Couples who confirm their wedding with The Chatrium during the event can choose from such benefits as a one-hour after party room rental charge for 50 persons inclusive of soft drinks and mixers, Chatrium Hotel Riverside Bangkok Privilege Card for 1 year, cocktail or buffet style food stall (100 portions), Chinese set table for 10 persons with a selected set menu, complimentary champagne tower with a bottle of sparkling wine, a 30-litre barrel of house draught beer and much more. Discounts on food and beverages are also being offered. Packages are priced from Bt200,000 to Bt500,000 and the privileges are tied to the cost of the package.

“Wedding Fair 2017” is being held at the QSNCC from June 8 to 11 and will be open on all four days from 11am to 9pm.”

AN INCREASING number of young people from Japan’s cities are migrating to provincial areas to live in the same town as their grandparents.

The “mago-turn” trend – mago means “grandchild” – is similar to the “U-turn”, when city people return to their hometowns and the “I-turn”, when people migrate to different rural areas from where they grew up.

For young people who want to be closer to nature but feel uneasy about living in an unfamiliar place, moving to where their grandparents live can be an attractive option, since it’s easier to assimilate into the community.

Taro Nakazawa, 24, was born and raised in Chigasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, and moved to Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, in April. He works with a local “community revitalisation corps” promoting tourism in the city.

Nakazawa’s parents hail from Hokuto and he often visited his grandparents when he was growing up. He’s been drawn to the area’s magnificent mountains and highlands since childhood.

Taro Nakazawa lives with his grandparents, Kenichi and Kesae, in Hokuto./Yomiuri Shimbun

Although Nakazawa had hoped to live in the area someday, he joined a construction firm in Kanagawa after graduating from university.

But the death of his maternal grandfather last August prompted him to make the move sooner. “I thought it would be better to move while my [paternal] grandparents are still healthy,” he says.

His income is lower than what he earned in Kanagawa, but “I don’t have to ride a packed train. I work less overtime. I feel like my life has become richer.”

Nakazawa lives with his paternal grandfather, Kenichi, 89. “I enjoy having him here because he makes our home lively.” Grandmother Kesae, 84, says he helps with the heavy work.

Naoko Sakaguchi, 36, a coffee-shop owner in Asahi, Toyama Prefecture, moved from Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward in 2007 to take care of her grandparents. Her shop, called Hygge, is housed in an old renovated residential building.

“At first I was worried about whether I could be comfortable living here,” she says. “But people in the neighbourhood were very kind – they welcomed me as the granddaughter of Mr and Mrs Sakaguchi’.”

Naoko Sakaguchi, right, chats with a customer at her coffee shop in Asahi, where she moved to take care of her grandparents./Yomiuri Shimbun

With the support of her relatives living nearby and new friends, Sakaguchi opened her coffee shop in 2015, fulfilling a long-held dream.

During the period of high economic growth in Japan, young people moved to urban areas to seek jobs. Their children are doing the opposite. The Tokyo-based non-profit Furusato Kaiki Shien Centre (Hometown Relocation Support Centre) advises people who are considering relocating to rural areas. Deputy executive director Kazuo Kasami refers to the phenomenon as “mago-turn”.

After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the organisation began receiving more requests from younger people. Kasami realised there were quite a few planning to live in the same towns as their grandparents.

“I thought this was a new style of migration, different from U-turn or I-turn,” he says.

There are no national data on mago-turn, but a local survey of people who moved to Suo-Oshima in Yamaguchi in fiscal 2015 found that nine people – 8 per cent of the 116 respondents – said they moved there because of their grandparents.

Kasami says young urban people don’t consider rural areas inconvenient and the towns often hold fond memories for them, such as family visits and nature excursions.

Some remain hesitant to give up city life because of job, housing or relationship concerns.

“With mago-turn, people are likely to have fewer concerns about such issues,” says Meiji University Professor Tokumi Odagiri, an expert in rural policy who’s familiar with issues relating to provincial flight.”

Taking advantage of family connections makes it easier for people to find work or a place to live. If the grandparents own agricultural land that’s been passed down for generations, farming could be an option for their grandchildren.

“If mago-turn results in more young people moving to rural areas, the areas will be rejuvenated and the wave could attract other young people without family ties to the region,” says Odagiri.

“Mago-turn could become a major pillar of future migration policy.”

