If you know anything about the history of Seiko and Grand Seiko, which is very likely because they like to talk about it with every virtually every launch, then you’ll know that their founder, Kintaro Hattori’s first workshop was located in Ginza, Tokyo. In celebration of this connection to Ginza, Grand Seiko have launched a new 62GS Hi-Beat SBGH317 exclusively available in their boutiques and retailers in the historic district.
As you’d expect from Grand Seiko, the focus of the piece is immediately the dial, a gorgeous light purple, periwinkle piece with a geometric pattern of rectangles off-set against each other. It’s designed to evoke images of the Ginza district when seen from the skies, an aerial shot of city streets separating city blocks. It looks great, although it’s definitely more of a conceptual and artistic interpretation of a city district compared to the Glashütte Original PanoInverse, which has a far more detailed cityscape design.
On top of the dial is Grand Seiko’s incredibly refined set of hands and hour markers with sharp bevelled edges and polished surfaces. Those angular designs match the case itself, which is based on the 62GS. It measures 40mm in diameter in steel with a strong facetted design, further emphasised by Grand Seiko’s signature Zaratsu polishing. Zaratsu polishing combines the arts of mirror polishing and hairline finishing to create a really striking finish that highlights every change in plane of a facetted surface.
Powering the piece is the Hi-Beat Calibre 9S85, which beats at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour. It’s pretty impressive with an accuracy of -3/+5 seconds per day and you can learn all about how it works and how it compares to Grand Seiko’s other hyper accurate movement, the Spring Drive, with this handy head-to-head video. The movement is visible through the 62GS Hi-Beat SBGH317’s exhibition caseback.
It’s priced at JPY 847,000 (approx. £4,575) in a limited edition of 530 pieces. As a Ginza exclusive you’ll need to take a trip to one of the six boutiques stocking the watch, which are GS Flagship Boutique Ginza, GS Flagship Boutique Ginza Namiki Street, GS Boutique Ginza, Ginza Mitsukoshi, Matsuya Ginza Watch Salon, and Nissindo Ginza. It’s a cool timepiece for sure and it makes me excited to see what else Grand Seiko have planned in 2024 for global release, hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to find out.
Price and Specs:
Model:
Grand
Seiko 62GS Hi-Beat ‘Ginza’
Ref:
SBGH317
Case:
40mm
diameter x 12.9mm thickness, stainless steel
Dial:
Ginza
inspired grid patterned dial
Water resistance:
100m
(10 bar)
Movement:
Grand
Seiko calibre 9S85, automatic, 37 jewels
Frequency:
36,000
vph (5 Hz)
Power reserve:
55h
Functions:
Hours,
minutes, seconds, date
Strap:
Stainless
steel bracelet
Price:
JPY
847,000 (approx. £4,575), limited to 530 pieces
More details at Grand Seiko JP.
Oracle Time