Seiko

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Here is the Foreword from the President and CEO of Seiko Watch Corporation, Mr. Shinji Hattori

March 23, 2017

Grand Seiko in 2017. The next step forward.

Since we launched Grand Seiko internationally in 2010, the brand has made great strides forward

in terms of distribution, sales and interest among watch lovers. I am delighted with our

progress to date.

Grand Seiko has always been distinct in its design, character, presentation and, more recently,

its calibers. In order to further reinforce its unique appeal and to reach out to a wider audience,

we are today taking one step further and presenting Grand Seiko as an entirely separate

brand. On all the creations we are presenting here at Baselworld, the Grand Seiko logo is at

the twelve o’clock position and this will also be true for all Grand Seiko watches from now onwards.

From today, Grand Seiko lives a truly independent life and sets out on a new journey.

My intention is that, in the coming years, Grand Seiko will scale new heights of watchmaking

excellence and commercial success.

To celebrate this landmark moment in our history, we go back to the very beginnings of the

brand for our inspiration. You will see both a faithful reproduction of the very first Grand Seiko

from 1960 which carried the Grand Seiko logo at the twelve o’clock position, and a modern

re-interpretation. We are also widening the appeal of the brand into new design areas. Last

year, we expanded the range of Grand Seiko with a sports model and, for 2017, we build on

this success with a collection of new sports designs, including a hi-beat diver’s watch and a

series of Spring Drive chronographs.

We look forward to presenting the whole new Grand Seiko collection to you in person here

in Baselworld and to sharing with you the uniqueness and distinctiveness that it offers.

Yours sincerely,

Shinji Hattori

President & CEO

I don't know if you have been waiting for this, but finally, the Grand Seiko First are to be re-issued in Limited Edition.  

Please read on!

Ken

Grand Seiko explores its history and looks to the future.

The first Grand Seiko, re-created in platinum

The international launch of Grand Seiko took place in 2010. From the very start, the reaction of the watch retailer and aficionado community was overwhelmingly positive and the brand has enjoyed a prolonged period of rising demand and growing consumer interest. We are delighted with its progress which we expect to continue in 2017 and beyond. To take full advantage of this opportunity, an important new collection is presented here at Baselworld.

From the very start in 1960, Grand Seiko has been distinct in its design, its character, its distribution and its presentation. Indeed, 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 unique identity and superior quality. Today, we take our inspiration for the future from these pioneering days.  We have created a new series based directly on the original Grand Seiko design and we offer both faithful re-creations and a modern re-interpretation.

All these new creations proudly display the Grand Seiko name on the dial, as will all other Grand Seiko designs from today onward.  

The first Grand Seiko, 1960

The first Grand Seiko, re-created in platinum, gold and steel.

The majority of the first Grand Seiko models were produced in a 80 micron gold-filled case but some were also made in platinum. The new re-creations 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 in line with contemporary taste. The dual-curved sapphire crystal is also loyal to the original shape and gives the re-creation 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 dial is also in gold, which 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 caliber, 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” and are available from March 2017.

Now here are the actual photos of the samples you will see at Basel.  Very nicely done.  Please excuse the number of the photos - I was so excited and tried to take the details....

The first trial was SS version.  Blued hand is the point.

The same dome crystal and hand bent second hand.




"S" mark.




SS version has gold lion on the back, LE of 1960 (the year of the Grand Seiko First launch)




The buckle is also made like the original one.




Next up is the original 18K YG version.




It has SD mark on the dial - check it out on Google what it means....  Basically, the dial is gold, and index is also gold - thus "Special Dial" mark.






LE of 353 - mysterious number...   The answer is, this one was originally launched on December 18th, 1960, an Olympic year.  December 18th was the 353rd day of the  year.....  Seriously.  Not easy to remember, but that's the answer )




One distinct difference from the original one is the size - while the original one was 35mm, this re-issue is 38mm.  Which would you like?  I think in this era, you would get used to 38mm.







Now, what is this....  Yes!  Platinum 999 version.  There were a few made for the original on in Platinum 999 as well, they say.




The same SD mark.  The logo at 12h is made in the very special way (different from YG/SS versions).  Further, this Platinum 999 version has been adjusted to +5/-1 sec per day.   9S64 movement DOES live up to the reputation.  It comes with special "Inspection Certificate".