Facing declining populations, some local governments have introduced measures to support people who migrate to the areas where their grandparents live, aiming to attract more young people.

In April 2016, the government of Bungotakada in Oita Prefecture began offering 100,000 yen to people moving there if their grandparents lived in the city.

Other governments offer academic scholarships to households with children and subsidise events that will help people to settle in their hometowns.

However, migrating to provincial areas is never easy.

“Migration, including mago-turn, requires meticulous preparation,” stresses Koichi Hayashi of Iju Koryu Joho Garden (Migration, Exchange and Information Garden), which offers guidance for people considering a move.

Hayashi tells people who are thinking about leaving the city to write down the reasons they’d like to live in the countryside and what kind of lifestyle they hope to have.

He urges them to visit their prospective destinations several times and speak with the residents before deciding. “It’s a good idea to visit when the local weather conditions are at their worst, like when it’s extremely cold or hot.”

UNDER a dual onslaught of global warming and localised, urban heating, some of the world’s cities may be as much as eight degrees Celsius warmer by 2100, researchers warned this week.

Such a temperature spike can have dire consequences for the health of city-dwellers, robbing companies and industries of able workers, and put pressure on already strained natural resources such as water.

The projection is based on the worst-case-scenario assumption that emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases continue to rise throughout the 21st century.

The top quarter of most populated cities, in this scenario, could see the mercury rise 7C or more by century’s end, said a study in the journal Nature Climate Change.

For some, nearly 5C of the total would be attributed to average global warming.

The rest would be due to the so-called Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, which occurs when cooling parks, dams and lakes are replaced by heat-conducting concrete and asphalt – making cities warmer than their surrounds, the researcher said.

“The top five per cent of cities per population could see increases in temperatures of about 8C and larger,” said study co-author Francisco Estrada of the Institute for Environmental Studies in the Netherlands.

Estrada and a team used different projections of average planetary warming, combined with the UHI effect and potential harms, to estimate the future costs of warming on cities.

The median city, right in the middle of the range, stands to lose between 1.4 and 1.7 per cent of GDP per year by 2050 and between 2.3 and 5.6 per cent by 2100, they concluded.

“For the worst-off city, losses could reach up to 10.9 per cent of GDP by 2100,” wrote the team.

UHI “significantly” increases city temperatures and economic losses from global warming, they added.

This meant that local actions to reduce UHI – such as planting more trees or cooling roofs and pavements, can make a big difference in limiting warming and minimising costs.

Cities cover only about one per cent of earth’s surface but produce about 80 per cent |of gross world product |and account for around |78 per cent of energy consumed worldwide, said the researchers.

They produce more than 60 per cent of global car-|bon dioxide emissions from burning coal, oil and gas for fuel.

The world’s nations agreed in Paris in 2015 to the goal |of limiting average global warming to two degrees Celsius over pre-Industrial revolution levels by curbing greenhouse gas levels in Earth’s atmosphere.

For the latest study, researchers used data from the world’s 1,692 largest |cities for the period 1950 to 2015.

BANGKOK LIFESTYLE centre Betrend is welcoming the new school semester by offering the latest in stationery, gadgets, office supplies and decorative items in which modern design meets smart functionality.

With the concept “School Journal”, there are four categories of products aligned with different characteristics that youngsters share.

The “Dreamer Inspire” line is sure to make the first day of school a creative one with its colourful stationery. There are Caran D’Ache 849 Paul Smith pens, Happy Berry bags with graphics and wooden scotch-tape dispensers.

Caran D’Ache 849 Paul Smith pen, Bt1,640

The “Gangster Cool Stuff” includes Lamy Al-Star Pacific special-edition pens, Sheaffer Ferrai Satin pens and Lab C Pocket Sleeve bags.

The “Pioneer Leader” gear shows leadership abilities with handy and functional Sharpie highlighter pens and an Orca filing box.

The “Craft & Creative” line bolsters the imagination with art supplies like Touch medium-size markers with broad and fine tips, Boston paper strings, Croco decorative items, Moomim pens, rulers and notebooks.

They’re all available through June at the Betrend stores at The Mall, Emporium, Siam Paragon and Bluport.

This has been designated the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations, and travel website Booking.com has just issued its annual Sustainable Travel Report.

Among the findings, 30 per cent of global travellers said one of their chief motives for choosing eco-friendly accommodations was their use of locally produced and organic food.

