Grand Seiko Unleashes the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph SLGC009

When Grand Seiko dropped the original Tentagraph SLGC001 last year, it marked a major milestone—not just for the brand, but for Japanese watchmaking in general. It was Grand Seiko’s first mechanical chronograph, and it came out swinging: a Hi-Beat 36,000 vph movement, vertical clutch, column wheel, the whole nine. Now, Grand Seiko is back with not one but two new Tentagraphs, unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2025.

There’s the SLGC007, which sticks pretty close to the original formula, a lighter blue dial, black subdials, almost panda-adjacent. And then there’s this one: the SLGC009, aka the Tokyo Lion Tentagraph. And this one is different. It’s not just a dial swap or a color tweak. This is a full-on design evolution that brings the aggressive, architectural lines of the Tokyo Lion case into the Tentagraph lineup for the first time.

The Basics

Case: 43.0mm Brilliant Hard Titanium, 15.6mm thick
Crystal: Box-shaped sapphire with anti-reflective coating on inner surface
Movement: Grand Seiko Caliber 9SC5, automatic, Hi-Beat 36,000 vph, 72-hour power reserve, vertical clutch, column wheel, +5/-3 seconds per day
Water Resistance: 200 meters (20 bar)
Strap Options: Brown textured rubber strap with High-Intensity Titanium clasp
Price: $16,400 USD
Availability: Grand Seiko Boutiques starting August 2025

The Juice

Let’s start with the case. This is the first time Grand Seiko has used Brilliant Hard Titanium in their Sport Collection. It’s not just a fancy name, it’s lighter than steel, harder than regular titanium, and it looks a whole lot brighter and sharper in the metal. The claw-like lug design, already a signature of the Tokyo Lion series, is emphasized even more here, with bold hairline finishing and Zaratsu-polished bevels that scream high-end craftsmanship. It’s angular, aggressive, and distinctly Japanese in a way that feels authentic.

The dial is a showstopper. Inspired by the mane of a lion, it has a textured, almost windswept pattern that’s just weird enough to be interesting but still elegant enough to wear every day. The applied indexes are tall, sharply faceted, and filled with generous Lumibrite, giving the watch a sense of depth and legibility that the SLGC001 sometimes lacked. And those three-dimensional subdials, placed at 3, 6, and 9, are actually embedded into the main dial, which brings them closer to the hands and makes reading the chronograph that much easier. It’s a subtle but smart improvement.

The strap is worth a quick mention too. Grand Seiko developed a new rubber specifically for this watch that’s 2.7x stronger than their usual silicone. It’s got a lion’s paw motif on the back (which you’ll never see, but it’s a fun Easter egg). Paired with a slightly curved caseback and a lightweight titanium build, the SLGC009 wears better than the 43mm diameter would suggest.

Inside is the same Caliber 9SC5 that made waves last year. It’s a movement designed from the ground up to be Grand Seiko’s flagship chronograph caliber, and it delivers. The 10-beat escapement, dual barrels, and 3-day power reserve even when the chrono is running? That’s serious watchmaking. The vertical clutch keeps the chrono smooth, the column wheel feels crisp, and the three-pointed hammer means the reset is satisfyingly perfect. Every. Single. Time.

If you want a deeper dive into how the Tentagraph movement works and what makes it special, check out my review of the original SLGC001 here.

Final Thoughts

The SLGC009 doesn’t replace the original Tentagraph, it complements it. Grand Seiko could’ve just played it safe and dropped a new dial color (which they also did with the SLGC007), but this Tokyo Lion version takes the platform in a more daring direction. It’s bolder, more tactile, and arguably more fun. You still get all the performance tech of the Tentagraph movement, but now in a case design that feels less like a science project and more like a sculpture.

At $16,400 USD, this isn’t an impulse buy. But if you’re looking for a modern chronograph with serious specs, Japanese craftsmanship, and a design that doesn’t look like anything else out there. You can learn more about the Grand Seiko Tentagraph Tokyo Lion SLGC009 here.