Grand Seiko is the darling of contemporary watch collectors today, and taking even a cursory glance at the design specs — or better yet — an example in the metal, it’s easy to see why.

Take this special Spring Drive Kira-Zuri Limited Edition, for example: It was one of the first limited editions for the U.S. market, released in 2018. Even at first glance, it’s easy to appreciate the artisanal talent that went into the design and manufacturing process of the dial alone. Depending on the angle, the color and texture of the light blue — which is derived from an ancient Japanese art called Kira-Zuri — will look completely different. It's truly a work of art steeped in Japanese tradition.

On the reverse side, you can observe the beautiful in-house Spring Drive Calibre 9R15 movement through the sapphire caseback. According to Grand Seiko, the accuracy standards for this calibre, which has a power reserve of 72 hours, are quite high, with variations of only 1 second per day! 

The watch is in excellent condition showing only light wear throughout, and is offered with its white paper sleeve, inner and outer boxes, books, serialized hangtag, and warranty book dated to 2019. It also comes with two bracelets: a stainless steel multi-link with a signed push-button deployant clasp, plus a brown alligator leather strap.

A limited and important piece, this Grand Seiko demonstrates perfectly what's so appealing about Japanese craftsmanship — attention to detail and refinement.