With that in mind, Booking.com turned to its internal data to see which destinations, and which accommodations in those destinations, stand out when it comes to organic food.

A survey was conducted in February and March of 11,069 people in 11 travel markets, all at least 18 years old and who had travelled at least once in 2016 and were planning at least one trip for 2017.

Once the highest-rated destinations were found, the highest-rated accommodations on Booking.com in those destinations were compiled. The final accommodation choice for each destination was picked from these compilations based on its environmentally friendly credentials.

The following list of top global destinations for “organic food”, combined with a mix of environmentally friendly accommodations, emerged.

STOCKHOLM

As well as being the world’s design powerhouse, Stockholm is a contender for Scandinavia’s friendliest citizens. You’ll be welcomed with open arms in the Swedish capital, where medieval alleys, majestic parks and an awe-inspiring Royal Palace will leave you eager to explore.

Where to stay: Hotel Skeppsholmen

Just a three-minute walk from the beach, this eco-friendly hotel is set in a charming 1960s building on a peaceful island, with rooms featuring traditional wooden shutters on the windows. The restaurant serves classic Swedish dishes on a terrace that provides great waterfront views.

MONTEZILLON

Located in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Montezillon is a striking destination to enjoy views from powerful mountains, hikes through transcendent forests and refreshing swims in pristine lakes.

Where to stay: EcoHotel L’Aubier

In a quiet location with panoramic views of Lake Neuchtel and the Alps, the hotel has a restaurant serving organic cuisine made with ingredients from its own “bio-dynamic” farm. Guests can also enjoy herbal teas, hand-made syrups and organic wines.

UBUD

Ubud, Indonesia, is a deeply spiritual place. At every turn, the scent of incense drifts on the air and travellers radiate inner peace. Yet minutes away, the paths lead into lush jungle, rice paddies, picturesque hanging gardens and ancient temple complexes.

Where to stay: Rumah Dadong

Boasting an outdoor pool and surrounded by lush rice fields, the hotel offers a great getaway. For guests interested in exploring the area, Ubud Monkey Forest is a 15-minute drive away, while great organic restaurants are only five minutes away.

COPENHAGEN

The Danish capital is a city of tip-top design, plentiful parkland and people with a passion for “hygge” (cosiness). It’s also eco-friendly, child-friendly and once you get chatting to the locals, just plain friendly. From classy Frederiksberg to funky Christiania, this city ticks all the boxes.

Where to stay: Stay Apartment Copenhagen

Housed in a converted industrial building from the mid-1900s, this spot features minimalist Scandinavian design. The cafe is a popular meeting place for a glass of wine or cold beer in the evening. Each morning an organic breakfast buffet is served.

BERLIN

Berlin doesn’t claim to be Europe’s most beautiful capital, but it represents Europe’s past – and its future. It’s hard to believe that barely a generation has passed since Berliners tore down the Wall, and since then, the city has resonated with open-mindedness.

Where to stay: Gorki Apartments

Gorki Apartments are centrally located in Berlin’s trendy Mitte district, surrounded by numerous bars, organic cafes, galleries and shops. It’s housed in an attractive 19th-century building near Rosenthaler Platz. Guests can relax in the elegantly furnished apartments, which consist of individually furnished apartments and two spacious penthouses.

You have to book for at least two nights (anytime through December 22), but the rate includes airport transfers, breakfast for two, dinner for two at the restaurant Edgewater and a 20-per-cent discount on all food, beverages and spa treatments.

With its private plunge-pool villas, the resort is ideal for couples. It sits on secluded Hanuman Bay on the island’s northeastern shore, 10 minutes from the airport but away from flight paths.

The Blue Fire Grill, Edgewater and the swim-up Wet Bar offer the best informal holiday dining and the Navasana Spa is designed for pure relaxation.

“With our recent extensive refurbishment, including our popular swim-up wet bar and chill-out zone overlooking the beach, Outrigger is the perfect retreat for couples in hip Koh Samui,” says general manager Marc Landgraf.

There’s a free daily shuttle-bus service to Chaweng Beach, the island’s main entertainment, dining and shopping hub, and to Fisherman’s Village on Bophut Beach, with its market, bars and restaurants.

Outrigger guests can also sign up for lessons in conversational Thai or learn to paint batik, carve fruit and etch leather.

