Grand Seiko Heritage "Unkai" Automatic Hi-Beat 25th Anniversary silver dial stainless steel bracelet 37 mm

The Renaissance of Grand Seiko mechanical

25 years ago, Grand Seiko introduced its iconic 9S, a mechanical caliber born of an uncompromising desire for the highest precision in mechanical watchmaking. Through significant advances in manufacturing and craftsmanship, the 9S caliber was developed entirely from scratch by Akira Ohira, offering a superior level of performance that was reflected in the new definition of the Grand Seiko standard. This caliber made its debut in 1998 as SBGR001, and marked the beginning of a new era for Grand Seiko: the Renaissance of mechanical Grand Seiko. This reference was the basis for the many mechanical watch designs that followed over the next 25 years. These ranged from the first 9S Hi-Beat models to the more recent introduction of the 9SA5, the most advanced Grand Seiko Hi-Beat movement to date.

The release of this movement in 1998 was also accompanied by a new design of the watches that matched their uniqueness, precision and overall sense of beauty. Lead designer Nobuhiro Kosugi sought to create the "best practical watch possible," and in his efforts, he and his team established a new design based on the Grand Seiko style, cementing an aesthetic that remains strong to this day.

Today, Grand Seiko celebrates the 25th anniversary of the first Calibre 9S with this limited edition model of 1,200 pieces, which retains the same iconic case design that first hosted the 9S movement in 1998. Measuring 37mm in diameter and 13.3mm thick this commemorative timepiece perfectly embodies Kosugi's original design while honoring the beauty of Shizukuishi.

Mount Iwate's sea of clouds as inspiration

Grand Seiko here makes the choice of historical conformity by adorning its new SBGH311 with a 37-millimeter-diameter case as on the 1998 SBGR001. These measurements give this Grand Seiko model a unisex dimension. Its case with pierced lugs and a forged steel bracelet, offers an alternation of surface treatments typical of all Grand Seiko production: satin-finished lugs and case middle, and a large chamfer joining the two with a Zaratsu mirror-polished finish, to make it eye-catching! A truly exceptional and surgical finish...

As far as the dial is concerned, the Japanese brand totally respects its principle of "Nature of Time" a concept very present in the designs of Grand Seiko watches. Indeed, the watchmakers' pride in their environment is represented by the engineering of watch movements and the creation of dials that perfectly reflect the beauty of Japanese nature. It was therefore necessary for the brand to perfectly reflect the landscape of the Shizukuishi, where the movements of the 9S family are manufactured.

Shizukuishi is the spiritual home of Grand Seiko's mechanical watchmaking. Known for its bucolic views and breathtaking scenery, the town's name is also poetic, meaning "water flowing over stone." The beauty of the landscape is further enhanced by the proximity of Mount Iwate, a towering snow-capped peak that emerges from the surrounding clouds at daybreak. This SBGH311 features a uniquely textured silver dial that evokes the sea of clouds that cover Mount Iwate at daybreak. This phenomenon occurs when the air is so still and humid that the dense clouds overlap and create a mesmerizing silver-white sea.

This unique pattern is made possible by Grand Seiko's expertise and advanced manufacturing techniques in dial art. Electroforming was used to create this entirely new pattern, giving it a unique marbled effect never before seen at Grand Seiko. The hour and minute hands are diamond-cut, while the seconds hand is heat-blued. Like all Grand Seiko watches, the indexes offer beauty and legibility, a key principle of the Grand Seiko design language. Finally, a gold colored Grand Seiko logo offers a touch of warmth on a cooler background. As you can see, this SBGH311 offers a dial and design that is simply extraordinary!

Mechanical side

Grand Seiko has chosen to equip this limited edition watch with a Hi-Beat 36,000 alternations 9S85 manufacture caliber. This choice is not insignificant, as such a frequency allows for extreme precision and demonstrates all the know-how and mastery of the Japanese brand in the design of High Frequency movements. Indeed, few watchmakers offer to take up this challenge, because a faster rotation speed can affect the power reserve, or even the longevity of the movement itself. With 50 years of experience, and the result of many years of development and research, this movement produced at the Shizukuishi Watch Studio offers a precision of -3 to +5 seconds per day, as well as a power reserve of 55 hours. Chronometry standards above the COSC!

This caliber is visible through the sapphire caseback and offers a little extra: its oscillating weight has undergone an anodic oxidation treatment, which gives it a unique and vibrant blue hue. This blue evokes the deep blue of the sky above the sea of clouds. A Grand Seiko emblem is inserted into the oscillating weight.