Grand Seiko Evolution 9 “Mistflake” SBGE285 Review

Snowflake, Skyflake, Mistflake… It’s no coincidence that Japanese watchmaker Grand Seiko has made snow-inspired, finely textured dials one of their many fortes. Their undeniably talented designers and watchmakers take inspiration from the natural beauty surrounding the Grand Seiko factory in Shizukuishi, Japan. 

Located in the Iwate Prefecture, the region experiences heavy snowfall during the winter, which provides a serene, snowy landscape that is visible from the factory windows. As I’m sure you can imagine, being surrounded by such a picturesque sight will deeply influence the company’s designers, inspiring them to replicate the delicate, textured beauty of frozen landscapes on their watch dials. 

And so, the Grand Seiko “Snowflake”, “Skyflake”, and “Mistflake” watches have come to be. The former is arguably one of the most famous, becoming one of the brand’s best-selling models. But today, it’s actually the Grand Seiko SBGE285 “Mistflake” I’m reviewing. Until recently, it’s a watch I’ve never had the pleasure of trying out, but let me tell you, I’m kicking myself for not seeking it out sooner.

The History of the Grand Seiko SBGE285 

The launch of the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 “Mistflake” SBGE285 watch was rather pivotal for the Japanese watchmaker for several reasons. The novelty was first introduced at Watches & Wonders 2022 alongside an almost identical model, the SBGE283, with a black textured dial. These two designs turned the principles of Grand Seiko’s Evolution 9 collection on its head, bringing a sense of sports elegance to the otherwise simple, understated dress watch family. 

Ultimately, Grand Seiko combined the curved profiles, multi-faceted dial hardware, ergonomic bracelets, and in-house movements of the original Evolution 9 with less discreet GMT bezels, large arrow-shaped GMT hands, a power reserve indicator, and, most importantly, a textured dial. To me, it made perfect sense for Grand Seiko to combine two contrasting aesthetics into one powerful yet dressy tool watch. It embodied a timepiece with more aggressive aesthetics yet still one undeniably Grand Seiko.

A Compact Titanium Case

Normally, when someone says “sports watch,” I run away with my wrists behind my back. Why? Sports watches are typically large, and as someone with five-and-a-half-inch wrists, they’re not usually suited to my frame. That said, as soon as I strapped on the Grand Seiko SBGE285, I immediately realized that I needed to stop judging all sports watches based on the genre they’re placed in. 

It’s safe to say the SBGE285 has benefited from the Evolution 9 treatment. Wearability is absolutely fantastic, sitting at 41mm wide, just below 14mm tall, and with a length of 47.5mm. These dimensions might sound large, but they are significantly more wearable compared to some of Grand Seiko’s other sports watches (like the 44.5mm wide and 16.8mm tall SBGC275). 

The slim bezel and downward-turned lugs help keep the watch nice and low on the wrist. Sure, this is definitely a sports watch, but it’s a sports watch with dress watch dimensions. In my opinion, it’s the best of both worlds. 

Another more obvious point is that the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 “Mistflake” SBGE285 is engineered from titanium, a material renowned for its extreme lightness. So not only does the sports watch wear well due to its dimensions, but it also feels ghostly on the wrist due to its weight. 

Bear in mind that this is a full metal watch with a matching metal bracelet, and it only weighs 122 grams. To put it into perspective, a watch of the same size made from stainless steel weighs almost 200 grams. 

The high-intensity titanium, otherwise known as grade 5 titanium, is also finished to an insanely high standard. If you’re someone familiar with Grand Seiko, you’ll know this is nothing new. But if you’re someone new to the GS family, you are in for a treat. Grand Seiko are professionals when it comes to case finishing, and the techniques used on SBGE285 are proof of that. 

There are sharp facets to separate the case sides and middle, as well as a beautifully curved case top that flows downwards with the lugs. The sides are also brushed, adding further contrast to the polished bevels running down the sides of the case. 

As for the bezel, the same combination of finishes is utilized. The top is brushed and decorated with a black-colored 24-hour scale, while the sides are beautifully polished. The bezel is stepped and fixed and works alongside the black central GMT hand on the dial to aid and enable the second time zone functionality. The SBGE285 is a sports watch, so it promises a 100-meter water resistance, helped by the screw-down crown positioned at 3 o’clock. 

The way the crown is integrated here into the side of the case is very impressive. Rather than having separate crown guards, Grand Seiko has extended the case out to create a seamless way to protect the crown. We’re also warranted box-shaped sapphire crystal glass on top with anti-reflective treatment on the underside for easy legibility of the dial, as well as sapphire crystal glass for the case back.

A Mist-Inspired Dial

As we’ve come to know from any Grand Seiko “Flake” watch, the dial is where much of the Japanese watchmaker’s design prowess shines. While the GS Snowflake has a more obvious grained finish, the Grand Seiko “Mistflake” SBGE285 opts for a subtle but still striking textured dial. Once again, it’s a finely executed display inspired by nature, this time echoing the frosty mist that surrounds the mountains of Nagano, the home of Spring Drive, in winter. 

