Grand Seiko Heritage 44GS Ever-Brilliant Steel Hi-Beat automatic light blue dial steel bracelet 40 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 Grand Seiko's distinctive style, applied a set of 9 design principles, grouped in a "design grammar", which, 55 years later, still inspire each new creation. This Hi-Beat 36000 is no exception, and in turn expresses the Grand Seiko style.

An exceptional mechanism:

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!

Japanese poetry

The eye is immediately drawn to the stunning patterned dial with alternating shades of light blue and gray. It is inspired by the surrounding nature of Shizukuishi, and more specifically by the melting snow in early spring on Mount Iwate, the mountain that gives its name to the prefecture where the Grand Seiko factory was established several decades ago.

The combination of a flat dial and a large aperture allows light to penetrate and create different atmospheres on which the multi-faceted indexes and hands reveal their brilliance. Zaratsu polishing provides a perfectly smooth and distortion-free mirror finish on the upper surfaces of the case. The 12 o'clock marker is twice as wide as the others to improve legibility, a hallmark of Grand Seiko's heritage.

The 40 mm diameter case and bracelet are made of Ever-Brilliant steel, whose special white color enhances the brilliance of the dial on the case itself. This is a first for Grand Seiko!

An exceptional mechanism:

This SLGH013 is powered by the exceptional 9SA5 caliber! This beautifully finished automatic movement offers the precision and stability of a Hi-Beat 36,000 caliber while providing a long power reserve of 80 hours! It was born at the Grand Seiko Shizukuishi Studio, where craftsmen have been designing and manufacturing all of Grand Seiko's mechanical watches for decades. It is also where the first 9S movement was created.

It also features a double-pulse escapement that increases the efficiency of the mainspring energy transfer between the two barrels. This escapement was one of the most important new features of the 9SA5 caliber and shows the importance of innovation and continuous improvement for mechanical watchmaking at Grand Seiko.

In addition to this escapement, this caliber introduces a new shape of balance spring! It was created especially for this movement, with a unique new curved shape, which was designed after more than 80,000 simulations, for optimized performance in all possible positions. Its secret lies in the manufacture of high-precision components, as well as the adjustment skills of the watchmakers at Studio Grand Seiko Shizukuishi. The balance wheel also benefits from a new system without a racket and without a regulator! The four screws on the side of the balance wheel can be turned to adjust the moment of inertia of the balance wheel, allowing for fine tuning of the acceleration or deceleration of the watch. Without a regulator, the durability of the balance spring is increased, as is the long-term accuracy.

Very powerful, it is nevertheless very well finished! Indeed, we find "côtes de Genève" known internally at Grand Seiko as Shizukuishi River Stripes, which contrasts with the beveling of the edges and the screw holes.

The 9SA5 is tested to the Grand Seiko chronometry standard, which averages an impressive +5 to -3 seconds per day when tested under static conditions. This standard is tested in six positions and three temperatures and lasts 17 days. The 9SA5 is considered by many enthusiasts to be the best Hi-Beat caliber on the market!

In brief:

• An iconic GS design
• An exceptional Hi-Beat caliber
• First non-limited GS with Ever-Glossy Steel