Japanese aesthetic sense and craftsmanship.
The aesthetics of tradition and innovation continue to mark the passage of time around the world today.
Masterpiece architecture that symbolizes the expertise and aesthetic sense of Japan.
Emotional Tokyo cityscapes project peoples’ lives and a rich range of expressions.
Minimalism and functional beauty. Emotion and elegance.
Marking Tokyo time from the days of old into the future.
International photographer Josh Olins, whose work resonates with the aesthetics of Grand Seiko, captures images of modern Tokyo.
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Cool, windy, dry air blows a snowy mountain surface to create delicate patterns.
The SBGA211 evokes that snowy surface.
A celebrated entertainment district is flanked by a group of impersonal Shinjuku buildings.
In Shinjuku, crossroads of numerous timelines, the delicate glistening of this wristwatch is an elegant and seamless fit.
LOCATION
Shinjuku Skyscrapers & the Golden-Gai Area
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The Kabuki-cho district on the east side of Shinjuku Station contains alleyways rich in images preserved through the years.This area is known as the Shinjuku Golden-Gai District. Packed into this narrow passage, with tall buildings standing on either side, are some 280 small bars, projecting iconic images of the unique Shinjuku ambiance.
Golden-Gai, retaining the nostalgic air of the Showa Era, comprises a series of wooden row-houses extending along a narrow stretch. The district emerged as a black market after the end of World War II. In later years, writers, actors of the screen and stage, and other cultural figures gathered here at drinking establishments to imbibe and discuss the world until the wee hours of morning, with this underground scene steadily coming to earn interest and attention.
Today, Golden-Gai attracts overseas tourists entranced by images of the district taken by famed photographer Daido Moriyama and other sources. They are joined by long-standing regulars who continue to loyally patronize their favorite bars and taverns from years back.
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The skyscraper district on the west side of Shinjuku Station calls to mind the film Lost in Translation, directed by Sofia Coppola. This movie tells the tale of the encounter and parting of middle-aged Hollywood actor Bob and young Hong Kongn woman Charlotte, who has accompanied her photographer husband on a business trip to Tokyo. Among the areas appearing in the scenes is West Shinjuku, featuring images of the skyscraper district with buildings towering some 200 meters overhead. The impersonal, inorganic sensation of the area, heightened by a palpable absence of large numbers of office workers and others inside the buildings, stands in sharp contrast with the rich human touches that characterize the Golden-Gai neighborhood of the Kabuki-cho quarter.This difference also provides a certain touch that distinguishes the uniqueness of Shinjuku from other urban areas.
The Heritage Collection SBGA211 has a dial that conveys the image of delicate snow. The fusion of cutting-edge technology and craftsmanship in this watch’s Spring Drive movement reflects a connection between seemingly contrasting elements, just like Shinjuku.
Text by Taka Kawachi
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SBGA211
Heritage Collection
The SBGA211 is assembled in the Shinshu Watch Studio in Nagano Prefecture. This location basks in a spectacular view of the Hotaka mountain range, known for being blanketed with snow several months each year. The snowy surface, typically bathed in cool, dry breezes, emerges with delicate patterns generated by the wind. At the studio, exceptional craftsmanship is mobilized to fashion beautiful watch dials through the creation of silver plating that conveys the fine essence of the wind patterns generated on the nearby snow surface. The blued steel seconds hand, standing out on the pure white dial, glides with the original Spring Drive sweep motion, powerfully evoking the clear image of the unbroken flow of time.
The SBGA211 is assembled in the Shinshu Watch Studio in Nagano Prefecture. This location basks in a spectacular view of the Hotaka mountain range, known for being blanketed with snow several months each year. The snowy surface, typically bathed in cool, dry breezes, emerges with delicate patterns generated by the wind. At the studio, exceptional craftsmanship is mobilized to fashion beautiful watch dials through the creation of silver plating that conveys the fine essence of the wind patterns generated on the nearby snow surface. The blued steel seconds hand, standing out on the pure white dial, glides with the original Spring Drive sweep motion, powerfully evoking the clear image of the unbroken flow of time.
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Photographer
Josh Olins
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Born in London, Hong Kong, and currently based in New York, Olins excels in photography primarily seen in fashion ads and magazines. Famed for depictions rich in both strength and elegance, he enjoys a steady stream of offers from renowned magazines including VOGUE and many clients such as Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Calvin Klein, and Jil Sander.In the Japan Issue of Holiday Magazine, published in 2015, he earned keen attention for the inclusion of his Japan fashion editorial shoot extending throughout the entire issue.