Introducing Grand Seiko Releases to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Caliber 9S

Photo: Monochrome

With two unique variants out of its Heritage line and dials influenced by the shifting skies above Mount Iwate, Grand Seiko commemorates the 25th anniversary of its revolutionary caliber 9S. These commemorative editions have a similar casing design and small 37mm size as the original GS wristwatch equipped with the in-house 9S movement, which was invented by Grand Seiko’s chief designer Nobuhiro Kosugi in 1998. These simple three-hand-and-date watches, one featuring the 3-day automated Hi-Beat caliber 9S65 and the second with the Hi-Beat caliber 9S85, come in limited runs of 1,200 copies. 

About Caliber 9S 

Basically, Grand Seiko doesn’t compromise on quality. The Grand Seiko Chronometer represented the joint effort to create the “greatest timepiece in the world” as it began in 1960. Furthermore, the brand aesthetic was solidified in the 44GS edition 7 years following its inception. 

With this original 44GS, nine distinct design features still present in current variants were created. This was along with the utilization of reflections or “glittery of quality” in the style of facet hands and markings made to mirror even the slightest light ray.

Photo: Seiko

Additionally, with the release of caliber 9S, a precise in-house automated movement created in 1998 from the ground up was accomplished. It marked a major landmark in the growth of the Japanese company’s manual watch division. Besides, the 9S has been the foundation of all mechanical clocks in the GS line because of its exceptional productivity levels that exceeded those in the market.  

The Grand Seiko Shizukuishi Studio, which is situated in a region recognized for its stunning landscape topped by the snow-covered summit of Mount Iwate, is where all 9S manual movements are created. Generally, numerous other movements have been developed throughout the years employing the 9S as a platform.

Photo: Seiko Hi-Beat 9S85 movement from 2009

They include the Hi-Beat 9S85 from 2009, the 9S65 3 days power reserve from 2010, and the 9S86 featuring Hi-Beat and GMT feature from 2014. The most modern Hi-Beat Grand Seiko movement so far, caliber 9SA5, was unveiled in 2020 to coincide with the company’s 60th anniversary. 

The three major Grand Seiko collections—Heritage, Beauty, and Sport—are all outfitted with exceptional movements and completed with traditional Japanese craftsmanship and meticulous care for every detail.

Photo: Seiko Heritage Collection

The Heritage collection, as its name suggests, pays homage to the first Grand Seikos, and a number of its variants have dials featuring hues or themes directly drawn from the natural world.

Grand Seiko SBGH311

The company’s first international launch that combines a Hi-Beat movement and the initial 37-millimeter casing size is the Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Calibre 9S 25th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGH311. It was created by Nobuhiro Kosugi in 1998. Like the prized White Birch or the exquisite pink sakura-prompted dial of the 44GS, Grand Seiko is well known for its in-house patterned dials depicting a few of Mother Nature’s utmost magnificent landscapes.

This commemorative model’s silver-white dial mimics the ocean of clouds Mount Iwate is covered in at dawn. The dappled dial design was electroformed by GS artists. To mark the 25th year of the 9S movement, the middle seconds’ indicator is toned in blue, while the Grand Seiko emblem is engraved in a golden hue.

Photo: Monochrome

The SBGR001’s measurements, which are 37 millimeters in diameter and 13.3 millimeters thick, are a tribute to the inaugural GS piece equipped with the groundbreaking 9S movement. This variant’s hand-amassed movement is the Hi-Beat 36000 mechanically operated caliber 9S85, which has a 55-hour power reserve and a precision level of +5/-3 seconds per day. Moreover, the anodic oxidation method is used to produce the speckled blue color on the titanium open-worked oscillation weight.

Grand Seiko SBGR325

Another anniversary version, the Grand Seiko Heritage Collection Calibre 9S 25th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGR325, honors the crystal-clear sky of the Iwate Prefecture, wherein Grand Seiko manual timepieces are produced. A fine diamond-cut hour and minute indexes shine on the fitted, facet, and refined indicators on the sky blue dial, which has a silky clean sunray treatment that radiates light from all directions. 

Photo: Monochrome

Similar in dimensions to the Hi-Beat variant, the stainless steel casing displays exquisite hand coating and brilliant glossy highlights that stretch to the bracelet and tri-foldable buckle. Additionally, the open-work blue wheel of the 3-day automated movement, caliber 9S65, driven by Grand Seiko, is visible via the transparent caseback.

Grand Seiko Rapid Advancement of Mechanical Watches

The Grand Seiko series expanded over the decade as novel calibers were rapidly and consistently launched. The inaugural automated Grand Seiko, the 62GS, was revealed by Grand Seiko in 1967. Later, the auto 10 beat 61GS, as well as the mechanical 10 beat 45GS, were released in 1968.

The battle at chronometer tests heated up in response to the needs of the time and the great opportunities that innovation offered. As a result, watch precision grew into a worldwide obsession.

Grand Seiko’s staff sought abroad for more challenges after dominating all Japanese Chronometer competitions, and the Swiss observatory chronometry tests gladly accepted their participation in 1964. In the years following, notably at the Neuchâtel and Geneva “Concours,” the ratings increased steadily. Additionally, the public became aware that the movements which would become Grand Seiko were one of the greatest worldwide when the movement won the ultimate prize for the most outstanding mechanical timepieces in the 1968 Geneva Observatory Competition.

Photo: Seiko

These outcomes weren’t a coincidence. Seiko and, particularly, the Grand Seiko group made a significant and long-lasting commitment to increasing the benchmarks of mechanical craftsmanship worldwide. This was achieved through developing novel alloys and elements, the continuous improvement of watchmaking techniques, and enthusiasm to build the “ideal” timepiece. 

Furthermore, the strength and longevity of its mainsprings were improved. The capacity to boost the oscillating frequency of the balancing wheel to 10 pulses a second to considerably improve the precision of its timepieces was also largely facilitated by its special Spron alloys. 

Photo: Financial Times

Eventually, a working Hi-Beat wristwatch was created, which was a challenge. With time, a number of watches with specialized adjustments pushed the bar even higher and established new milestones for accuracy. This is because they were less vulnerable to positional variations and other outside factors.