Sixty Years Young

The Grand Seiko SBGH281

It was back in the late 1950s when a small but ambitious team of Seiko’s most talented and skilled watchmakers embarked on a journey to create the very best watch they could. Soon after, in December 1960, the Grand Seiko was born and, at that time, it boasted a level of timekeeping accuracy equal to the superior grade of recognized chronometer standards.

Fast-forward to 2020 and we are now celebrating the 60th year of this achievement and six decades of amazing Grand Seiko watches that are seen as the pinnacle of Japanese watchmaking. Moreover, the number 60, for the Japanese, signifies new energy and rebirth. As such, Grand Seiko has brought forth four timepieces to mark this monumental event. While, all of them have dials of Grand Seiko’s signature blue, each one of these desirable limited edition watches reflect a different aspect of Grand Seiko’s wide range of technical expertise and fine artisanal craftsmanship.

FIRST AMONG EQUALS

The 60th anniversary Grand Seiko collection is kicked off with the SBGH281 in the Heritage collection. This watch pays homage to the legendary Grand Seiko 44GS of 1967. The quintessential Japanese mechanical watch, it features the high-beat automatic calibre 9S85. On the watch is a prominent Grand Seiko symbol in gold that complements the bright red second hand.

Grand Seiko SBGH281 Specs

MOVEMENT Calibre 9S85 (Hi-Beat 36000)

CASE 40mm in steel; water-resistant to 100m

STRAP Steel bracelet

Limited Edition of 1,500 pieces

FOR THE LADIES

The Grand Seiko STGK015 for ladies

A grand creation for the ladies, the STGK015 is powered by the automatic caliber 9S27. That movement has been made for the exclusive use of the women’s Grand Seiko collection. The watch features a shimmering mother-of-pearl dial in the tone of the Grand Seiko blue. To reflect the feminine luxuriousness of the watch, the dial has diamonds for hour markers, and 45 diamonds are found on the bezel framing the dial.

Grand Seiko STGK015 Specs

MOVEMENT Calibre 9S27 Automatic

CASE 27.8mm in steel with 56 diamonds; water-resistant to 100m

STRAP Steel bracelet

Limited Edition of 300 pieces

A NEW QUARTZ CALIBRE

The Grand Seiko SBGP007 powered by the new calibre 9F85 quartz movement with an accuracy of ±5 seconds per year

For the 60th anniversary celebrations, a new quartz movement, the calibre 9F85 is introduced. The key highlight of this new movement is the time difference adjustment function that allows the hour hand to be adjusted without stopping the seconds hand. In effect, this preserves the accuracy of time as the wearer moves across time zones. This new movement powers two 60th anniversary designs with the SBGP007 having a version of Caliber 9F85 that is specially adjusted to ±5 seconds a year. To indicate this, the dial of the watch is marked by the five pointed star at the six o’clock position.

Also new for the dial of the watch is the unique 2020 pattern to remind the wearer of this special milestone year. The case design employed is a contemporary Grand Seiko style where the bezel is made thin to facilitate a larger, more legible dial. To contrast the striking blue dial, a bright red second hand is installed.

Grand Seiko SBGP007 Specs

MOVEMENT Calibre 9F85 Quartz (±5 seconds per year)

CASE 40mm steel with 100m water resistance

STRAP Steel bracelet

Limited Edition of 2,500 pieces

The second quartz watch of this collection, the SBGP015, is a Sport model. Here, matching the blue dial is a ceramic bezel of the same color. This bezel has been made to withstand almost any scratch. In order to justify its presence in the Sport collection, the watch has been created to have an impressive 200 metres of water resistance, a magnetic resistance of 16,000 A/m and a screw-down crown for enhanced durability.