In living colour: Grand Seiko and Bell & Ross paint a different picture

Grand Seiko

FOR a brand that has no shortage of limited editions, Grand Seiko has been unusually restrained with its latest one. Just 30 examples of the new SBGA525 “Sea of Clouds in Gold” will be made, making it one of the smallest production runs the Japanese watchmaker has released in recent years. That’s a remarkably low number not only for Grand Seiko but for any limited release in general.

Created exclusively for the Grand Seiko Salon at Watches of Switzerland in Jewel Changi, the SBGA525 draws inspiration from the fleeting moment when the first rays of sunlight spill across a sea of clouds at dawn.

That scene is translated into a finely textured golden dial, its warm tones contrasted by a tempered blue seconds hand, matching blue power reserve indicator and blue Grand Seiko logo. Together, they recreate the interplay of sunlight and shadow that reflects the brand’s “Nature of Time” philosophy.

The SBGA525 is housed in the familiar 62GS case, a modern take on Grand Seiko’s first automatic watch from 1967. Its bezel-free construction gives the dial plenty of room to breathe and lets light fall across the textured surface from different angles.

Powering the watch is the ever-reliable Spring Drive Calibre 9R65, with its signature gliding seconds hand, 72-hour power reserve and accuracy of ±15 seconds a month.

Flip the watch over and the movement can be admired through the sapphire caseback, complete with a special Watches of Switzerland engraving.

Each watch is individually numbered, making this not just another limited edition but a true collector’s piece.

Bell & Ross

Green has become something of a crowd favourite in watchmaking for many years now, but Bell & Ross may have just found a way to make it feel fresh again.

Instead of another bright emerald or forest green dial, the new BR-05 GMT Green Steel opts for a softer sage green that gives the watch a noticeably more understated look.

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It is a good fit for the BR-05, Bell & Ross’ urban sports watch that has steadily carved out its own identity since its launch in 2019.

While the collection retains the brand’s signature “circle within a square” design borrowed from aircraft cockpit instruments, the integrated bracelet and slimmer case give it a more refined, everyday feel than its aviation-focused siblings.

The dial is where most of the work has gone. Bell & Ross uses a three-step process of sunray brushing, coloured varnish and a final clear lacquer to create a finish that shifts between green and silver depending on how the light hits it.

The result is subtle rather than flashy, and arguably one of the brand’s more elegant uses of colour in recent years.

Housed in a 41 mm steel case and powered by the automatic BR-CAL.325-1 movement with a 54-hour power reserve, the watch, as its name suggests, is a GMT timepiece.

An independently adjustable arrow-tipped hand displays a second time zone against a two-tone 24-hour chapter ring. It’s a practical complication for frequent travellers and one that feels perfectly at home in the BR-05’s city-first personality.