Grand Seiko Heritage 44GS Hi-Beat 36000 GMT Ever-Brillant Steel "Mt Iwate" silver dial steel bracelet 40 mm

It was in 1967, with the launch of the 44GS model that a new design was established for the brand by a young designer. The very first Grand Seiko model, launched in 1960, owed its success to the excellence of its movement, which combined precision, functionality and comfort. In the early 1960s, a young watchmaker at the factory raised the issue that such a reliable movement deserved a more attractive packaging.

After studying existing watches on the market, he realized that more prestigious models were needed. Deciding to give the brand a new impetus, he created the Grand Seiko style and simultaneously developed the "grammar of Seiko design", both of which were first embodied in the 44GS model. The simple yet striking design characteristic of the Grand Seiko brand was born.

This SBGJ263 is a modern reinterpretation of the 1967 model that uses "Ever Brilliant steel", a material that is more resistant to corrosion and has a whiter sheen than stainless steel. The unique design of this model, whose main feature is the polished edges and perfectly flat surfaces that only Zaratsu polishing can create, is combined with a beautiful silver dial pattern, 40mm in diameter, whose texture is inspired by the jagged contours of the slopes of Mount Iwate, the majestic mountain overlooking the Shizukuishi Grand Seiko Studio, where all Grand Seiko mechanical watches are made.

Powered by the 9S86 caliber, this sophisticated movement offers the same precision (+5 to -3 seconds per day) and power reserve (55 hours) as the 9S85 caliber on which it is based, while providing the GMT function that globetrotters need to ensure that the time displayed is correct and not altered when changing time zones. The GMT hand, shown here in blue, displays the time in the original time zone.