Grand Seiko Watches

The year 1960 marked the birth of legend Grand Seiko in the watch industry. It was created by Daini Seikosha and Suwa Seikosha which were the two subsidiaries of the Seiko Corporation. Prior to the 1960s, it was believed that the only Swiss watches were of the highest quality whereas Japanese watches were not. But the debut of Grand Seiko changed the whole storyline of the watch industry. The Grand Seiko watch is the result of the beliefs of Daini Seikosha and Suwa. Under the guidance of their parent company Seiko, it was decided that Suwa would produce the first Grand Seiko. During those days most Grand Seiko men watches were produced at Suwa whereas most women watches were made at Daini. The birth of Grand Seiko was accompanied by the success of the Tokyo Olympics and Seiko's victory at the astronomical observatory Concours.

Pitching Innovations

Now let’s plunge into the journey of Grand Seiko watches and explore how it kept on evolving year after year.

The first Grand Seiko was a major advance. It carried the following features:

• It was powered by new caliber 3180 which was accurate to within +12 to -3 seconds a day.
• It had a power reserve of 45 hours.
• It was the first chronometer grade watch ever produced in Japan.
• These were available in either gold plated cases or platinum cases.

2nd generation Grand Seiko The 2nd generation Grand Seiko or 57GS was released in 1963 which was unbelievable of high quality at the time. It had the following features:

• It was a low beat hand-wound wrist watch this feature made it an almost entirely different from the first generation watches.
• It had a stainless steel case, which was very unusual to see in a luxury wristwatch at the time.

The Relaunching

In the year 1966 Grand Seiko was ready to cover another milepost. It was the release of first Grand Seiko automatic watch, the 62GS. This model featured a tiny crown at 4 o’clock removing the need of wounding it manually. Since that time, Grand Seiko was successful in establishing itself firmly and had already witnessed a growing popularity.

In 1990s many of the Grand Seiko’s models received a revival. The newer versions now came with the bracelets. After traversing the decades of developments, in 2004 the Grand Seiko Spring Drive movement finally got featured in the Grand Seiko watches. This movement is a quartz regulated, mechanical movement. Various classic models of Grand Seiko have gone through the remake. So let’s explore through the some of its popular models available today:

Grand Seiko Diver SBGA029

Those aspiring for a simple yet special high-end dive watch, the Grand Seiko SBGA029 Spring Drive Diver is the best option. These are a super meticulously made tool watches with ultimate functionalities. The reference SBGA029 version of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver is the most simple watch being offered with a black dial. Seiko also produced the SBGA031 version of this watch in titanium with gold-colored text on the dial, as well as the limited edition SBGA071 in titanium but with a blue dial. Each comes in a 44.2mm-wide case that is 14mm wide and water-resistant to 200 meters. The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver SBGA029 is remarkably simple in its dial and case execution. Unlike the other watches, it does not have a saw-blade style-rotating bezel, no extra screws on the case, and no added implements to the dial in order thus making it a more unique.

Grand Seiko GMT SBGJ017

This Grand Seiko SBGJ017 GMT has a silver dial and looks a bit more elegant than other models. This new Grand Seiko SBGJ017 was introduced at the same time as its black dial SBGJ019 counterpart. It features Grand Seiko's caliber 9S86, which is a hi-beat (36,000vph) self-winding movement. The case of the Grand Seiko SBGJ017 measures 39.5mm in diameter and has a thickness of 13.9mm. Encompassed in the boxed sapphire crystal although quite thicker, but looks stunning. The crown has been signed with the GS logo. Operation of all functions is done via the crown. As per the reviews are given by its admirers it is a very comfortable watch on the wrist. The size of 39.5mm will be perfect for many including the ladies. This Grand Seiko GMT comes with a rather nice crocodile strap. The timepiece is also great for an everyday wearer like many other Grand Seiko watches.

These are the perfect timepieces for anyone who are looking to add a luxury watch to their collection. The Grand Seiko price may vary from ¥208,800 to ¥2,755,800. So you may opt for any price range, style or designs as per your requirements.