This year being a big year for Grand Seiko as it celebrate its 60th birthday, Grand Seiko went back to its roots to the original 1960s model with 3 new watches to the line up. Previously when Grand Seiko was still under the parent company Seiko, the brand made a limited edition reissue for the 120th anniversary and 130th anniversary.
In addition, when Grand Seiko became its own entity in 2017, it released a trio of limited editions SBGW251, SBGW252 and, SBGW253 to mark this event. With that, the brand decided to celebrate the 60th anniversary by adding 3 new production models to the line up instead of limited editions.
At first glance, the new models look very similar to the limited editions from 2017 and indeed they do. They share the same 38mm case but instead of a closed caseback with engraved gold medallion, these new models have a sapphire glass to display the caliber 9S64 running inside. They also carry over the Diashield above the 6 o’clock and the little star above on the two precious metal versions, which we will discuss in detail later. Despite these modern updates, the original 1960 Grand Seiko DNA is clearly visible in these new watches.
SBGW257:
With that, we take a look at the Crème de la crème platinum version, the SBGW257. The watch has a platinum 950 case and the dial is made of 18K gold as well as the hands and applied indexes. Under the 12 o’clock, the Grand Seiko text is engraved on the dial. Above the 6 o’clock, there is a star, which is short for special dial, as it indicates the dial is made with special material. In this case, 18K gold.
SBGW258:
The second watch also with the emblem above the 6 o’clock position is the SBGW258, this watch has a 18K yellow gold case with gold indexes and hands. Instead of engraved Grand Seiko under the 12, these letters are raised instead. However, they are still a beauty to look at.
SBGW259:
The third watch, which is the most affordable piece of the three, is made of titanium, which is an interesting choice as it is the first time the material has been used on a vintage remake. It isn’t just any titanium either, it is Brilliant Titanium, that is exclusive for Grand Seiko.
According to the information received, this is twice as hard as stainless steel but weighs the same as normal titanium. This means the case is highly resistant to scratches and allows the zaratsu polishing to really shine. As you might have noticed, this watch has a dark blue dial, which is another first for a vintage remake. Known for their impressive work on dials, I am very intrigued to see this in person.
All three watches will be available starting in June 2020 at Grand Seiko Boutiques and are offered with crocodile straps. The caliber 9S64 has an accuracy of +5/-3 and has a power reserve of 3 days. The platinum SBGW257 has a suggested retail of $38,000, the yellow gold SBGW258 has a retail price of $26,000. The titanium SBGW259 has a retail price of $8,000
Celebrating the very beginning