Grand Seiko Godzilla 65th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGA405 Watch Review

Louis Howson
No Comments
October 28, 2019
Grand Seiko Watches, Watch News, Watch Reviews

To celebrate both the 20th anniversary of their famous Spring Drive movement and the 65th anniversary of the iconic Godzilla beast, Grand Seiko unveil this breathtaking Grand Seiko Godzilla 65th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGA405 watch. One of the many reasons Grand Seiko fans love their watches so much is their ability to honour and animate their Japanese heritage, whether it’s with a Snowflake dial inspired by the snow found on the tops of Mt Iwate, the mountain that sits outside the windows of Grand Seiko’s workshops, or the textures and colours of the trees grown around the town of Joboji. With this Grand Seiko Godzilla Limited Edition, the brand take a new direction and become inspired by one of Japan’s most recognisable monsters.

Famed for being an unstoppable force that creates city-wide fear and evacuation, Godzilla has become an iconic piece of Japanese history with its dinosaur-like structure and powerful atomic breath. The monster first appeared in Toho’s Godzilla in 1954 and the movie was widely regarded as a masterpiece. Since then, the franchise has expanded over 65 years with more than 30 films created. Grand Seiko and Godzilla also share an unlikely history, with the first film featuring the Tokyo district of Ginza, the birthplace of Seiko. In a famous scene, Godzilla destroys the famous clock tower which rises above the Wako store, a retail establishment of Seiko’s that first opened its doors in 1952. Grand Seiko has done a fantastic job of honouring this powerful creature with the Grand Seiko Godzilla 65th Anniversary watch and its deep burgundy aesthetic, beautifully decorated case back and unmissable textured leather strap.

Expected to be released as soon as November, the Grand Seiko Godzilla 65th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGA405 watch becomes an instant presence on the wrist just like the creature it commemorates. The 44.5mm case is crafted from lightweight high-intensity titanium and it fitted with short, faceted lugs given a stunning distortion free look thanks to the brand’s famous Zaratsu polishing and hairline finish. Thanks to the curve of the lugs and the low centre of gravity of the case, you can expect optimal comfort and security when it sits against your wrist. The case is also presented with a slim black sapphire bezel decorated with a 60 minute scale and Lumibrite markers and scratch resistant dual-curved sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating for enhanced legibility.

Godzilla’s signature roar and heat ray beam is beautifully expressed on the burgundy red dial decorated with subtle sunray detailing and striking sharp indexes and hands. The hands and markers are also coated with Lumibrite for easy legibility in low lighting. To match the dial of the Grand Seiko Godzilla 65th Anniversary watc h is the centrepiece strap crafted from shark leather and decorated with an unmissable red coating to give the instant feel and look of the texture of Godzilla’s glowing red skin. The strap is unusually fitted with a stainless steel clasp instead of titanium which would have arguably paired better with the case material.

Powering each of the functions on the dial is one of Grand Seiko’s famous Spring Drive movements, the 9R15 calibre. This remarkable automatic winding movement originally evolved from the Calibre 9R65 to deliver an even higher level of precision. The 9R15 now promises an almost unbelievable accuracy of ±10 seconds a month (equivalent to ±0.5 seconds per day), compared to the Calibre 9R65 and its accuracy of ±15 seconds a month (equivalent to ±1 second per day). The 9R15 also provides an impressive power reserve indicator on the dial of 72 hours, a large date window at 3 o clock and classic central hands for hour, minutes and seconds.

Grand Seiko always makes a point of demonstrating their remarkable technical abilities, especially when it comes to their in-house movements. This Grand Seiko Godzilla 65th Anniversary SBGA405 watch is no exception and boasts a stunning 18 carat gold lion on the oscillating weight of the movement to symbolise both its accuracy and the talents of the Grand Seiko watchmakers. The case back is also beautifully decorated with Godzilla himself, in particular, the scene where the monster destroys the iconic clock tower at the main intersection of Ginza district. This finishing touch is just one more reason why we believe the Grand Seiko Godzilla 65th Anniversary watch and its limited edition run of 650 pieces will sell out quickly on its release in November.