A white, finely structured dial, faceted hands, applied indexes and an almost entirely polished case: these features are familiar in elegant dress watches that look good but do little else than show the time. What happens if a watch manufacturer wants to combine these classic properties with functional features, and also wants to equip the new creation with additional functions and a robust exterior? Is it possible to build a watch that not only appeals to a client’s eye, but also to his insistence on a high degree of usability in daily life?

It is indeed possible, but only if you get everything right. And that’s exactly what Grand Seiko has done with its Hi-Beat 36000 GMT 44GS 55th Anniversary Limited Edition, our test watch, which was introduced in January 2022. The name refers to the 44GS, launched 55 years ago, whose handsomely shaped case serves as the model for this new Grand Seiko’s design. This new watch not only looks elegant, but also offers a high level of everyday usability: for example, in addition to a perfectly located date display, the Japanese manufacturer also has added a 24-hour hand with a corresponding scale around the edge of the dial.

The additional function is so cleverly integrated that it’s hard to imagine this timepiece without it — not to mention the function’s usefulness: if you cross a time zone boundary, you simply pull the crown out to its first position and rotate it to propel the main hour hand forward or backward in one-hour increments. At midnight, the date jumps forward or backward as necessary, as you would expect from a travel watch. The blue hand stoically remains in its original position to show the time in your home time zone throughout the journey. Those who prefer to stay at home will appreciate the quick adjustment for the hour hand, which makes it easy to switch between daylight saving time and standard time because the movement continues to run, thus preserving the correctness of the minute and second.

But that’s by no means the end of this watch’s functional features. Grand Seiko also includes its in-house luminous material called Lumibrite. This luminous substance is nearly unnoticeable during the day, but effectively illuminates three of the four hands and all 11 hour markers at night.

And then there’s the choice of material — titanium, which gives this new Grand Seiko an advantage over pure dress watches. The case and bracelet are made of this robust but lightweight metal, although all the polished parts look more like stainless steel. And this appearance is intentional. To achieve it, the manufactory created its own high-intensity titanium alloy. The alloy’s uncommon hardness exceeds that of conventional titanium and makes it possible to apply Grand Seiko’s characteristic “Zaratsu” polishing, which results in especially smooth and distortion-free reflective surfaces that shine as brightly as stainless steel.

Titanium also considerably reduces weight. Even before we shortened the bracelet, our test watch weighed only 105 grams. Thanks to this low overall weight, both the supple link bracelet and the case fit very comfortably on your wrist. And the case is by no means ultra-slim. It’s 14 mm in height and has the typically complex shape of a Grand Seiko.

The Japanese design tradition in general and Grand Seiko’s brand philosophy in particular both take elements of local culture and nature and incorporate them into the design of new products. Some Japanese watch dials evoke the colors of maple leaves in autumn, the texture of birch bark, the grain of snow, or the tracks in the gravel of Zen gardens. In addition, some of Grand Seiko’s movement bridges recall the contours of the famous Mount Fuji or Mount Iwate. The goal is never to produce a realistic representation, but always to create subtle impressions.

The dial of the new model that we tested recalls traditional Japanese sliding doors, which are covered with paper that diffuses incoming light and softens its harshness. The dial’s light, airy, paper-like structure can be recognized by an attentive observer who gets close to the watch’s face. But viewed from arm’s length or farther away, the dial appears white and smooth. This corresponds with the Japanese tradition of subtlety and understatement, while also expressing modest luxury, because the dial’s special surface is visible only at close range.

And speaking of luxury, this watch costs $8,500 and is therefore not one of those models that you might buy on a whim. The harmonious combination of elegant design and versatile functionality mentioned earlier is available for this price. But that’s not all. If you turn the watch over, you’ll see a manufacture movement with numerous technical advantages. The highly efficient, bidirectionally active Magic Lever double-pawl winding system harnesses the rotor’s kinetic energy to keep the tested Grand Seiko Caliber 9S86 running for 55 hours. The manufacturer guarantees precise timekeeping throughout this interval, with precision of between -3 and +5 seconds per day. Among other contributors to the accurate rate, the balance oscillates at a speedy pace of 36,000 rather than the usual 28,800 vibrations per hour. This means that the seconds hand advances through 10 steps per second rather than eight. To put it simply, a higher balance frequency generally means a greater likelihood of precision because the deviations are within a narrower range of the optimum.

