Grand Seiko SLGH007 Review: Cedar Rings Dressed in Platinum

A question I get asked more than any other is, “what watch do I recommend to others?”. The answer changes depending on my current mood, the time of year, and the occasion in mind. However, more often than not, the answer is one of the latest novelties from Japanese watchmaker Grand Seiko.

Grand Seiko is one of those brands I can talk about forever. They have an incredible history filled with groundbreaking technologies and, of course, some truly outstanding watches that take the cake – even over some of the world’s biggest watch names. One of Grand Seiko’s most memorable releases, and one that caught my attention as soon as it launched back in 2021, was the Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007 watch. And to my delight, I’ve been lucky enough to get hands-on with this model for review.

History of Grand Seiko & the Heritage Collection

Grand Seiko has carved a truly remarkable legacy in the world of watchmaking since its inception in 1960. Founder Kintaro Hattori set out to create the world’s most “perfect” timepiece and did exactly that, ensuring every Grand Seiko watch embodies precision, legibility, durability, and beauty. There’s no shortage of stunning families forming the Grand Seiko name, but those that appreciate rich heritage and traditional craftsmanship should look at the Grand Seiko Heritage collection.

The Heritage Collection pays homage to GS’s history of tradition and innovation. These watches often boast beautifully textured dials inspired by an aspect of Grand Seiko’s story, as well as dressy cases and powerful in-house movements. 

There are a variety of references worthy of attention in the Heritage family, but as mentioned, a personal favorite of mine is the Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007. It’s a special watch launched to celebrate the Seiko Company’s 140th anniversary, limited to just 140 pieces worldwide. It’s also just one of a few watches from Grand Seiko handcrafted from premium 950 platinum and decorated with a unique dial inspired by the tree rings of a cedar tree.

A Platinum Case

One of the most distinguishing features of the Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007 is the case. At first glance, you might think the architecture is 18ct white gold, but it’s actually made from 950 platinum, a material denser, harder, and more complex than gold. In fact, platinum can be so difficult to machine watch cases like this can take three times longer to produce than their gold-crafted counterparts. 

Once completed, though, a platinum case is a masterpiece in its own right, boasting highly durable and corrosion-resistant properties. If scratched, it can also easily be polished and won’t lose volume as gold does.

This does mean though, that platinum watches are typically expensive and hard to come by. But without fear of revealing the price too quickly, I’m very impressed with the price tag of the Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007 – especially when compared to watches of the same stature. Much of that comes down to the finishing of the case. Every element of the case contrasts to its neighbor with its own unique finishing. 

For starters, I love the faceted lug ends that have a combination of cuts and bevels that are polished or brushed. In the same fashion, the fixed, unadorned bezel has beautiful hairline vertical brushed finishing, which contrasts with the lug and bezel sides, which are polished using Grand Seiko’s famous Zaratsu technique. This innovative practice involves pressing and sliding the platinum against a metal plate covered with 400- to 800-grit sandpaper. 

It’s an art that takes around 3 years to master and is done completely by hand. There are not many watch brands these days that can claim their watches are hand-finished, and it’s another of the many reasons I love Grand Seiko so much. The polished elements of the case are almost mirror-like and add a sense of energy to the platinum housing that feels very much in line with Grand Seiko’s obsession with light and shadow play.

As for dimensions, the Grand Seiko SLGH007 sits on the wrist at 40mm wide and 11.7mm tall. It’s a little wider than some of the other Heritage models launched before 2020, but the height is significantly slimmer, which gives the watch a dressier feel overall. 

There’s also a lug-to-lug width of 46.7mm, which, although it sounds large, thanks to the sloped case, actually sits very compactly on most wrist sizes. It’s a dress watch, after all, so it’ll happily slip under the shirt of a cuff. Yet, thanks to its 100-meter water resistance, it becomes a go-anywhere-do-anything watch offering plenty of protection against everyday exposure to water.

