Grand Seiko is a luxury watch brand that Japan is proud of around the world. It was launched in 1960 as a top collection of Seiko, and gained high acclaim not only in Japan but also around the world, becoming an independent brand in 2017 .
This time, we will introduce the differences between Grand Seiko and Seiko, their history, and popular models. If you are wondering, "What is the difference between Grand Seiko and Seiko?", "I'm interested in Grand Seiko watches!", or "I want to know more about the brand!", please refer to this article.
What is Grand Seiko?
Grand Seiko became independent from Seiko in 2017. It first appeared in 1960 as a premium collection from Seiko, the company involved in the quartz shock of the 1970s , and has since gained worldwide acclaim for its practicality, excellent design, and overwhelming technical expertise.
Among many luxury watch brands, it is known as one of the few manufacture brands. (Note: Manufacture refers to a company that handles everything from the manufacturing of movement parts to assembly and watchmaking in-house.) While many brands tend to outsource movement manufacturing to specialized companies, it is a rare brand that handles all of this in-house.
Grand Seiko has overwhelming technical capabilities that rival those of luxury Swiss watch brands, but there are many models that can be purchased for under 1 million yen, making them excellent value for money, which is one of their biggest attractions. The fact that you can purchase a watch at such a low price while still maintaining high quality is something that only Grand Seiko can offer.
Differences with Seiko
*Source: https://www.webchronos.net/features/51609/
As mentioned above, Grand Seiko became independent from Seiko in 2017. While Seiko mainly deals in general-purpose models, Grand Seiko mainly deals in luxury watches.
Seiko offers a wide range of models for a wide audience. Meanwhile, Grand Seiko is said to have changed its direction to compete with the world's top luxury watch brands. In 2018 , a new Grand Seiko company was established in the United States, clearly demonstrating the brand's expansion into the international market.
The History of Grand Seiko
From here on, we will introduce the history of Grand Seiko, focusing on turning points.
The birth of the first Grand Seiko
*Source: https://www.webchronos.net/features/51609/
Seiko created the Grand Seiko as a model to compete with the world's luxury watch brands. 1960. The movement " Cal.3180" achieved the same level of precision as the superior standard of the Swiss chronometer inspection standard, which was considered the most precise at the time, and became a hot topic. At a time when the starting salary of a senior national civil servant was 12,000 yen, the launch price of 25,000 yen shows that it was an exceptional luxury item.
In 1967 , Grand Seiko released the 44GS , which established the current Grand Seiko design, and the 62GS , the brand's first automatic model. Around this time, the brand began to dominate the top rankings at the Swiss Observatory Competition. (The Swiss Observatory Competition is a competition to judge the precision of watches, and it was the first time that a non-Swiss brand, Seiko, had achieved the feat of taking the top spots.) The competition was discontinued the following year, but it is said that this was because Grand Seiko wanted to avoid monopolizing the top spots.
Development of a new movement, Spring Drive
*Source: https://www.grand-seiko.com/jp-ja/worldofgrandseiko/Manufacture/shinshuwatchstudio
In 1969 , the world's first quartz watch developed by Seiko caused the "Quartz Shock" which caused mechanical watches to stop selling. In fact, the wave of this "Quartz Shock" also affected Grand Seiko, a mechanical watch.
Grand Seiko went into a hiatus for a while due to the "Quartz Shock", but made a comeback in 1988 with the release of the " 95GS ", a highly accurate quartz watch with an annual accuracy of ±10 seconds. In 2004 , Seiko surprised the watch industry by releasing a model equipped with their own new movement, " Spring Drive ". (*Spring Drive is a movement that combines the best of both mechanical and quartz movements, using a mainspring as its power source while achieving the same accuracy as quartz.) Incidentally, this "Spring Drive" was developed in 1999 , but it took an additional four years of development to install it in Grand Seiko's high-standard watches.
In 2017 , it became independent from Seiko and started a new life as a brand called Grand Seiko.
How to Choose a Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko has a wide range of watches in its lineup. How do you actually choose from such a large number of models? We would like to introduce some helpful tips on how to choose.
Choose from the collection
*Source: https://www.grand-seiko.com/jp-ja/collections/heritage/h4
Currently, Grand Seiko is divided into five collections.
[ Elegance Collection ] : A collection centered on dress watches
[ Sports Collection ] : Casual and activity collection.
[ Masterpiece Collection ] : The brand's high-end collection
[ Evolution 9 Collection ] : A collection that incorporates Japanese aesthetics into design
The Heritage Collection is especially popular. Its classic design goes well with a suit, and its highly practical features, such as a highly visible dial and high precision, make it an appealing choice.