On an electronic timing machine, a Witschi Chronoscope X1, our test watch measured a daily loss of 2.3 seconds, confirming that it stayed within the limits specified by Grand Seiko. During a wearing test of several weeks, it settled toward the lower limit of the permissible range with a daily loss of 3 seconds. Loss rather than gain is generally not welcome, but it can be tolerated when it’s as slight as it is here, especially because the values in the six positions cluster within a narrow range of just 4 seconds.

Grand Seiko not only manufactures common components such as bridges and plates in-house, but also fabricates critical parts such as mainsprings and even hairsprings, for which the manufactory has developed its own high-performance alloys. But individualized solutions are not only found in the depths of the movement, they can be seen on the surface. Peering through the transparent pane of sapphire crystal in the back of our test watch, we didn’t see a standard, semicircular, steel-colored rotor, but instead found a circular, skeletonized component with a gold-colored, irregularly structured surface and an integrated disk with an engraving of the Grand Seiko lion.

The manufactory relies on in-house electrolysis to give the rotor an unconventional color and texture. During the process, a layer of oxide forms on the surface of the titanium rotor. This coating acquires its desired gold tone when its thickness is precisely right. Some may wonder how a circular rotor can create enough inertia by responding to the natural motions of the wearer’s wrist. Quite simply, three rivets join the rotor to an arc-shaped weight that runs around half of the rotor and can only be seen if you look very closely.

If you want a comprehensive description of the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT 44GS 55th Anniversary Limited Edition, you would need to expand its list of attributes. It is not only elegant and functional, it also offers a variety of individualized solutions ranging from the dial’s special paperlike appearance, to the case and bracelet made from the brand’s proprietary titanium alloy, to the quickly oscillating balance with in-house components. Unfortunately, only 1,200 buyers worldwide will be able to enjoy the versatile SBGJ255 on their wrists — a direct descendent of the 44GS from 1967 that established, once and for all, the Grand Seiko style.

To learn more about Grand Seiko, click here, and to subscribe to the WatchTime print magazine, click here.    

While the 1979 original was slightly smaller and outfitted with a quartz movement, the new model has a titanium case measuring 38.8mm wide and 8.9mm thick with a lug-to-lug height of 41.7mm (and 100m of water resistance). I handled an original Locomotive a few years ago and absolutely loved how relentlessly idiosyncratic the design touches were. The Locomotive is characterized by the hexagonal case/bezel and what I can best describe as a hybrid of an integrated bracelet and Vendôme lugs (Genta was also responsible for the Cartier Pasha). Were it designed today, I think the crown at 4 o’clock would be sacrificed at the alter of being “too much” but fortunately Genta didn’t have to worry about that.

As it is 45 years later, it’s not surprising that the reissue actually improves on some things. For example, the six screws on the bezel are now functional as opposed to simply being ornamental. Done with a three-fold clasp with push release, the tapered bracelet doesn’t stray from Genta’s initial design with those hexagonal intermediary links that are obviously very reminiscent of the Royal Oak. The black dial is finished with 1,600 directly engraved radial lines that are achieved by utilizing a special new process developed specifically for this watch. Also of note are rounded hour indices and especially the applied twin indices at 12 o’clock which were part of Genta’s original design sketch but could not feasibly be produced back in 1979.

 

Unlike the original Locomotive which had a quartz movement, the reissue has the automatic Caliber CR01 which has a 45-hour power reserve and is exclusive to Credor (though much of the architecture and specs are shared with the Seiko 6L37). The movement isn’t visible due to the enclosed case back which is A-okay with me. Personally, I would go full Tex Avery for a 9F Quartz movement here but I understand the decision to go with a slim automatic.

A fun throwback to an oft-forgotten Genta watch, the Credor Locomotive Limited Edition is limited to 300 pieces at a price of $12,000 and will be available in August.

To learn more, visit Credor, here. 

During the past six decades, Grand Seiko has constantly been pursuing the creation of the world’s most accurate wristwatch, pushing the development of quartz, mechanical and Spring Drive movements. Now, the Japanese
giant is ready to finally enter the haute horlogerie segment.

