Grand Seiko Teams Up With Shohei Ohtani For Global Partnership

Grand Seiko is announcing a new global partnership with Major League Baseball player Shohei Ohtani this week through something called the Grand Moments Project, which kicks off April 1, 2026. Ohtani, who is a star pitcher (and designated hitter) for the defending world series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, not to mention the reigning National League MVP, hails from the Iwate prefecture of Japan, which is also home to Grand Seiko’s Studio Shizukuishi. The partnership represents a mutual respect, and shared philosophy around the value of, and approach to, time. 

The Grand Moments Project encapsulates this approach to every moment with intention and sincerity, and over time, the accumulation of those moments “refines the quality of time itself”. This is a partnership that seeks to acknowledge the methodical approach to every action we take, and celebrate the process itself over just the end result. Shohei Ohtani represents this ethos with an astonishing career made through a pursuit of excellency moment by moment. The 31 year old phenom comments “To carry forward a part of Grand Seiko’s heritage, shaped through decades of dedication, is something I deeply value.” 

Ohtani’s unique evolution within the sport of baseball is an apt corollary to Grand Seiko’s approach to watchmaking. Neither represents a straightforward journey, with Ohtani choosing to embrace his talents on both sides of the field as both a pitcher and a hitter while working his way from the Hokkaidō Nippon-Ham Fighters, to the Los Angeles Angels, and eventually the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he has amassed four MVP awards, and a pair of World Series rings. 

Similarly, Grand Seiko aren’t afraid to embrace an unconventional route to finding their identity. Defined by their obsessive approach to the details, whether in accuracy or finishing, Grand Seiko watches represent a refreshing departure from what we’ve come to expect from the standard fare. These are watches that celebrate the process, with each step representing something earned. 

This partnership remains in the conceptual realm at the onset, and just how this will play out in terms of new watches and ideas expressed remains to be seen. Whatever the case, I’d expect something thoughtful, and powerfully reflective to come, whether in the form of a watch or not. You can learn more over at grand-seiko.com