In images, the watch appears to have a dark, almost anthracite dial color, but in person, it’s a lot lighter than I expected. The off-white, light gray hue is actually better, in my opinion. It almost perfectly matches the shade of the high-intensity titanium utilized on the bracelet and case, creating this almost seamless, monochromatic profile. 

The dial is accentuated by faceted and applied indices and dauphine-style hands for the hours, minutes, and seconds. All of the hardware incorporates slithers of lume, appearing white in the daylight but green in the dark. 

Grand Seiko isn’t normally talked about for its use of lume, but in the case of the Grand Seiko SBGE285, I was pleasantly surprised. The lume glows brighter than I anticipated, and I particularly like the fact that while the main hardware glows green, the blackened, arrow-tipped GMT hand glows blue.

Adding to the SBGE285’s sporty aesthetic is the power reserve indicator located between the 7 and 8 o’clock marker. This is a controversial feature for many Grand Seiko aficionados, and I’ll be honest: it’s a complication I’ve never found necessary. 

That said, it does suit the sporty personality of the Grand Seiko “Mistflake” better than some of the other models I’ve witnessed it on. Like the Grand Seiko logo at 12 and the “Spring Drive GMT” lettering at 6 o’clock, the power reserve indicator is printed directly onto the surface of the dial rather than being recessed. There’s also a framed date window taking up position at 3 o’clock.

A Spring Drive Movement

For me, the dial is the strongest argument for the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 “Mistflake” SBGE285 watch, but I know for many, it’s going to be the Spring Drive movement housed inside. Understandably so, many consider Grand Seiko’s line-up of Spring Drive movements to be some of the most important technological advancements in watch movement history. 

These innovative mechanisms use elements of both mechanical watchmaking and modern electronic technology. They combine a traditional mainspring to store energy with an electronic regulator to control the release of energy for high levels of precision.

The Caliber 9R66 used here has become one of Grand Seiko’s most used Spring Drive calibers since its debut in 2006. It comes with a healthy 72-hour power reserve and a superior precision of -/+ 1 second per day or -/+ 15 seconds a month. It also provides a super satisfying sweeping seconds hand and an hour hand that can be adjusted independently from the rest of the hardware to make it all the easier to adjust while traveling. 

Finally, the movement is finished to a nice standard. It’s simple but attractive, offering engraved waves across the bridges and rotor, polished screw heads, and a handsome blue engraving of the Grand Seiko logo on the oscillating weight.

A Full Titanium Bracelet

Like the case, the strap on the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 “Mistflake” SBGE285 watch is machined entirely from high-intensity titanium. The bracelet is set between 22mm lugs that are drilled and offers a three-link construction. The end links are more prominent than I expected and there’s no tapering on the bracelet which makes it seem rather wide and a little disproportionate to the case. 

I would prefer to see the bracelet on a watch like this to offer a little bit of tapering to elevate the overall sophistication of the piece. Plus, some opportunity for micro adjustment on the clasp wouldn’t go amiss, but overall, it is a comfortable design finished to a high standard and there are two half links accompanied with every model for aiding a precise fit. The entirety of the bracelet’s architecture is brushed and completed by a GS-engraved logo on the folding buckle.

On-Wrist Experience

After enjoying the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 “Mistflake” SBGE285 watch on my wrist for these past few days, I feel confident in saying this is one of Grand Seiko’s most wearable sports watches. If you’re like me, and you have fairly small wrists, and you typically shy away from sports watches in general, this is one to take a risk on. 

Despite its 41mm size, 47.4mm lug-to-lug, and 13.9mm thickness, it wears incredibly well on the wrist. It has a demanding aesthetic, thanks to the busy dial and 24-hour bezel, but it’s still dressy in its appearance. I’d say it would best suit wrist sizes between 6.75 inches and 7.5 inches, although I’d still recommend it to anyone with smaller and larger arms, too. 

The dial is breathtaking, in my opinion. The subtly textured finish and off-white color is beautiful and the way it blends together with the darkened hue of the grade 5 titanium case and bracelet is stunning. I’ll also never get bored of the sweeping seconds hand from the Spring Drive movement; it’s just so satisfying and knowing the levels of accuracy you get with technology like this makes wearing the watch all the more enjoyable.

Price & Availability

The Grand Seiko SBGE285 retails for $8,400 brand new and is available to order from your local authorized dealer including Exquisite Timepieces. It can also be found on the second-hand market for around $5,500. This is a non-limited edition piece, but as to how long it’ll stay in stock is unknown.

Conclusion

There’s very little bad to say about the Grand Seiko Evolution 9 “Mistflake” SBGE285. Sure, the price is a little elevated compared to some of Grand Seiko’s other GMT offerings, but when you consider the full titanium construction and Spring Drive movement, you’re certainly getting plenty of bang for your buck. I will say the bracelet does have some room for improvement, but that could just be me being picky since I’m a lover of a more slender, tapered bracelet design.

Other than that, the SBGE285 is the perfect definition of a go-anywhere-do-anything sports watch. Its technical specifications, including its lightweight titanium housing, 100-meter water resistance, and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, mean this watch will survive pretty much any day-to-day activity. Meanwhile, its high contrast finish, compact dimensions, and finely textured dial make it worthy of slipping under a shirt cuff on those formal occasions.