In September 2020, Seiko Watch Corporation revealed the T-zero Constant-force Tourbillon (abbreviated as “T0”) as a concept creation of Grand Seiko. It is the world’s first watch movement with a fully integrated constant-force mechanism and a tourbillon on the same axis, aiming to create a mechanical watch with the highest accuracy (and prestige) possible. The constant-force mechanism provides an even energy distribution to the escapement, regardless of how much the mainspring is wound, and the tourbillon aims to eliminate the error in precision caused by gravity by incorporating the escapement parts and balance in a rotating carriage.

The T0 obviously isn’t the first tourbillon from Seiko —that would be the Credor Fugaku tourbillon from 2016. Nor is it the first wristwatch to combine a remontoire and a tourbillon (with F.P. Journe most likely having made the first), but this undoubtedly is a first for Grand Seiko, and the brand claims that this is the only time a remontoire and a tourbillon have been brought together on the same axis. In most cases, when a constant-force mechanism is added, it is usually placed away from the carriage. Here, however, the T0 stores torque from a gear co-axially arranged with the carriage in a constant-force spring, and the energy of the unwinding spring is used for rotating the carriage, including the balance in it. Under laboratory conditions, the performance of the T0 over the duration of its 50-hour power reserve already indicated that the team of Takuma Kawauchiya, the movement’s designer and watchmaker at Seiko Instruments Inc., was successful with this choice of design: the T0 showed an incredible ±0.5 seconds maximum deviation in rate per day.

Kawauchiya also took a different approach in manufacturing the T0’s gears: to ensure even higher precision than traditional machining, he used a manufacturing process called Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS), a forming technique normally used for semiconductors. With this technique, metal films are layered like plating to materialize a perfect gear-tooth shape with precision measuring in microns. The same process has already been utilized in Grand Seiko’s pallet fork and escapement wheel, but this is the first time for the company to apply MEMS technologies to almost all gears. For the stop wheel, a ceramic gear was chosen to offer both high durability and low friction. Another specialty of the movement: While the inner tourbillon carriage (made of blued titanium) is rotating, the outer carriage is stopped by the engagement of the stopper and the stop wheel, resulting in a deadbeat motion of the second hand.

The T0 was developed over a five-year period; hand finishing alone took three months. The new caliber offers a 50-hour power reserve using two mainspring barrels, which run in parallel. The T0 measures 36 mm in diameter and 8.22 mm in height (with the tourbillon); the total parts count is 340 components. Surprisingly, the movement is actually based on the Grand Seiko Caliber 9S65, the brand’s “most standard automatic movement that typifies the 9S mechanical series.” The balance wheel therefore oscillates at 4 Hz (28,800 vph), which has become a standard for modern mechanical watches, but not necessarily for those with a remontoire and tourbillon. Still in the concept stage, the T0 is currently not used for a production model. But with the 220th birthday of the tourbillon coming up next year (the mechanism was patented on June 26, 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet), it would be surprising to not see a Grand Seiko of some sorts, sporting a “whirlwind” to increase accuracy, which has always been the mechanism’s main goal.

A New Dawn
The 9S65 can also be found in one of the brand’s latest limited-edition watches, made in celebration of Grand Seiko’s 60th anniversary: the Grand Seiko Ref. SBGR321. The release of this watch follows the opening of Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi last July, a high-end watch and movement manufacturing site of Morioka Seiko Instruments (located in the town of Shizukuishi in Iwate Prefecture), “devoted to producing Grand Seiko mechanical watches and other high-end timepieces.” Its deep blue dial is inspired by “the brilliant blue sky over Mt. Iwate at dawn that greets the watchmakers and technicians of the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi.”

The watch has a 40-mm-diameter stainless-steel case and a matching steel link bracelet with a push-button- release three-fold clasp. The case is water resistant to 100 meters and magnetic-resistant to 4,800 A/m. The movement, which is visible through a sapphire caseback, is assembled, adjusted, and inspected by hand at said new studio; it is adjusted to a daily rate accuracy from +5 to -3 seconds per day, beats at 28,800 vph, and stores a power reserve of 72 hours. The SBGR321 is limited to 2,500 pieces, priced in the U.S. at $5,200.