The case of the Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007 watch also presents a knurled crown positioned at 3 o’clock. Despite its 100-meter water-resistant rating, it’s your standard push-in crown, so there’s no need to screw it in and out. The crown is nicely engraved with the “GS” of the Grand Seiko logo. Finally, the glass used to protect the centerpiece dial is box-domed sapphire crystal. It’s the domed silhouette of the glass that adds some of the height to the case’s dimensions, also adding to the design’s vintage appeal.

A Cedar Tree Dial

I think this might be one of the finest dials Grand Seiko has ever done – and that’s saying something because there are some spectacular examples out there. The color of the dial is what I would call anthracite; it’s not quite jet black but has more of a dark gray tone, allowing the texture of the surface to come through. But it’s not the color that has my attention; it’s the surface. Grand Seiko describes the texture here as woodgrain, inspired by the tree rings found on cedar wood.

The finish is so spectacular you’d be forgiven for mistaking the dial as one made from real wood. The color-changing waves or rings are really unique, and unlike any dial I’ve seen before. But it’s not only beautiful; it’s also purposeful. Since Grand Seiko launched the SLGH007 as part of their 140th-anniversary celebrations, the company chose the wood grain texture as a nod to the parallels between growing trees and Grand Seiko. In the same way, trees slowly develop layers of wooden rings over the years, and Grand Seiko has slowly evolved in its design and engineering prowess.

Set upon the cedar-inspired display is an array of 18-carat white gold indices and hands. They all feature the intricate micro-faceted and satin-polished alternation seen on most of Grand Seiko’s dial hardware. Except in this instance, the markers are engineered from white gold and not steel. 

Like the hands and indices, even the white gold border for the date window at 3 o’clock utilizes 18-carat white gold and emits a spectacular level of light play. This also assists in the dial’s legibility since no luminous substance is used anywhere. The dial also features a matching 18-carat white gold Grand Seiko logo at 12 o’clock and markings depicting features of the movement at 6 o’clock.

An In-House, Hi-Beat Movement

Just when you thought the level of craftsmanship couldn’t get any higher, you turn the watch over and see the Caliber 9SA5. This is an in-house manufacture movement designed and developed entirely by Grand Seiko. It was launched just before the Grand Seiko SLGH007 in 2020 to mark the creation of the Grand Seiko brand 60 years prior. It represents a huge leap in technology compared to the 9S calibers before it. 

For starters, while still maintaining its high-beat frequency of 36,600 or 5Hz, it delivers an extended power reserve of 80 hours (compared to 55 hours before). This is thanks to the new twin barrel architecture, allowing the watch to be taken off the wrist for an entire weekend without any need for rewinding on Monday.

The Caliber 9SA5 automatic winding movement also debuts Grand Seiko’s Dual Impulse Escapement. This is a clever mechanism that allows the power from the escape wheel to be transferred directly to the balance. What does this mean exactly? Well ultimately, it allows the movement to use less power transfer to counter the increased vibration rate of the balance. In turn, it improves the overall accuracy of the movement. 

Additionally, according to Grand Seiko, the movement is adjusted to six positions rather than five like a standard chronometer. Again, this guarantees increased accuracy for use in the real world. The watch’s accuracy is rated at -3 to +5 a day, which again trumps COSC’s standard of -4 to +6. 

As well as acting the part, the Caliber 9SA5 of the Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007 is a pleasure to view through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back. Those of you familiar with Grand Seiko’s 9S movement family might notice that this is one of the biggest calibers in the Japanese watchmaker’s portfolio. 

It fills the entire case back, beautifully showing off its blued screws and 47 jewels through the scratch-resistant glass. You can see the new full balance bridge anchored onto both sides and the stunning striping on the bridges that flow with perfect synchrony.

A Luxury Leather Strap

A feature I was not expecting to enjoy so much on the Grand Seiko SLGH007 is the alligator leather strap. I’m normally more of a metal bracelet watch wearer, but after wearing this model for review, I have a totally new appreciation for high-quality leather like the one featured here. 

