This Is the Best Chronograph to Ever Say ‘Seiko’ on the Dial

The Grand Seiko Tentagraph, in only its second appearance, gets a ‘panda’ update to its beautiful Iwate dial.

the case, bezel, dial and crown of a Grand Seiko chronograph

Published April 2, 2025

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First introduced in 2023, this is the second iteration of the Evolution 9 Tentagraph
It runs on Grand Seiko’s caliber 9SC5 Mechanical Hi-Beat Chronograph, which oscillates at 10 beats per second
With a 72-hour power reserve, it is the longest-running 10+ bmp mechanical chronograph movement ever designed

The Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Tentagraph is the most impressive chronograph in the Seiko family and arguably outperforms stopwatch complications from every other watch brand.

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a Grand Seiko chronograph in the snow — Japan’s Mt. Iwata in winter. inspired the Evolution 9 Tentagraph SLGC007 dial.

Moreover, the elite caliber 9SC5 Hi-Beat 36000 movement sits under Grand Seiko’s famed Iwata dial texture with a snowy-blue hue and is contained by a High-Intensity Titanium case finished with the brand’s Zaratsu polish.

The snow of Mt. Iwata

In Grand Seiko’s tradition of emulating the natural landscapes of Japan, the dial of the first Evolution 9 Tentagraph, reference SLGC001, was inspired by Mt. Iwata. Its rich blue texture resembled the mountain’s rocky surface at a great distance.

the dial of a Grand Seiko chronograph — The Evolution 9 Tentagraph SLGC007 dial is a glistening snowy blue.

The new reference SLGC007 elaborates on the theme with a snowy-blue dial inspired by Mt. Iwata in winter. It glistens in the light like iced-over snow collected on the mountain’s peak.

All three sub-dials are a contrasting black with a very fine snailing texture, creating a much-adored “panda” chronograph dial. The bi-directional bezel is the same black ceramic with a white engraved tachymeter as the SLCG001.

a Grand Seiko chronograph — The Evolution 9 Tentagraph has a ceramic bezel marked with a tachymeter.

The case Eolution 9 Tentagraph uses Grand Seiko’s proprietary High-Intensity Titanium for its case, bracelet, crown, and pushers. It has an exhibition case back with sapphire crystal in a High-Intensity titanium frame.

A Hi-Beat chronograph

The Evolution 9 Tentagraph is powered by Grand Seiko’s caliber 9SC5, a version of the brand’s famed Hi-Beat 36000 movement family with a chronograph complication. With 10 beats per second, it is more accurate than the outer track, marked with 1/5-second intervals, can measure.

a Grand Seiko chronograph with a mountain background — The caliber 9SC5 Hi-Beat 36000 mechanical chronograph movement beats 10 times per second.

The subdials display the running seconds at three o’clock, while a 30-minute register is at nine o’clock, and a 12-hour register is at nine o’clock. A small date window is tucked between four o’clock and five o’clock.

Despite the simplicity of the applied baton hour markers and minimalist dash sub-dials, the incredible frequency of the movement makes this one of the most accurate chronographs ever designed.

Grand Seiko’s caliber 9SC5 has a 72-hour power reserve when fully charged, which outperforms every other mechanical chronograph on the market.

As is often the case with Grand Seiko, the new Evolution 9 Tentegraph sticks to a classic dial and case design, executed to the highest possible precision with materials and finishing. The Japanese horological masters let the mechanical precision of the movement speak for itself.