Technically more demanding was the development of the new Grand Seiko Hi-Beat Caliber 9SA5 earlier this year: the latest evolution of the brand’s 9S mechanical caliber (first introduced in 1998) combines a 36,000-vph frequency with a lengthy 80-hour power reserve. Adjusted to a precision rate of +5 to -3 seconds per day, the new movement benefits from three technical features. The first is an in-house-developed dual-impulse escapement, in which the wheel transmits power directly to the balance for increased efficiency. Next in line is a newly developed free sprung balance that is more resistant to shock and friction than its predecessor and uses an overcoil rather than a flat hairspring to improve isochronism. Finally, Caliber 9SA5’s innovative, horizontal gear train allows the overall movement to be 15 percent slimmer than existing Grand Seiko Hi-Beat calibers.

The new movement made its debut in a limited-edition timepiece (100 pieces) that is based on the very first Grand Seiko watch of 1960. The 18k yellow-gold case of the Ref. SLGH002 measures 40 mm in diameter and features slightly wider lugs. The watch retails for $43,000.

Simultaneously, Grand Seiko has also been working on its Spring Drive calibers (first introduced in 1999). The new 9RA5 takes the brand’s proprietary technology literally to the next level: a power reserve of five days (a 60-percent increase), an even higher monthly precision rate of +/-10 seconds per month, and even a reduction in thickness, from 5.8 mm to 5 mm. This movement first debuted in the Grand Seiko Ref. SLGA001 dive watch. Water resistant to a professional-grade 600 meters, the 46.9-mm case in high-intensity titanium is mounted on a metal bracelet with a three-fold clasp, along with an interchangeable blue silicone strap. The watch is limited to 700 pieces and priced around $11,100. This model has already been nominated in the Diver’s category of the 2020 edition of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG).

A Dedication to Accuracy
While most of the Swiss high-end brands have focused on mechanical movements in the past three decades, the inventor of the world’s first quartz watch (introduced on Dec. 25, 1969), has never stopped pushing quartz technology further. Grand Seiko’s 60th anniversary is therefore also celebrated with the introduction of a new quartz movement. Caliber 9F85 has a time difference adjustment function that allows the hour hand to be adjusted without stopping the seconds hand and thus preserving its high precision. (In the SBGP007, the movement is adjusted to ±5 seconds per year; in the SBGP015 it is ±10 — as a comparison, Longines also offers an accuracy of ± 5 seconds per year with the Conquest V.H.P.) This new caliber makes its debut in two 60th anniversary designs. One of them, the SBGP015 with blue dial and a ceramic bezel of the same color offers a 20-bar water resistance, magnetic resistance of 16,000 A/m and a screw-down crown for enhanced security. It is available as a limited edition of 2,000 pieces and priced at $3,800.

Grand Seiko USA President Brice Le Troadec recently summed it up, saying, “Grand Seiko is now renowned for its three categories of calibers: Mechanical (including Hi-Beat), Spring Drive and Quartz. In the U.S., our sales are evenly shared between 9R Spring Drive-powered watches and 9S mechanical. Spring Drive offers an excellent alternative to those who really care for a fine mechanical movement, but want the precision of a quartz watch.”

Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about Grand Seiko is that the Japanese watchmaker never lost sight of what ultimately has always been the main objective of a watchmaker: accuracy. Needless to say, watchmaking is part science, part art, especially in times when more and more people prefer to carry a computer on their wrist with twice the processing power of the Cray-2 (the fastest machine in the world when it was released in 1985). But the very essence of watchmaking is and has been about telling the time as accurately as possible. If it just becomes l’art pour l’art, the whole industry is at risk of losing its soul and its original purpose. When Greubel Forsey, for example, launched its first creation in 2004, the Double Tourbillon 30°, the two inventor-watchmakers wanted to increase the accuracy of mechanical timepieces. It was not about adding two tourbillons for the sake of adding two tourbillons. F.P. Journe’s Chronomètre à Résonance is, first and foremost, a chronometer. With the T0, Grand Seiko has demonstrated once again that it has never lost sight of the principles it was founded on 60 years ago, but the brand now covers almost every aspect of what might be best described as meaningful high-end watchmaking.