Choose by movement
*Source: https://www.webchronos.net/features/51609/
As you can see from the history, there are three types of Grand Seiko movements. Each movement is named with a number starting with 9, and can be distinguished by the alphabet that follows.
Watches equipped with the 9S caliber mechanical movement have a see-through back cover, allowing you to view the beautiful movement. In addition, the quartz movement is also overwhelmingly accurate compared to other companies. While it is usually said that the monthly difference is ±20 seconds, Grand Seiko has achieved an overwhelming accuracy of ±10 seconds per year. By the way, "Spring Drive" is a hybrid of quartz and mechanical, and is a movement that can only be experienced with Grand Seiko.
][Grand Seiko] Recommended models
Here we will introduce some recommended Grand Seiko models.
"Heritage Collection" "Ref.SBGH297"
*Source: https://www.grand-seiko.com/jp-ja/collections/sbgh297
[Seiko] "Ref.SBGH297" features a dial depicting the streets of Ginza, where the company was founded. The dial, which is painted with the " Ginza grid pattern", is arranged in a vibrant sky blue color that evokes Ginza in the afternoon, and brightens up the wrist. In addition to the design, another feature of this watch is the mechanical movement "Cal.9S85" that vibrates at 10 vibrations per second, assembled by skilled craftsmen at "Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi".Starting with Rolex's Oyster Perpetual, and then with the release of the Patek Philippe x Tiffany Nautilus, the turquoise color has become extremely popular. Only 260 pieces are available in Japan, so it's a model with exciting future potential in terms of investment value.
"Elegance Collection" "Ref.SBGW285"
*Source: https://www.grand-seiko.com/jp-ja/collections/sbgw285
The "Ref.SBGW285" fully expresses the season of Byo-ka, which represents the change of seasons from summer to autumn. The deep green dial and belt give a classic and mature impression. In addition, by installing the hand-wound movement "Cal.9S64", it has been successfully made thin. It is designed to fit very comfortably around the wrist of Japanese people.
This model, with a deeper shade than any of the "green" models offered by luxury watch brands, is calming and can be said to bring out the best in Japan.
"Sports Collection" "Ref.SBGE275"
*Source: https://www.grand-seiko.com/jp-ja/collections/sbge275
The "Ref.SBGE275" was released to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Grand Seiko's first GMT model, which was released in 2002. This beautifully designed model features a two-tone bezel unique to the GMT function and a dial that reproduces the "Shukabra" snow surface pattern. (*Shukabra refers to the pattern that the wind scrapes off deep snow. )
Equipped with the high-precision movement "Cal.9R16" with a monthly accuracy of ±10 seconds, it has a power reserve of 72 hours. This highly functional and rare model is limited to 1,500 units (500 units in Japan).
"Masterpiece Collection" "Ref.SBGD201"
*Source: https://www.grand-seiko.com/jp-ja/collections/sbgd201
The "Ref.SBGD201" is equipped with the new Spring Drive movement "Cal.9R01." The biggest feature of this watch is that it has a power reserve of 8 days, far exceeding the conventional 3 days, by arranging three barrels in series instead of the usual one.
The case is made of PT950 (containing 95% rare platinum) and is polished with the newly developed Zaratsu polishing method to create a beautiful, sharp edge that was not possible with previous platinum cases. The beautifully finished case and pure white dial create a sophisticated design.
"Evolution 9 Collection" "Ref.SLGH005"
*Source: https://www.grand-seiko.com/jp-ja/collections/slgh005
The "Ref.SLGH005" depicts a magnificent birch forest with a dynamic stamped pattern and a delicately colored dial. This model, which gives off a mystical impression just by looking at it, is equipped with the mechanical high-beat movement "Cal.9SA5". Despite its high beat of 36,000 vibrations per hour, it achieves approximately 80 hours of operation when fully wound, and its unique horizontal gear train structure makes it slim.
The combination of a case and bracelet that fits comfortably on the wrist and a beautiful dial pattern makes this a masterpiece that will elevate the status of anyone who wears it.
summary
What did you think.
Seiko's high-end line, with sophisticated design and functionality that comes from overwhelming technical expertise, is popular among people in their 40s and 50s , and is recognized not only in Japan but all over the world. Grand Seiko . Compared to other luxury watch brands, it boasts overwhelming cost performance while being just as functional and stylish. There is no doubt that Grand Seiko will continue to attract more attention in the watch world in the future.
Why not try out this finest watch that Japan can boast of?