Of course, the buckle is PT.




Platinum version does not have gold lion on the back.  LE of 136 - clearly celebrates 136th anniversary.




Not bad at all.

Here is my (controversial? ) SS original version on the wrist.  Sorry for a bit bad lighting.  This may look better for the vintage fans, but 38mm PT would be definitely better.....

Thin enough.






Of course, it is heavy!






Grand Seiko First Re-issue three brothers.

The re-creation of the first Grand Seiko: SBGW251, 252, 253

Caliber 9S64

  Driving system: Manual winding

  Vibrations: 28,800 vibrations per hour (8 beats per second)

  Accuracy: -3 to +5 seconds (when static),  -1 to +5 seconds for SBGW251 (when static)

  Power reserve: 72 hours

  Number of jewels: 24

Specifications

  Platinum 999 case (SBGW251), 18k yellow gold (SBGW252), stainless steel (SBGW253)

  High definition dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating

  Water resistance: 3 Bar. Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m

  Diameter: 38.0mm, Thickness: 10.7mm (SBGW251, 252) 11.2mm (SBGW253)

  Crocodile strap with platinum 999 buckle (SBGW251), 18k yellow gold (SBGW252), stainless steel (SBGW253)

Approximate recommended retail prices in Europe:

38,500 Euro (SBGW251), 21,700 Euro (SBGW252), 7,200 Euro (SBGW253)

Limited edition of 136 pcs (SBGW251), 353 pcs (SBGW252), 1,960 pcs (SBGW253)

A new case material and a new caliber grace the modern re-interpretation.

The modern re-interpretation, SBGR305

The modern re-interpretation of the 1960 Grand Seiko is true to the pioneering spirit of the original Grand Seiko design team. It incorporates a new automatic caliber, 9S68, which makes possible a larger date window and the case is made of Brilliant Hard Titanium, a new material that is exclusive to Grand Seiko and that is as light as pure titanium but twice as hard as stainless steel, which increases still further its scratch resistance. The case design is a remarkable fusion of the ethos of the 1960 watch with the design character of today’s Grand Seiko.  The hands are long and their edges are highly polished in the Grand Seiko style, the lugs are

narrow and the case sides are recessed to give the same slim profile as the original. Many surfaces have the distinctive sharpness and unique brightness that only the Zaratsu polishing of the new titanium could achieve. One striking difference is that the new creation has an exhibition case-back, through which the 9S68 movement and its high quality finish can be enjoyed, proving perhaps that it is possible to both respect and re-invent even the finest of traditions. This watch will be available from July 2017.

Very clean dial - by becoming an independent brand, the logo on the dial "SEIKO" is now gone.  Very good move, indeed.  Dial is no longer too "busy" with the logos.

Limited Edition of 968 - why?




Because this is the new caliber - 9S68!!

SBGR305

Please read on more exciting new Grand Seiko offerings!

Ken

Of course, this is likely shared between home, country or regional and [new?] retail organizations:

Cazalea

PS - you will want to add this to your list of bookmarks (before your spouse finds it and puts it one the banned list) 

NEW GS WebSite

Ken

The Black Ceramic Collection. Titanium and ceramic in perfect harmony.

Spring Drive Chronograph GMT. SBGC223

In 2016, Grand Seiko expanded into the sports realm by presenting a limited edition of four Spring Drive watches executed in a dramatic combination of high-intensity titanium and zirconia ceramic with crocodile straps. This series was widely admired. For 2017, Grand Seiko will further widen its appeal of the brand and enrich the variation in the sports arena.  Three new creations are added, all with the same sports design and a remarkable new hybrid titanium-ceramic bracelet construction. The new series also features a more powerful dial design with the Grand Seiko logo under the eleven o’clock position. This new collection will be available worldwide from June 2017.