It is often thought that simple, clean designs are the easiest to create. Unfortunately, the opposite is true. The cleaner the design of the watch is, the more weight individual details have on the overall look. The trick is to incorporate just the right elements, and not a single one more, and create a synergy between them. This is also a much-needed aspect, as otherwise, your clean design would be boring. The following four watches are good examples that got it just right.

Nomos Orion 33 Duo

Nomos is a brand that takes particular pleasure in getting all the details of their watches just right. The Orion 33 Duo is as straightforward as a mechanical watch can be, with just two hands and a manual wind movement. It gets its character from the slim gold hands and hour markers and the long lugs. The domes sapphire crystal further adds to its personality. The icing on the cake is the fact that you cannot see the beautifully finished in-house caliber Alpha.2 due to the closed caseback. As already mentioned, less is sometimes more.

Grand Seiko SBGY007 Omiwatari

That a more restrained design also often results in a more elegant watch is something Grand Seiko proves with the SBGY007 Omiwatari. The dial is inspired by the frozen water of Lake Suwa, and has an almost delicate texture. Because of the clean look of the case, it becomes a focal point, but one that is best appreciated up close and personal. This highlights another aspect of watches that favor the “less is more” philosophy, they are almost always a private pleasure.

Junghans Max Bill

The Max Bill, created by the legendary Swiss designer of the same name, is a true design icon. This is not a term to be used lightly and comes with its own set of challenges. We are now six decades after it was introduced, and keeping it relevant for the market all that time is quite a feat. Junghans succeeded in this by respecting the work of Bill, yet playing with the details. While the model above has the same 34mm diameter as the original, it is now fitted with an automatic movement, a sapphire crystal, and even a date function.

Chopard L.U.C XP

Chopard gave the traditional dress watch a more contemporary look with the L.U.C XP. The brushed blue dial is not as formal as silver or black, while the red gold hands, numerals, and hour markers offer an enticing contrast. A stainless steel case might come as a surprise, adding a casual touch to which your suit won’t object. The strap made from virgin wool further plays into this, while Chopard underscores its reputation as an Haute Horlogerie brand by having a lining of alligator leather. This creates the perfect understatement, purely for the enjoyment of the owner.

Which one of these is your favorite? Let us know in the comment box below.

Vacheron Constantin Patrimony Manual-Winding

Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony is not just a prime example of Geneva’s fine watchmaking, but for many enthusiasts, it epitomizes the round wristwatch in perfect simplicity. The Patrimony Manual-Winding delights with a minimalist dial and harmonious proportions, defining a style that seamlessly blends an unmistakable personality with understated elegance.

At first glance, the Patrimony Manual-Winding timepiece appears unchanged, maintaining its design inspired by the 1950s, a hallmark since its 2004 introduction. However, the Patrimony has evolved, particularly in the size of the two new manual-winding models. While the previous 40mm size was appreciated, the case, 7.7mm thick and crafted from pink or white gold, now features a classic 39mm diameter.

This change is mirrored on the collection’s signature convex dial, its sunburst-finished surface now presented with a gorgeous new “old-silver” hue. This shade adds a hint of retro styling, contrasting beautifully with the pink gold of the Patrimony collection’s characteristic slim hands, hour-markers, and circular ‘pearl’ minutes track, composed of 48 polished 18K gold pearls.

Surprisingly, the case back of the Patrimony Manual-Winding is closed, allowing space for personal signatures. Behind it ticks the hand-wound manufacture caliber VC 1440 with 42 hours of power reserve. With 116 components, its mechanical microcosm is just 2.6mm thick.

Pricing is marked at $25,200 excluding taxes for both variants.

To learn more, visit Vacheron Constantin, here.

Cartier Collection Privé Tortue

The focus of this year’s Privé Collection is the Tortue, first introduced in 1912. Like all models from the Maison, it masterfully plays with shapes, combining curves with strict lines. In the reissue, Cartier remained faithful to the original design, only elongating the lugs and refining the profile. This two-hand timepiece in yellow gold, limited to 200 pieces, is particularly authentic. Its tonneau-shaped case measures 41.4mm x 32.9mm in diameter and has a slim height of 7.2mm. The grained dial features Roman numerals and a railway minute track, while apple-shaped hour and minute hands gracefully sweep around it. Behind the scenes, the hand-wound manufacture caliber 430 MC ensures precision.

