Grand Seiko Heritage "Icefall" automatic Hi-Beat 1998 Revival Titanium blue dial titanium bracelet 37 mm

A “Revival” design

More than 25 years ago, Grand Seiko introduced its iconic 9S, a mechanical caliber born of an uncompromising desire for the highest precision in mechanical watchmaking. Thanks to 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 under reference 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 creations that followed over the next 25 years. These ranged from the first 9S Hi-Beat models to the more recent introduction of the 9SA5, Grand Seiko's most advanced Hi-Beat movement to date.

The release of this movement in 1998 was also accompanied by a redesign 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.

After presenting a model a little earlier in 2024, which retained the same design of this iconic case that first hosted the 9S movement in 1998, Grand Seiko now offers a modern 40 mm version that perfectly retains Kosugi's original design while honoring Shizukuishi's beauty! And that's not the only difference, this new 40 mm declination is now crafted in High Intensity Titanium!

The model

Grand Seiko opts for modernization here, adorning its new SBGH349 with a 40-millimeter-diameter case while retaining the look of the 1998 SBGR001. The case, with its pierced lugs and titanium bracelet, features an alternation of surface treatments typical of all Grand Seiko products: satin-finished lugs and case middle, and a wide chamfer joining the two with a Zaratsu mirror-polished finish, for a real eye-catcher! A truly exceptional and surgical finish...

As for the dial, the Japanese brand fully respects its principle of “Nature of Time” a concept very much present in Grand Seiko watch designs. 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.

For this novelty, the Japanese decided to evoke a frozen waterfall that can be encountered in the dead of winter on Mount Iwate, the imposing peak visible from the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi. Indeed, the town of Hachimantai in Iwate prefecture is home to Nanataki, a 30-metre waterfall rising from a stream flowing down from Mount Iwate. The dial represents this frozen waterfall, which creates enormous stalactites during the coldest time of the year. The new pattern and color of the dial illustrate the dynamism of the frozen Nanataki and the mysterious expressions found in the bluish-white hue of the crystal.

This all-new dial pattern is made possible by Grand Seiko's advanced craftsmanship and manufacturing techniques in the art of dial-making. The hour and minute hands, meanwhile, are diamond-cut. Like all Grand Seiko watches, the indexes offer beauty and legibility, a key principle of Grand Seiko's design language. As you can see, this SBGH349 offers a dial and a design that are simply extraordinary!

Mechanical side

Grand Seiko has chosen to equip this watch with a manufacture caliber Hi-Beat 36,000 alternations 9S85. This choice is not insignificant, as such a frequency allows extreme precision and demonstrates all the know-how and mastery of the Japanese brand in the design of High Frequency movements. Indeed, few watchmakers propose to take up this challenge, as a faster rotation speed can affect the power reserve and even the longevity of the movement itself. Backed by 50 years of experience, and the fruit 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 55-hour power reserve. Superior COSC chronometry standards!