Grand Seiko's Three New Heritage Collection Models Include its Smallest, Slimmest Automatics Yet

Grand Seiko has been on a roll lately with pushing out its new watches for 2025. The Japanese watchmaker’s latest debut is a trio of pieces within its Heritage collection, which reimagines its core designs – the 62GS and the 44GS from 1967 – into a modern context. Today, Grand Seiko announced three new pieces joining the ranks of the Heritage collection, including a scaled-down 30mm duo of the 62GS, along with a 38mm take on the line crafted in 18k rose gold. 

The most novel of these three launches also happens to directly appeal to the core of my tastes – my love for small watches – so it only feels natural to begin there. The brand has avoided any gendered language in its materials for this launch, but I am taking this release as a sign of an updated strategy by the brand to appeal to women consumers (and small watch lovers in general) in a new direction. Previously, the brand had released tiny models marketed to women (including the STGK line with a diameter of just 27.8mm, with a Caliber 9S27 movement) along with several more cushion-shaped-case models, often featuring diamond details, but these models haven’t pulled from the brand’s historical designs so much as the newly introduced STGK031 and STGK033 models. Neither did they feature the 10.55 case thickness, which is the slimmest profile that the brand has featured on its contemporary automatic watches. 

We are talking about Grand Seiko here, so of course we’re bound to encounter meticulously finished dials that call to the natural beauty of Japan. All three models have taken on the motif of cherry blossoms, which is a familiar staple that the brand often riffs on. For the pink-hued STGK031, the inspiration is the cherry blossoms in early spring, while the silvery tones of the STGK033 harken to cherry blossoms as seen in the moonlight. These pieces have time and date functionality, with silver applied indices marking the hours and a recessed minutes track paired with a white date window at three o’clock. 

The 30mm case with the unparalleled slimness of 10.5mm is a directly downsized take on the familiar 62GS style, featuring dressy elongated lugs, signature bezel-free design, and box-shaped sapphire crystal. The models feature the brand’s quintessential Zaratsu-polished finishing techniques with a reflective gleam on the varying surfaces. The automatic 927S movement within helps achieve the impressive scale of these watches, and the escapement wheel has been designed to mimic the shape of a 5-petal flower, further tying in the blossom motif. You can see the intricate finishing of the movement through the sapphire crystal caseback, of course. Additionally, both of these models are water resistant 30 meters. 

Moving on to the other piece the brand has unveiled, the 18K rose gold SBGH368 embodies “Sakura-Kakushi,” which Grand Seiko refers to the phenomenon of cherry blossoms under a blanket of freshly fallen snow. This model opts for a more dressy styling, paired with a rich brown leather strap that compliments the warm tones of the copper pink dial and the rose gold details. The 38mm case is, again, the classic 62GS style with Zaratsu polishing, and this model is actually the only rose-gold make of its kind that is not a limited edition. For the movement, the SBGH368 relies on the Hi-Beat Caliber 9S85 with a 55-hour power reserve, which can be seen in action through the sapphire crystal caseback. 

All three of these newly released models will be available for purchase beginning in April 2025. The STGK031 and STGK033 are priced at $6,400, and the rose-gold SBGH368 will retail at $31,200. For more information, visit the brand’s website here.