Grand Seiko Shakes Up Its Contemporary Catalog: Here’s What You Need To Know

Around the beginning of each year, watchmaking brands across the industry put all their weight behind launching and teasing the exciting new watch releases they have coming up. While our attention is diverted to the shiny new watches soon to hit retailers, many of these brands are quietly phasing out other models that they won’t be continuing to produce, and these phase-outs tend to fly a bit under the radar. We’ve gotten wind of several Grand Seiko pieces that the brand won’t be producing any more of in the foreseeable future, so the Grand Seiko watches below just got a lot harder to get your hands on — and, one could argue, more collectible. 

SLGH017

I’m beginning this roundup with a piece I was a little surprised to hear was being put on the production back-burner, given the general popularity of the brand’s White Birch dial. Of course, given the black dial and all, the "White Birch" label might seem a little ironic, but this take, as the brand paints it, is inspired by the birch trees at night. 

The SLGH017 is situated within the Evolution 9 collection, which is defined by its use of key pillars of the Grand Seiko design identity with a modern edge. The core three values are evolutions in aesthetics, legibility, and wearing comfort. Evolution 9, unlike its heritage-inspired line, is a representation of how Grand Seiko views itself in a contemporary context. For the piece at hand, the play with light and shadow through hand-crafted dial textural motifs is arguably the star of the show, and makes it feel a touch more interesting than your typical black-dial watch. Additionally, SLGH017 is crafted in high-intensity titanium for a lightweight feel, has a diameter of 40mm, and is powered by the brand’s automatic, high-beat 9SA5 caliber with a power reserve of 80 hours. 

Quartz Models

I will warn you now that there are quite a few of the brand’s high-precision quartz-powered watches on this list. I understand that the quartz label will be an immediate deterrent to some, but I will always argue that there is a time and place for quartz done well, and it inarguably makes the price tag more attainable. So if you want the look, build, and quality of a Grand Seiko watch but have a budget under $4,000 or even less, don’t discount the brand’s quartz-powered makes. 

All the pieces at hand are situated within the brand’s Heritage collection and calls upon the signature stylings of the 44GS that debuted in 1967. Crafted in stainless steel, these pieces all feature a 40mm diameter and Zaratsu-polished surfaces that are a calling card of Grand Seiko’s craftsmanship. These models all utilize the 9F85 precision quartz movement, which is an example of quartz elevated to Grand Seiko’s high standards. For frequent travelers, the time-difference functionality of the movement allows the hour and minute hand to be adjusted independently of the seconds hand, which allows for a more accurate switching of time between time zones. The estimated battery life on the 9F85 caliber is up to three years. