Politician Joseph Victor Ejercito spotted wearing a Grand Seiko

Filipino politician Joseph Victor 'JV' Ejercito — former congressman, former senator, and current senatorial hopeful — was recently spotted wearing the Grand Seiko Limited Edition SBGH257, a timepiece that sits at the serious end of the Grand Seiko catalog and rewards those who know what they are looking at.

The SBGH257 is built around Grand Seiko's caliber 9SA5, a movement that marked a watershed moment for the brand when it debuted in 2020. It was Grand Seiko's first ground-up high-beat mechanical caliber in more than fifty years, running at 36,000 vibrations per hour and incorporating a dual impulse escapement — a proprietary design that reduces friction and improves efficiency compared to a conventional Swiss lever escapement. Power reserve sits at a generous 80 hours. The movement is finished to the exacting standards Grand Seiko collectors expect: beveled bridges, Zaratsu-polished surfaces, and a level of hand-finishing that routinely draws comparisons to independent Swiss ateliers.

The case itself is executed in stainless steel with Grand Seiko's characteristic hard-edge Zaratsu polishing, producing mirror surfaces so flat they appear almost unreal in person. The dial of the SBGH257 draws on the Shizukuishi landscape of Iwate Prefecture — the spiritual home of Grand Seiko's mechanical watchmaking — rendered with a textured, snowflake-like quality that shifts under different lighting conditions. This is precisely the kind of detail that separates Grand Seiko's limited editions from mere production variants.

Collector context matters here. The 9SA5-based references have rapidly become the most sought-after pieces in Grand Seiko's modern lineup, appreciated by a community that values movement innovation and finishing quality above marketing narrative. The SBGH257 sits firmly in that tier.

Ejercito's choice is notable in the Philippine political landscape, where luxury watch choices attract significant public scrutiny. At a grey-market valuation of approximately 460,000 Philippine pesos — roughly $8,000 USD at current exchange — the SBGH257 is a considered acquisition rather than an ostentatious one. It speaks to a collector who has done his research.