Plan a stay at (77) 914 700 or reservation.kohsamui@outrigger.co.th.

The latest version of the popular JOOX Music app has a Live feature added so you can enjoy live-streamed concerts.

JOOX is a free music-streaming application for both Android and iOS devices. It provides access to millions of tracks for both listening and downloading.

The app also has the JOOX Radio features, with which you can tune in to more than 50 online radio stations.

You can create your playlists of favourite songs to share for others to enjoy. There are also playlists recommended by JOOX staff members.

On the free version of JOOX, several nice features are disabled. You need to buy a VIP account to get all of the features, such as access to a huge archive of albums and high-quality streaming and the ability to download tracks for offline listening.

JOOX Version 3.7.0 has several new features. The best is Live Section, offering live streaming from concerts. And there’s an option for changing the resolution of the live broadcasts.

While I was testing it over the weekend, JOOX was streaming a Jameson on the Rock concert. I could adjust the video resolution among 360p, 480p and 720p. I hooked up to a Huawei Mate 8 phone and selected 720p. The streaming was smooth and the sound quality good.

You can play the video in fullscreen mode while the phone is horizontal or keep a chat box underneath to see what folks are saying. While I was watching the show, the band racked up more than 27,000 likes from JOOX users alone.

The updated version has a nice black theme and also makes it easier to add songs, create playlists and reorder songs in the playlist to your liking.

JOOX – the name derives from “juke box” – is developed and operated by Tencent Holdings and currently has more than five million songs from 200 labels.

JOOX is free, but VIP access costs Bt69 per week, Bt129 per month and Bt1,099 per a year.

KEY FACTS

– What’s needed: Android or iOS device

– Prices: Bt69 per week, Bt129 per month, Bt349 per three months, Bt639 per six months and Bt1,099 per 12 months.

– Music quality: Hifi sound sytem, Flac, bitrate at 900 to 1411kbps.

Apple Music is a single, intuitive app and service that combines several ways to enjoy music – all in one place. You can access the app via several tools, including your iPhone, iPod, iPad as well as an Android smartphone or a PC or a Mac computer.

More than 20 million paying subscribers are already enjoying handpicked playlists based on the music they love as well as discovering new artists every day. And Thai artists and students are also using the app to release their musical masterpieces.

I tried the Apple Music app on a brand new 9.7-inch iPad and a Huawei Mate 8 smartphone and was delighted to be able to listen to sounds that are hard to find elsewhere. Best of all, the music can be enjoyed without having to be downloaded or bought.

When I tried it on the Mate 8, the Apple Music app tried to get to know my taste of music by having me tap on music genres I like and then my favourite bands, then compiled a special playlist just for me.

The app has recently been recently redesigned for easier exploration, It’s divided into four main sections – Library, For You, Browse and Radio.

The Library provides access to all music in your own Apple Music library, old and new, as well as the songs and albums you have collected, and the playlists you have created. Every song, album, and playlist you’ve ever added to your iTunes library is in your Apple Music library – whether it was purchased from the iTunes Store, imported from a CD, or downloaded from a music blog.

And when you enter the Library section, you can browse via subsections of Playlists, Artists, Albums and Songs. There is also a subsection called Recently Added, where you will find the music you have purchased via iTunes store.

You can download music for listening offline too by going to the Download music subsection in Library.

The For You section is where you will find albums and playlists curated by Apple Music’s team of experts to match your musical tastes. These special playlists are updated daily. Here, you will also see what you have been playing recently as well as posts from your favourite artists.

For example, I told Apple Music app that my preferred genres are rock, blues and alternative and named AC/DC, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Eric Clapton as my favourite artists. The app recommended several playlists, including Classical Rocks, Dark Sky (rock tracks for relaxation), Best of ‘70s Hard Rock, Vol 2, and Best of British Blues.

Under the New Releases subsection, I found Blondie’s “Pollinator” album and “50 Years Ago” by Genesis.

When I tried the app later, it suggested several albums including “Led Zeppelin (Remastered)”, “The Best of Stevie Ray Vaughan”, and “Back in Black” of AC/DC.

But my vote goes to the Browse section as the most entertaining. It’s your ticket to the best of the Apple Music service. Its intuitive layout lets you quickly choose new releases, chart-toppers or playlists that match your mood and activity.