In this case, it’s a large, almost imposing black alligator leather band with an undeniably luxurious and expensive feel. The leather has been cleverly cut to show the scales symmetrically down the length. There’s also monochromatic stitching, a sheer cut profile on the edges, and a nice smooth calfskin lining embossed with the Grand Seiko logo. 

Something you’ll notice straight away about the leather strap here is the quality of the stitching. It’s all too common in the watchmaking world to find poorly put-together leather straps. This is not the case with the Grand Seiko SLGH007. The stitching is perfect and it’s clear a lot of time has been spent to make sure this strap not only looks the part but feels it too. 

As mentioned, the case of the SLGH007 isn’t the smallest, but the leather strap, once worn for a longer period of time, will no doubt soften up and make the watch even more wearable. Finally, we can’t talk about the strap without mentioning the buckle. I’ve always applauded Grand Seiko for their buckles, and again, the buckle here is crafted by Grand Seiko themselves. 

It’s engineered from the same 950 platinum as the case and has an innovative twin trigger release that opens the expansive folding mechanism. There’s also lovely blasted and polished finishing on the GS logo situated on the clasp. 

I appreciate that Grand Seiko has used platinum on the buckle here. It’s all too often watch brands use 18ct white gold on the strap of a platinum watch, simply because they already have white gold buckles in stock. So, well done Grand Seiko.

On-Wrist Experience

Wearing the Grand Seiko SLGH007 has been an absolute pleasure, and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t an easy watch to give back. I was a little dubious at first due to the sizing. It’s clear this is a little larger than your typical dress watch, with a 40mm width and 11.7mm height, and when you pair that with my relatively small five-and-a-half-inch wrists, it sounds like a recipe for disaster. 

But instead, it was the total opposite. Sure, it was a large watch for me, but when the level of craftsmanship is this impressive, I want something big and bold for everyone to see. 

One of my favorite features includes the finishing of the case. The contrast between the hairline brushing and the Zaratsu polishing is breathtaking and makes this watch sparkle almost like a gemstone. 

Equally, I couldn’t take my eyes away from the dial, and I found myself constantly distracted by the color-changing texture. It’s also nice knowing there’s a story behind the cedar-inspired finish, one that perfectly encapsulates the history of Grand Seiko. 

Finally, I have nothing bad to say about the Caliber 9SA5 movement. The entire mechanism ran as smoothly as expected during my time with the SLGH007. I noticed little to no deviations in accuracy, and the hacking seconds function was a nice touch when I needed to change the hour without compromising the seconds. The 80-hour power reserve was very useful, and I can imagine this being a perfect weekday work watch for many, keeping on time even when it’s off the wrist over the weekend.

Price & Availability

Somehow, despite being released three years ago, there are still some of the 140 limited edition pieces of the Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007 out there. There’s only a few, so keep that in mind if you’re interested! You can purchase it new today for $59,000 at Exquisite Timepieces, or you can find some pre-owned examples starting from around $45,000.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I can confidently say the Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007 is a stunning watch, one that is a testament to Kintaro Hattori’s original dedication to perfection. It combines some of the world’s most luxurious materials with a unique historical narrative and a spectacularly finished cedar-like dial for the ultimate display of watchmaking excellence. The in-house Caliber 9SA5 movement is also a huge step up from previous 9S calibers, promising higher levels of precision and wear than before. 

As mentioned, wearing the SLGH007 was a delightful experience and I would seriously consider purchasing this dress watch for myself one day. It stands out on any wrist size but would best suit people with 6.75-inch wrists or above if a more compact dress watch is desired. One thing I found was that this watch is a conversation starter with watch collectors and normal folk alike. I had so many compliments on the design when I wore it, and even with my five-and-a-half-inch wrists, it was comfortable and wearable. 

My only real complaint is how it photographs. Trust me when I say the Grand Seiko SLGH007 looks even better in person. If you get a chance to see one at your local authorized retailer, please do so. It’s a must if you really want to appreciate the level of artistry involved – especially on the dial!