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Entrepreneur Alessandro Squarzi spotted wearing Grand Seiko

Alessandro Squarzi, the Bolognese entrepreneur and Creative Director behind cult workwear brand Fortela, was recently spotted wearing the Grand Seiko GMT 'Shōsho' in stainless steel, reference SBGJ249 — a choice that says as much about his aesthetic sensibility as it does about his knowledge of horology.

The SBGJ249 belongs to Grand Seiko's ongoing dialogue between watchmaking and the Japanese natural calendar. Its dial takes its name from Shōsho, the eleventh of the 24 sekki — the traditional micro-seasons that divide the Japanese year into finely observed natural phases. Shōsho falls in late July and early August, the height of summer, when Japan's lakes and ponds shimmer with heat. Grand Seiko's artisans at the Shizukuishi Watch Studio translate this moment into a textured, multi-layered dial surface that captures the gentle motion of water with extraordinary depth. The blue-green gradation is achieved through a painstaking hand-finishing process entirely unique to the brand.

Beneath the dial, the SBGJ249 runs on Caliber 9SA5, Grand Seiko's flagship high-beat movement introduced in 2020. Beating at 36,000 vph, it incorporates a dual-impulse escapement — a proprietary design that reduces friction and improves energy efficiency — along with a free-sprung balance and a 80-hour power reserve. The GMT function adds a second time zone via a dedicated fourth hand, making this a genuinely practical traveller's watch. The 40.5mm stainless steel case is finished with Grand Seiko's signature blend of Zaratsu-polished and brushed surfaces.

For collectors, the SBGJ249 represents the sweet spot in Grand Seiko's lineup: a technically complex movement housed in a case whose dial artistry is simply without peer at the price point. The Shōsho edition has drawn consistent attention since its release for offering an almost painterly quality rarely found outside of much more expensive independent watchmaking.

Squarzi's affinity for considered, craft-driven objects is well documented — Fortela's entire identity is built on reverence for workwear heritage and material quality. A Grand Seiko GMT with a hand-finished seasonal dial is, in that context, a perfectly coherent choice. The SBGJ249 retails at approximately $7,500 and commands a modest premium on the grey market, where strong demand for Grand Seiko's artistic-dial references has kept values firm.