Here you can browse music by subsections of New Music, Playlists, Music Videos, Top Charts and Genres.

Genres indulged me in a nostalgic trip back to the past with old songs rarely heard on the radio. The genres include classical, dance/electronic, hip-hop/rap, J-Pop, K-Pop, R&B, and Thai music.

The latter category include “Black” by Hugo and “The Lion” by Big Ass as well as other playlists, including The A-List: Thai Music and Thai Pop Replay.

When I chose Rock genres, I found several interesting playlists, including The A-List Hard Rock, the A-List Metal, Classic Rock Workout, Essential Classic Rock, and Best of Classic Prog Rock.

The A-Lists have been compiled by Apple Music editors. They include the best new music in each genre and are updated frequently.

And when I chose the Best of Classic Prog Rock, the tracks I found included “Roundabout” by Yes, “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull, “Lucky Man” by Emerson, Lake and Palmer and “Time (Edit)” by Pink Floyd.

The Radio section lets you tune in to Beats 1, which is an innovative radio station hosted by the world’s best artists and DJs. Other radio stations include Charting Now, Classical, Chill, Love Song, K-Pop, and Pop Workout. You can also browse radio station by music genres.

Apart from browsing the features by sections, you can also quickly search by typing in your favourite artists’ names.

During the test, I enjoyed using the search feature to search for favourite artists, including Roger Waters, Peter Gabriel and Pink Floyd was delighted to find huge collections of their music. For example, there are several albums by Roger Waters, including his latest “Is This the Life We Really Want”.

The app offers good music quality too. I listened to the songs, using Sony’s MDR1ABT high-resolution headphones and I really enjoyed them.

You can also have Apple Music find the lyrics to a song. Just swipe up while a track plays and you’ll see them. Feel free to sing — or shout, rap, belt, croon, or whisper — along.

Moreover, if you use a Mac OS or iOS device to use Apple Music service, you can have Siri as your personal DJ. Siri can take your music request with voice commands. The commands include “What’s the top song right now?”, “Play the live version of this song”, “When was this released?” and “Play something that’s just for me.”

Key facts:

– What you need: iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple TV, Android device or PC with Internet connection

– Trial period: 3 months free

– Prices: Bt69 per month for students, Bt129 per month for individual, Bt199 for family membership

A recent trip to China’s Henan province where I was able to get up close and cosy with Lord Bao, the generals of the Yang family and the Shaolin Temple, ends with a visit to Yuntai Mountain Global Geopark in Jiaozuo. Named a geopark by Unesco in 2004, it is classified as a national 5A grade tourist attraction by the China National Tourism Administration.

Everything about Yuntai is big, even the entrance. We navigate our way through the electronic admission ticket system and board one of the sightseeing buses laid on for visitors.

Covered with verdant virgin forest, the geopark is famous for its mountain and water scenery. It’s divided into five unique scenic areas, all of them tourist attractions, namely the hanging springs and waterfalls of the Yuntaishan area, the gorges and mountain streams of the Qinglongxia area, the towering rock walls of the Fenglinxia area, the crystal clear waters of the Qingtianhe River, and the Dragon Crest Ridge of the Shennongshan Mountain.

A year-round destination, the scenery varies with the seasons. In spring, the mountain is decorated by wild flowers and green grass. In summer, the virgin forests and beautiful waterfalls make it an excellent resort. In autumn, leaves turn fiery red and the mountain looks like a colourful coat. In winter, snow turns the mountain into a white world of icy waterfalls, ice pillars and evergreen plants covered with snow.

“If you want to see all the hotspots, you need to stay for 3 or 4 days. You will be well catered for by the hotels and restaurants. As we have limited time, we will go the Red Stone Gorge, which features a waterfall and a lake. First we have to go down to the gorge and cross a stone bridge then walk along the lake until we arrive at the waterfall,” says our Thai-speaking Chinese guide.

The sightseeing bus drops us and other tourists at Hongshi Valley and we walk up to an inscribed stone before passing through the second entrance where we stop, stunned by the panorama unfolding in front of us. We have a full day to enjoy this first stop, which is the centrepiece of the geopark. The literature tells us that Red Stone is a linear gorge formed by red quartz sandstone deposited under the geology structure about 1.4 billion years ago. The strong uplift of a neotectonic movement and deep incisions made by water erosion gave rise to a sandstone cliff more than 50 metres high and a gorge that’s more than 1,500 metres long, 100 metres deep but only tens of metres wide.

