The New Grand Seiko SBGH311 and SBGR325

Grand Seiko celebrates the Twenty fifth anniversary of its breakthrough calibre 9S with two particular fashions from its Heritage assortment and dials impressed by the altering skies over Mount Iwate. In honour of the primary GS watch fitted with the in-house 9S motion – created by Grand Seiko’s head of design Nobuhiro Kosugi in 1998 – the anniversary fashions share the identical case design and compact 37mm diameter. Simple three-hand-and-date fashions, one is fitted with Hello-Beat calibre 9S85 and the opposite with the three-day computerized calibre 9S65; each are restricted editions of 1,200 items.

Picture by grandseikogs9club.com

Picture by grandseikogs9club.com

The Calibre 9S – recap

Grand Seiko by no means does issues by half measures. When it began life in 1960, the collective aim was to construct the “world’s greatest watch”, incarnated by the Grand Seiko Chronometer. Seven years after its delivery, the Grand Seiko model was consolidated within the 44GS mannequin. 9 particular design components have been established with the 44GS which are nonetheless seen in as we speak’s fashions, together with using reflections or “sparkle of high quality” within the type of faceted fingers and markers designed to mirror even the smallest ray of sunshine.

One other milestone within the Japanese model’s improvement occurred in 1998 with the introduction of calibre 9S, a precision in-house computerized motion designed from scratch that will turn out to be the brand new Grand Seiko Normal for mechanical watches. Its superior ranges of efficiency surpassed watch business requirements, and the 9S has turn out to be the cornerstone of all mechanical watches within the GS household (not Spring Drive).

Utilizing the 9S as a basis, a number of latest actions have emerged through the years, together with the Hello-Beat 9S85 in 2009, the 9S65 three-day energy reserve in 2010 and the 9S86 with Hello-Beat and GMT operate in 2014. Coinciding with the model’s 60^th anniversary, calibre 9SA5 was launched in 2020, essentially the most superior Hello-Beat Grand Seiko motion so far. All 9S mechanical actions are crafted within the Grand Seiko Shizukuishi Studio, positioned in an space famend for its breathtaking panorama dominated by the snow-capped peak of Mount Iwate.

The core collections of Grand Seiko – Heritage, Magnificence and Sport – are all fitted with superlative actions and completed with conventional Japanese consideration to element and time-honed artisanal crafts. As its title signifies, the Heritage line pays tribute to the early Grand Seikos, and lots of fashions have dials with colors or motifs straight impressed by nature.

The Grand Seiko SBGH311

The Grand Seiko Heritage Assortment Calibre 9S 25^th Anniversary Restricted Version SBGH311 (official title) is the model’s first international launch that unites a Hello-Beat motion with the unique 37mm case dimension designed by Nobuhiro Kosugi in 1998.

As our readers know, Grand Seiko is gaining a cult following for its in-house textured dials that seize a few of Mom Nature’s most lovely scenes, just like the coveted White Birch or the fragile pink sakura-inspired dial of the 44GS.

This anniversary version with a silvery-white dial recreates the ocean of clouds that blanket Mount Iwate at dawn. To create the mottled dial sample, GS artisans used electroforming. The central seconds hand is tempered in blue, and the Grand Seiko emblem is utilized in a gold color to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the 9S motion.

In honour of the primary GS watch fitted with the breakthrough 9S motion – SBGR001 – the size are an identical to the unique with a 37mm diameter and a thickness of 13.3mm. The hand-assembled motion powering this mannequin is the Hello-Beat 36000 computerized mechanical calibre 9S85 with an accuracy price of +5/-3 seconds a day and an influence reserve of 55 hours. The titanium openworked oscillating weight reveals a mottled blue color achieved with an anodic oxidation course of.

Restricted to 1,200 items, the SBGH311 can be obtainable completely from Grand Seiko’s On-line Boutique in January and from February 2023 at Grand Seiko Boutiques and choose retail companions worldwide.

Fast information: SBGH311 – 37mm diameter x 13.3mm thickness x 46.6mm lug to lug – chrome steel – 100m water resistant – Hello-Beat computerized calibre 9S85 – 36,000vph/5Hz – 37 jewels – 55h energy reserve – +5/-3 seconds a day – restricted version 1,200 items – EUR 7,200

The grand Seiko SBGR325

The Grand Seiko Heritage Assortment Calibre 9S 25^th Anniversary Restricted Version SBGR325 (!) is the second commemorative mannequin and celebrates the clear blue skies of the Iwate Prefecture, the place Grand Seiko mechanical watches are made. A silky easy sunray end on the pale blue dial displays gentle from each angle and the sharp diamond-cut hour and minute fingers alight on the utilized, faceted and polished indices. The chrome steel case dimension is an identical to the Hello-Beat mannequin, revealing the superlative hand finishings and shiny polished accents extending to the bracelet and triple-folding clasp.

Powered with Grand Seiko’s three-day computerized motion – calibre 9S65 – the openworked rotor can also be blue and might be seen by the see-through caseback.

Restricted to 1,200 items, the SBGR325 can be obtainable at Grand Seiko Boutiques and retail companions worldwide in April 2023.

Fast information: SBGR325 – 37mm diameter x 13.3mm thickness x 46.6mm lug to lug – chrome steel – 100m water resistant – computerized calibre 9S65 – 28,800vph – 35 jewels – 72h energy reserve – +5/-3 seconds a day – restricted version 1,200 items – EUR 5,800

For extra data, please go to Grand-Seiko.com.