Grand Seiko is betting big on the American market. Last week, on the occasion of its actual 60th birthday (December 18), the prestige Japanese watchmaker announced the debut of the USA GS9 Club, an online community platform and e-commerce site for U.S.-based clients.
This week, the brand continued the festivities with the introduction of a U.S. limited edition sport watch, the Spring Drive GMT “Eagle” USA Limited Edition SBGE263, available next month at Grand Seiko Boutiques and at the GS9 Club Shop, which is accessible by members and non-members alike.
Founded in Japan in 2015, the GS9 Club is now open to American watch enthusiasts who have purchased a Grand Seiko from a brand boutique or authorized dealer since March 23, 2017. The platform is designed to bring together lovers of the brand, and to impart exclusive information about Grand Seiko’s timepieces, cutting-edge technology and heritage.
Members are entitled to special gifts, privileged access to special events (all virtual for the time being) and premium content. “Right now, more than ever, it is important to continue to engage with our most loyal and dedicated customers,” Grand Seiko Corporation of America president Brice Le Troadec said in a statement, “and provide them with a platform to discover the brand in a new way and fully immerse themselves into the Grand Seiko family.”
To sweeten the deal, members will be granted special access to the new limited edition, a 40.5 mm stainless steel model that pays homage to the majestic eagle: The rich brown color of the dial and ceramic bezel are meant to evoke the bird’s feathers, the pattern on the dial is a nod to its soaring grandeur, and the gold arrow of the GMT hand is a sly reference to its powerful beak.
Equipped with Caliber 9R66 (incidentally, the 9 in the GS9 Club name refers to the numeral that appears in the name of so many of the brand’s calibers), the new Eagle USA limited edition is a GMT model well-suited to travelers (even the armchair variety).
Available in a limited edition of 110 pieces, the model retails for $6,700.