We walk slowly down on the road before following a narrow ledge on the edge of the mountains. Crickets chirp loudly at the interruption of their morning nap and we stop occasionally to read the signs informing us about various interesting spots.

The first of these dwells on the red quartz sandstone that forms Red Stone Gorge. The redness, it reads, is the result of the oxidation of the element iron that occurs inside the rocks. An uneven distribution of the element iron among the rocks has led to a diversity in shades and the formation of beautiful patterns.

Another sign points us to the Happy Channel, which was built 17 years ago to solve the drinking and irrigation problems on Yuntai Mountain and its surrounding area. The Red Danxia cliff is one of the most imposing landscapes on Yuntai Mountain, formed some 1.2 billion years ago in purplish red quartz sandstone. Due to the faulting and weathering during the formation of Taihang Mountain, the rocks surfaced into the gorge and cliff, rather as if nature had skilfully carved a sunroof on Yuntai Mountain.

A small pathway on the edge of the mountains has been carefully constructed to allow visitors to walk through the inside and the outside of the mountain while bridges allows them to pass from one mountain to another. There’s water everywhere and it’s clear and green.

“China has four Great Beauties,” says the guide. “Xi Shi was said to be so entrancingly beautiful that fish would forget how to swim and sink below the surface upon seeing her reflection in the water. Wang Zhaojun was said to be so beautiful that her appearance would entice birds in flight to fall from the sky. Diaochan was said to be so luminously lovely that the moon itself would shy away in embarrassment when compared to her face. Unlike the other Beauties, there is no evidence she actually existed historically. Yang Guifei was said to have a face that made all peony flowers wither.”

As has inevitably been the case during our tip, the tourist attraction is swimming with Chinese tourists. Most of them don’t even pay lip service to the courtesies of sightseeing so I am both surprised and delighted when an old Chinese woman, a local tourist taking her friends’ picture along a narrow path, smiles and thanks me for stopping to let her take the picture in peace. We carry on walking and soon reach Shoulong Waterfall, another awe-inspiring sight with stones and towering cliffs facing each other as torrents scour a gully down the cliffs.

It’s time for us to catch the sightseeing bus again for our return journey. It’s been a wonderful experience and I’m only sorry we didn’t have time to go to Cornel Peak, the highest peak of Yuntai Mountain and take a stroll along its much-touted glass walkway suspended more than 1,000 metres above the ground.

The writer’s trip was sponsored by Thai Smile Airways.

IF YOU GO

Thai Smile Airways flies from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Flight WE680 departs Suvaanabhumi at 2.20pm and arrives in Zhengzhou at 7.30pm. The return flight WE681 leaves Zhengzhou at 8.30am and lands at Suvarnabhumi at 11.40am.

Book your flight at http://www.ThaiSmileAir.com

Launched in 1960, it quickly drew a loyal following, giving the brand prolonged period of rising demand and growing consumer interest.

For the future, the brand takes an inspiration from its pioneering days to create a new series that combines the original Grand Seiko design with a modern reinterpretation. Famous for its exquisite design, the dial of the very first Grand Seiko watch carried the name Grand Seiko at the twelve o’clock position as a symbol of its identity.

The first Grand Seiko models were produced in a 80 micron gold-filled case but some were also made in platinum. The new recreations are therefore offered in both these metals and also in stainless steel. The case is virtually identical to the original, but its diameter has been increased to 38mm to match with contemporary tastes.

The dual-curved sapphire crystal is also loyal to the original shape and gives the recreation the same pleasingly gentle profile. The platinum version uses platinum 999 and has 18k gold hour markers, just as on the original.

The base of the gold dial allows the Grand Seiko logo to be particularly sharp in its outline and detail. The gold version uses 18k gold for the entire case and all the hour markers, while the stainless steel version also has a gold accent in the form of the Grand Seiko lion emblem embedded in the case back.

All three versions incorporate the 9S64 manual winding calibre, but the platinum version has been adjusted to an even higher level of precision, 1 to +5 seconds per day. All of them are offered as limited editions, each with a special “Inspection Certificate”.

Find out more at (02) 163 0555 or visit http://www.TrocaderoTime.com/tha/timepieces/66/GRANDSEIKO.