
Secondly, the case material is great. I have a love/hate relationship with titanium. I love it for its technical qualities and how light it is. I don’t like titanium as much because it’s dark in color and doesn’t really feel warm on the wrist. Grand Seiko doesn’t solve my temperature concerns, but they did come up with an alloy that looks silvery. Polished and matte finishes look great. Frankly, this is the best application of titanium I’ve ever seen in a watch.
We mentioned the dial, but it’s worth discussing again. I know many people love watches like the “Snowflake” and are happy to accept a power reserve indicator on the dial. Then there’s the “White Birch” with its date function at 3 o’clock. For me, a simpler dial is always more satisfying, and the “Birch Bark” achieves that. On looks alone, this watch would fit in any collection of vintage Grand Seiko and King Seiko watches without dates.
Finally, when I put a watch like this on my wrist, I think about the movement. It’s no secret that I love manual winding movements, and this is a prime example of that. Attractive finishing, advanced mechanical construction, and a satisfying power reserve combine to create a movement that rivals the most expensive Swiss brands.
lastly
That last point about whether this watch can compete with the best is made on purpose. With a retail price of 11,700 euros, the Birch Bark is an expensive watch. Some have pointed out that Grand Seiko offers other hand-wound watches for much less, and while that is true, I don’t think it’s appropriate to look at the SLGW003 that way. This watch strikes me as a flagship model due to the case material, more detailed finishing, and movement. If these attributes are not important to you, then the Grand Seiko will do. However, if you want a watch with features that are on par with or better than a high-end Swiss watch, then this is an attractive option.
For more information on the SLGW003 “Birch Bark,” please visit the Grand Seiko official website.
