Grand Seiko Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of Spring Drive And 65th Anniversary Of Godzilla

By Paige Mastrandea October 2, 2019

Aldis Hodge, Rusty Rowlands, Joe Kirk and Seth Semilof

Photo Credit: Randy Shropshire/Getty Images

Luxury Japanese watchmaker Grand Seiko celebrated two milestone anniversaries: the 20th Anniversary of the Spring Drive and the 65th Anniversary of the iconic Godzilla timepiece, in the form of one special limited-edition timepiece launch.

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The brand celebrated by paying homage to its Japanese heritage with an intimate omakase collectors dinner at Château Marmont’s Château Hanare restaurant. Here, guests were invited to indulge in a multi-course omakase feast paired with Japanese sake, all the while learning about Grand Seiko’s latest watch launch. They also got to get a VIP preview of the timepiece, as well as others in the bold collection. Guests enjoyed further elements of Japanese culture, including music from a live Koto player.

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Notable attendees included actor Aldis Hodge, actor and producer Spencer Stone, Grand Seiko President of America Brice Le Troadec, President of Westime Greg Simonian and Haute Living co-founder Seth Semilof, amongst others.

Seth Semilof, Greg Simonian and Brice Le Troadec

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The original Godzilla first made its debut in the Godzilla film in 1954, in which the creature appears in Ginza—the birthplace of Seiko. Godzilla destroyed the famous clock tower, which rises above the Wako store, a retail establishment of Seiko’s that first opened in 1952. Both the timepiece and the creature share properties of power and force that have helped drive the new sport collection.

Photo Credit: Randy Shropshire/Getty Images

Highlights of the Godzilla timepiece include a Spring Drive Caliber 9R15 with high shock and temperature resistance; high definition dual-curved sapphire crystal bezel with anti-reflective coating; and of course, the focal feature, a see-through case stamped with the iconic scene where Godzilla destroys the clock tower. The striking design pays homage to the Grand Seiko lion, illustrated by Shinki Higuchi, co-director and special effects director of the movie, Shin Godzilla (2016).