Limited Edition Grand Seiko Avant-Garde art project with extra long strap.
Just a couple of days ago in Miami, Seiko opened its first Miami boutique in the heart of the Design District. The opening celebration was a stellar success: a Grand (Seiko) kind of night, with some of the rarest Seiko timepieces on display — including pieces from a collection that is typically not sold in the USA.
The 497-square-foot boutique marks the brand’s second USA location, with the first located on Madison Ave in New York City, which opened in 2014. The new boutique – a milestone for the brand – is situated directly opposite one of the best restaurants in the Design District (Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink) and is beautifully appointed with Seiko black and white colors, dark woods and expansive windows.
The new Seiko Miami Design District boutique is the 71st worldwide store for the brand.
This boutique marks the 71st worldwide store for Seiko. “Seiko’s tradition is innovative watchmaking, which stems from the founder’s direction that Seiko would always be one step ahead of the rest,” said Akio Naito, Chairman of Seiko Corporation of America, at the ribbon cutting ceremony. “Our passion and dedication to being a true watch manufacture will continue to be evident through this Seiko boutique and as we continue to make constant revolutionary advances in our watchmaking.”
The boutique will house the brand’s most iconic collections, including the much-sought-after Grand Seiko, the highly coveted Credor, Astron, Prospex and – as previously mentioned – a selection of Galante watches that, heretofore, were not sold outside of Asia. Additionally, the store will offer boutique exclusive editions.
Akio Naito, Chairman of Seiko Corporation of America
The opening night witnessed a grand celebration with Seiko executives including Susumu Kawanishi, President and CEO of Seiko Corporation of America, in attendance. Before the official ribbon cutting, Seiko executives performed a good luck ritual of breaking open a wooden cask of sake with wood hammers and toasting with wood cups. A Japanese whiskey tasting followed the ribbon cutting.
Seiko watches and Japanese Whiskey– the perfect pair, at the Seiko Miami boutique opening.
Among the special pieces on display at the boutique are versions of the Grand Seiko Avant-garde art project. First announced at Baselworld earlier this year, the Avant-garde art project invites two masters of con temporary Japanese photographers, Daido Moriyama and Nobuyoshi Araki, to contribute their iconic photos and from those photos four watches were made with extra long straps that feature the photography on them. Moriyam straps feature urban landscapes and animals, while Araki’s images are sensual flowers created in vibrant colors.
Also in the boutique are examples of The four new sports Grand Seiko Black Ceramic Limited Edition watches. The series fuses sports and technology and the watches all used Spring Drive calibers. There are two GMT and two chronograph versions an all feature an inner case made from titanium and outer shells and bezels of zirconia ceramic for a strong, tough timepiece that is 25 percent lighter than a steel watch and that is impervious to scratching.
Grand Seiko Black Ceramic watch
The Miami boutique adds another chapter to Seiko’s global presence, with more expansion planned. If you are traveling in the Miami area you just may want to make this a destination stop.
