Grand Seiko Heritage 44GS mechanical silver dial leather strap 36,5 mm

The little story

In 1967, the Grand Seiko collection was enriched with a new creation, the 44GS, which would become iconic. This 44GS, dedicated to embodying the distinctive Grand Seiko style, applied a set of 9 design principles, grouped in a "design grammar", which, 55 years later, still inspire each new creation. This timepiece is no exception, and in turn expresses the Grand Seiko style. On this model, the reduced proportions are a nod to the original 1967 model.

Grammar of Design

The "Grand Seiko Style" is also called Grammar of Design. This stylistic code was conceived by the first designer hired by the Seiko brand, the Japanese Taro Tanaka. He wanted to make Seiko watches stand out in the window next to the Swiss competitors. To achieve this, he drew up a list of basic rules to follow, expressing simplicity, purity and practicality. The use of light and its reflection is one of the main rules, which is why the facets of the case are hand polished in the Zaratsu style to create distortion-free surfaces, allowing the edges of the case to be sharp and precise. The hands and hour markers are also diamond-cut to provide great readability, even in low ambient light. The dials are clear and easy to read. And it is thanks to all these elements that you can recognize a Grand Seiko!

Back to the roots!

The SBGW291 is a modern 36.5mm reinterpretation of the original 44GS design. With its sharp, diamond-cut hour markers and hands and sunray dial, this watch offers all the distinctive Grand Seiko features. This watch is the smallest 44GS model in the Grand Seiko collection, but despite this, none of the distinctive details of the model are lost. The angles are sharp and the finish, with the case being hand polished using Grand Seiko's own Zaratsu technique, remains exceptional.

The slim hand-wound caliber 9S64 sits comfortably and elegantly on the wrist. This watch is topped with a box-shaped sapphire crystal, giving it an aesthetic that is both modern and vintage inspired.

The SBGW291 features a silver sunray dial. This dial has a silky sheen, using an intricate network of fine lines radiating from the center of the dial to create countless combinations of light and shadow. This reference is paired with a gray crocodile leather strap.

A manufacture caliber

Within this watch, we find the manufacture caliber 9S64. It is one of the rare hand-wound mechanical movements of the lion brand and one of the jewels of Shizukuishi. Offering a comfortable power reserve of about three days (72 hours) when fully wound, it is stable and precise at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. As Grand Seiko's chronometric standards are stricter than the COSC's, the movement has been set on 6 positions for 17 days, and guarantees an accuracy of -3 to +5 seconds per day.

For your information, this hand-wound caliber has a sliding flange, allowing it to wind its mainspring ad infinitum, without risk of damage.

In brief:

• A mechanical Manufacture caliber
• An ideal diameter of 36.5 mm
• An iconic GS design