Pricing is marked at $31,000.

To learn more, visit Cartier, here.

Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde

At this year’s Watches and Wonders, Parmigiani Fleurier presented a new generation of the Toric, the very first wristwatch Michel Parmigiani created in 1996 when he started his own brand. This new iteration pushes the boundaries of purist elegance and was one of the most talked-about timepieces of the show.

According to Guido Terreni, Parmigiani Fleurier’s CEO, the new Toric “redefines the essence of the men’s dress watch.” It is presented in slim platinum 950 and pink gold cases, featuring 18-carat gold movements, which is quite stunning. The calibers are manually wound, showcasing top-notch finishing quality and intricate details, befitting a dress watch. The hand-stitched alligator leather straps with a nubuck finish and a traditional “punto a mano” stitch, a specialty of Neapolitan tailors, add to its elegance.

The Toric Petite Seconde has a diameter of 40.6mm and a slender height of 8.8mm. It is water-resistant to 50 meters, with a polished case featuring a knurled bezel shared with Parmigiani’s Tonda PF collection. The watch is offered in platinum with an almond-green dial and in pink gold with a sandy-gold dial. Both dials are slightly beveled and adorned with a gorgeous graining that serves as a magnificent backdrop for the short hour markers and hands that match the case material.

The Toric Petite Seconde in pink gold retails for CHF 49,500, while the platinum version has a sticker price of CHF 56,500.

To learn more, visit Parmigiani Fleurier, here.

Grand Seiko Elegance Collection Re-creation of the “First”

Launched in 1960, the very first Grand Seiko was the result of a project to create a timepiece that would be low-maintenance, easy to wear, highly legible, and simply beautiful. This year, the Japanese luxury brand introduces a new reinterpretation of this timeless design, the ref. SBGW314, crafted in pink gold and powered by an in-house automatic caliber. Equipped with an exhibition caseback, the case measures 38.0mm wide and is 10.9mm thick.

It frames a gorgeous dial inspired by “Hoshizukiyo,” which translates to starry night. Many details pay homage to the “First,” such as the multifaceted markers and dauphine hands, the font used for the Grand Seiko logo, the “Diashock 24 jewels” inscription, and the 8-pointed star at 6 o’clock, a prerogative of Grand Seiko’s “special dials,” whose markers are made of solid gold. As befits a refined dress watch, the SBGW314 is driven by a precise hand-wound movement. The caliber 9S64 beats with 28,800 vibrations per hour and has a 72-hour power reserve.

Limited to 50 pieces and available exclusively at Grand Seiko boutiques from June 2024, the Elegance Collection Re-creation of the “First” is mounted on a dark blue crocodile leather strap and comes with an additional brown strap. The price is marked at $26,500.

To learn more, visit Grand Seiko, here.

Frederique Constant Manufacture Classic Date

All of the luxury newcomers mentioned above symbolize style and mechanical refinement at the highest level. However, they are at a price point that is not for everyone’s wallet. The new Manufacture Classic Date from Frederique Constant is in a more accessible price segment and still ticks the boxes for a very decent dress watch with a genuine caliber. It has a diameter of 40mm and a height of 11.7mm.

The stainless-steel timepiece with a prominent pointer date indication at 6 o’clock is available in three captivating sunburst dial colors: two lighter shades of salmon and silver, along with a darker black option. All three dials feature applied silver-colored slim diamond-cut indexes, complemented by a minute rail track encircling the sunburst pattern. The hand-polished hands elegantly sweep across the dial, enhancing readability and style.

Powering the Manufacture Classic Date is the new in-house caliber, FC-706, which is based on the FC-710 movement. This self-winding caliber boasts an impressive 72-hour power reserve, ensuring reliable timekeeping for days on end. Through the transparent caseback, you can admire the refined perlage and fan-shaped Côtes de Genève decorations, showcasing a high level of craftsmanship.

The Manufacture Classic Date will be available from May 2024 and retail for $3,295.

To learn more, visit Frederique Constant, here.