The Best Grand Seiko Dials Of All Time: Editors' Picks

If there’s one thing Grand Seiko is known for, it is its textured dials….and Spring Drive…and Zaratsu polishing... Okay, one of the things Grand Seiko is known for is its textured dials. Often inspired by the beauty of the natural landscape surrounding Grand Seiko's manufacture in Japan, these dials are now often imitated but never truly replicated. We asked our editorial team here at Teddy to choose their favorite GS dial and, unsurprisingly, we got some really stunning picks here. So, without further ado, here are our Editors’ Picks for favorite Grand Seiko dials.

A special announcement for those in the Cleveland, Ohio area in June: Teddy Baldassarre will be hosting Grand Seiko for a day celebrating Japanese craftsmanship and innovation. There will be a special presentation by Grand Seiko Brand Curator Joe Kirk, a live demonstration of the new U.F.A. movement by a master watchmaker from Grand Seiko’s Shinshu Watch Studio, panel discussions, and plenty more. If interested please sign up here and a member of our team will contact you to confirm your spot, as space is limited. Not able to attend? Sign up here to learn about what’s next.

Bilal Khan: SBGA011/SBGA211 "Snowflake"

The Grand Seiko SBGA211 (originally the SBGA011), aka the Snowflake, is where it all began. Back in 2004, the watchmakers at the dial workshop in the Shinshu watch studio were given a novel task: create a dial that would capture the beauty of the natural surroundings of where the Spring Drive movement was born. The answer was in front of their eyes when they gazed at the snow-capped mountains that commanded their views for half the year. Creating this dial was a challenge but they found inspiration from an old 56GS watch dating back to 1971, which had a texture similar to what the team wanted to achieve. It took some trial and error but they found success through a silver plating method that would go on to birth the now-iconic "Snowflake" dial.

It might look somewhat demure and less dramatic than more recent textured dials, but this is the quintessential Grand Seiko, in my opinion. Many of you may not have been interested in watches back then, but it wasn’t until 2010 that you could even get a Grand Seiko here in the United States. And even then, options were scarce and opportunities limited. People legitimately could not understand paying $6,000-$7,000 for a Japanese watch and you’d be surprised at how many people were turned off by the light weight of the titanium case. Also, remember that the SBGA011 came out back when the dial still read “Seiko" up top and "Grand Seiko” at 6 o’clock, while the modern SBGA211 exclusively carries the Grand Seiko logo. The crisp, almost paper-like textured dial, the Zaratsu-polished hands, the blued second hand with that effortlessly smooth Spring Drive glide — it was a revelation and a revolution.

Mark Bernardo: Evolution 9 Collection Spring Drive 5 Days Diver’s 200M “Ushio” SLGA023

When Grand Seiko opened up its distribution beyond its native Japan to international markets, including the U.S., in 2010, its need was twofold: establish in no uncertain terms its elevated status over parent brand Seiko, from which it officially gained independence in 2017; and forge a distinctive identity that would enable it to compete with well-established competitors in its price tier from Switzerland and Germany. It accomplished these goals primarily through its use of elite dial treatments that are unmatched throughout the industry and particularly evocative of the natural beauty of Japan. More than a decade after the introduction of the “Snowflake” dial that jump-started this creative endeavor, Grand Seiko has introduced dozens of these exquisitely crafted dials, all with some sort of backstory or at least an inspiration from nature, and, as you’d expect, it’s difficult to choose one favorite, especially since not every dial would work with every watch model.

However, the watch (and dial) that sprung to mind when this question was first posed to the editorial team was one I truly could not avert my eyes from when it was brought out on a tray during my Grand Seiko meeting at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023: the Ref. SLGA023 “Ushio”, a Spring Drive-powered 200M Diver from the Evolution 9 collection. “Ushio” is Japanese for “tide,” and that’s what’s dynamically represented on the striking blue dial: a cascading, undulating wave texture that takes its cues from roiling ocean currents off the coast of Japan. Paired with the dark blue, ceramic divers’ bezel, whose hue matches the darker areas of the dial created by its 3D relief engraving, the Ushio dial manages to scream both “serious dive watch” and "artisanal luxury” at the same time. Yes, it would look downright gaudy on a smaller, more understated dress watch, like one from Grand Seiko’s Elegance collection, but on this sporty, 42mm timepiece, it is pretty close to perfection.

Danny Milton: SBGM221

So I chose to zag a bit with my choice here. I am sure the logical thing to do would be to choose a scenario in which Grand Seiko showcases its mastery in ornate and dimensional dial design. I, on the other hand, have chosen to indulge in the rare moment when the brand opted for simplicity and came out the other side with a modern classic – dare I say – icon. The SBGM221 is GS's timeless GMT design, which took a known format – often paired with a functional or stationary display bezel – and turned it into a novel, all-dial display. Rarely can a brand reclaim the GMT watch, especially in the 21st century, but Grand Seiko has. The dial is a flat ivory color, a rare hue in the world of watches that marks one of the standout features. The other is just the layout, with the 24-hour indicators being printed in a throwback, serif-heavy typographical style in black, allowing for a highly-polished blue GMT hand to turn independently to display a variety of timezones. To me, this is one of the best GS dials because it has achieved icon status and because the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Is there some complex pattern at play? No, just beauty in its functional simplicity.

