Launched in December 1960, the first Grand Seiko was a major step forward for Japanese fine watchmaking. Accurate to +12/-3 seconds per day, it was the first wristwatch from Japan to comply with the standard of excellence of the Bureaux Officiels de Contrôle de la Marche des Montres.
The lion emblem on its case back embodied the aspiration of the original Grand Seiko team to create the best watch they were capable of in terms of legibility, durability, and accuracy. More than 60 years later, we look back at this watch as a milestone that continues to inspire Grand Seiko to reach higher.
At Watches & Wonders Geneva, Grand Seiko is introducing a new limited-edition re-creation of this first timepiece, with a case and clasp in elegant 18k rose gold. The spectacular navy-blue dial with shimmering indexes evokes a “starry night”, or “Hoshizukiyo” in Japanese. Attested by the small star, the SD (Special Dial) mark, at the six o’clock position, the indexes are in solid gold, providing a dash of further refinement to the 50 individually numbered pieces honoring the origins of Grand Seiko.
Powering the watch is one of Grand Seiko’s stalwart manually wound movements, the thin, durable, and accurate Caliber 9S64, which is precise to +5/-3 seconds per day when static and has a power reserve of approximately 72 hours. Constructed for beauty as well as strength and performance, it features a large, decorated train wheel bridge and can be viewed through the watch’s sapphire crystal case back.
While the first Grand Seiko watch measured a compact 35mm, the new creation is 38mm in diameter and 10.9mm thick, a comfortable size in line with modern tastes for dress watches. It also makes for a versatile daily watch, with easy wearability complemented by a power reserve that allows it to bridge a whole weekend between windings.
The watch comes with a solid rose gold three-fold clasp that perfectly complements the case and gold markers. A supplied crocodile strap in navy-blue harmonizes with the shimmering navy-blue dial for a modern look, while a second strap in brown crocodile provides a classically elegant option.
The Re-Creation of the First Grand Seiko SBGW314 is a limited edition of 50 and will be available for a price of $26,500 in June 2024 exclusively at Grand Seiko Boutiques.