A sports watch of enduring beauty

The essential characteristics of Grand Seiko, precision, legibility, comfort and durability are nowhere more prominently expressed than in these new creations. The Spring Drive Chronograph may well be the most accurate luxury chronograph in the world, offering a precision of one second a day or, in the case of the limited edition model, ten seconds a month. The dial is supremely easy to read, thanks to the diamond-cut hands and markers, extended GMT and minute hands and the Lumibrite inserts on the hands as well as the markers. The watch is also delight to wear, primarily because of the light-weight hybrid titanium-ceramic case and bracelet.   As the zirconia ceramic¹ parts are raised slightly above the level of the titanium, the bracelet is virtually impervious to scratches and will retain its pristine appearance just as long as the watch case itself.  Remarkably, given the technical difficulty of polishing ceramics, the ceramic parts in the center of the bracelet are polished to a mirror finish and the signature Grand Seiko sharpness of the angles on each component has been achieved.

¹ Zirconia ceramic is stronger and tougher than any other fine ceramic and seven times harder on the Vickers scale than stainless steel.

A limited edition in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Spring Drive Chronograph GMT.

The limited edition has enhanced accuracy. SBGC219

The collection comprises three versions, of which the undoubted star is the limited edition, created to mark the tenth anniversary of the Spring Drive Chronograph GMT caliber. It is different in both function and design. The bezel has a tachymeter and, as noted above, the caliber, 9R96, is specially adjusted for enhanced accuracy. The Grand Seiko blue is matched for the first time with the rose gold tone of the hands and markers and the oscillating weight carries an 18k rose gold Grand Seiko lion to mark the enhanced precision. The 18k rose gold Grand Seiko logo also graces the buckle.

SBGC221

SBGC223

Grand Seiko Black Ceramic Collection: SBGC219, 221, 223

Spring Drive Chronograph GMT 9R96 (SBGC219), 9R86 (SBGC221, 223)

  Driving system: Automatic

  Power reserve: 72 hours

  Accuracy: 9R96 ±0.5 seconds per day (±10 seconds per month)

                    9R86 ±1 seconds per day (±15 seconds per month)

  GMT hand

  Chronograph up to 12 hours

  Number of jewels: 50

Specifications

  High-intensity titanium and ceramic case

  High definition dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating

  Screw see-through case back, Screw-down crown

  Water resistance: 10 bar

  Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m

  Diameter: 46.4mm, Thickness: 16.2mm

  High-intensity titanium and ceramic bracelet with three-fold clasp with push button release

Approximate recommended retail prices in Europe: 19,800Euro (SBGC219) / 18,700Euro (SBGC221, 223)

Limited edition of 500 pcs (SBGC219)

Please read on the last part of Grand Seiko Novelty report!

Ken

(edited one model number)

The price point of these is concerning for the future positioning of the brand. At a time when we are seeing Swiss watches ease in price after the excesses of the last 15 years, GS seems to be moving in the opposite direction.

The excess thickness of the automatic watches is also something that is a detractor for me. The new SBGR at 40.5 x 13.6 mm is thicker than many automatic chronographs!

Pushing the boundaries.

The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s.

The Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s Limited Edition. SBGH257

For many years, the Grand Seiko Diver’s watches have been in great demand from recreational divers. Today, the meticulous standards of Grand Seiko are expressed in a professional diver’s watch for the first time. With a titanium case, an exclusive 9S hi-beat caliber and exceptional anti-magnetism, this new creation, with the Grand Seiko logo at the twelve o’clock position, pushes back the boundaries and takes Grand Seiko into an entirely new realm.

A professional diver’s watch, made the Grand Seiko way

All the characteristics of Grand Seiko are here. Outstanding precision of -3 to +5 seconds a day, superb legibility, high durability, thanks to the high-intensity titanium case and bracelet and the distinctive clean edges that only Zaratsu polishing can achieve. This is unmistakably a Grand Seiko and yet no compromise is made in satisfying the needs of the professional diver. The case is designed for saturation diving, with the valve-free helium resistance that results from Seiko’s innovative technologies, including the heavy duty construction and the L-shaped gasket. The grooves on the rotating bezel are extended for secure use, even with thick gloves. The bracelet has a sliding extension setting to accommodate pressure changes.  Even the dial is purpose built for this specialist use. It is made of iron to protect the movement from the harmful effects of magnetism and delivers magnetic resistance of 16,000 A/m. The whole watch and all its components are built for long-term use; the case, stem and crown are designed for secure servicing and even the bezel has a four-part design that makes for easy disassembly and re-assembly.

SBGH255