Erin Wilborn: SBGA413 "Shunbun"

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: choosing your favorite Grand Seiko dial feels akin to choosing a starter Pokémon. It’s personal, you just have to go with your gut with whatever speaks to you and stick with it. I’ve recently been charmed by the brand’s new lilac-hued Kiri with its Iwate dial, but I will say that ultimately, I do prefer the dial texture of the Shunbun SBGA431G. 

It’s not only the pale pink color that draws me to the Shunbun, though it was definitely what first caught my attention. As Grand Seiko is wont to do, the brand has waxed poetically on the inspirations from the natural world that inspired the dial, which, in this case, is "Hana-Ikada," the moment after the Spring equinox when cherry blossom petals become scattered on a gust of wind, and fall into a river. It’s all very evocative and makes me wish I lived in an area more densely populated by cherry blossoms so I could experience the ephemera up close and personal. But the dial captures that scene with through meticulous hand-finishing, and there’s something very billowy, almost cloudlike, about the patterning, and I love the way the subtle textural differences bounce and play with the light. I tend to think of an aerial view above the bows of a cherry tree in bloom looking at the dial, rather than a river, but that’s just me.

Blake Buettner: SBGH267 "Whirlpool"

Grand Seiko has made a name for itself in recent years by using the natural surroundings of its manufactory in Japan’s Iwate Prefecture as inspiration in creating some of its most iconic dials. From the seasons to subtle landscape details, the brand has proven adept at recreating a feeling in a dial texture. As enchanting as these dials can be, there’s another example of the company's dial craftsmanship that I find particularly compelling, and it can be found on the Reference SBGH267 released within the Heritage collection in 2018. It’s known as the "whirlpool" dial, and I love it for its uncharacteristic sense of levity, without compromise to the execution. 

This dial was created to mark the 20th anniversary of the Caliber 9S, Grand Seiko’s first mechanical movement in 40 years. This reference houses a high-beat variation of the 9S, including a dark blue commemorative oscillating weight, but the star of the show, if you ask me, is the manner in which Grand Seiko has approached the dial. The twisted motif contains "G" and "S" markings set alongside the mark of Daini Seikosha, who developed the first high-beat movement. Other references released to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 9S caliber featured a variation of this dial, and I think it comes together perfectly in the Reference SBGH267. It’s fun, whimsical, and unexpected, and it’s been executed with a stunning level of detail and care. 

Jonathan McWhorter: SLGA007 "Lake Suwa"

The Grand Seiko SLGA007 is my favorite dial for literally no other reason than I just like it the best, as shallow (pun) as that may be. Grand Seiko makes a ton of interesting looking dials that I also enjoy, but this one is my favorite. When it comes to dial patterns, I prefer that either the pattern is “perfect” in its repetition or that it is completely organic and any repeating pattern isn’t recognizable. You know if you’re looking at something like a camouflage pattern and you find repeating shapes? Like that.

The Lake Suwa dial is an excellent execution of an organic pattern. The base color is a fantastic deep navy, and the application of whatever coating used achieves a semi-translucent, almost opalescent look that feels incredibly natural. Beyond the color, there is the texture! The sculpted surface of the dial gives off that organic pattern of waves that hits just the right notes for me, even down to the fine texture that simulates the glint and sparkle of a real life body of water. This dial has been repeated a couple of times on different references, but this execution, with the gold logo and seconds hand, is my favorite.

D.C. Hannay: SBGH347 "Icefall"

We’re certainly spoiled for choice when it comes to modern Grand Seiko dials, aren’t we? It seems like every other week, we’re tempted by a captivating new dial in the brand's latest drop… damn you, Grand Seiko! I certainly had a time coming up with my pick of the litter, but after a bit of deliberation, the SBGH347 “Icefall” reminded me how much I liked it the first time I got eyes and hands on it last year. I resisted the 2021 industry-wide FOMO of everything Tiffany-adjacent that followed in the wake of Patek’s internet-leveling Nautilus, rendered in that very particular Pantone shade called PMS 1837. I believe enough time has passed that it’s safe to consider a dial in a light blue colorway, and there is absolutely nothing turquoise about this one… so, no bandwagon fan here.

I grew up in upstate New York, and the landscape throughout the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains can be pretty spectacular, especially in autumn, when the maples explode in the annual trooping of their colors. But winters here can be equally picturesque, when quiet snows blanket the spruce trees, and chilly streams lead to the halting beauty of a frozen waterfall. I suspect the climate near Grand Seiko’s Studio Shizukuishi may share some of the same qualities, as this dial’s color and vertical pattern really capture the way that ice turns blue in certain slants of light. But whatever the inspiration, this is just a lovely blue dial, period, and I’m sure that Grand Seiko goes to some extraordinary lengths to achieve the texture, as well as the hue that’s as arresting as the eyes of a Siberian Husky. 

All this is the front page of a well-sized 37mm case in Ever-Brilliant stainless steel, and a rather good (okay, astonishing) 9S85 Hi-Beat automatic caliber, both executed with Grand Seiko’s typically elevated levels of fit and finish. Without getting too deep into the methodology, if you’re looking to go in-house on a watch, GS is in a pretty nice neighborhood. The sum is a competent, confident package that’s wrapped in a layer of chill to rival a vodka martini by the side of a frozen lake.