One of the many things about Grand Seiko watches that sets them apart from other brands is their nature-inspired dials. Fans of the brand refer to models based on their dials — Snowflake, Mt. Iwate, etc. — and every Grand Seiko stan has their favorite.
One of the most popular is the White Birch. Debuting as the SLGH005 back in 2021, the White Birch quickly became one of Grand Seiko’s flagship models, drawing comparisons to the Snowflake for its textured, silver, wintry dial inspired by the birch tree forests outside the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi in Japan’s Hiraniwa Plateau in Iwate Prefecture.
Today, Grand Seiko adds a new birch dial to its lineup with the “Moonlit Birch,” and its dark-blue color and more compact case in stainless steel arguably make it even more versatile than the original.
Night mode
The dial of the Moonlit Birch, ref. SLGW007, is inspired by the “bark of a white birch tree illuminated by the moon.” The birch bark pattern here is horizontal rather than vertical on the original White Birch, which makes the watch a bit more subdued in my opinion. We previously saw this style of birch bark pattern last year on the white-dialed SLGW003.
The watch maintains the Evolution 9 case and dial style of the White Birch, Grand Seiko’s newest design language, which is rooted in bolder, more contemporary aesthetics. However, it updates the case significantly. For one, the case is now in stainless steel rather than titanium, giving the watch more heft, more sheen and a more traditional look.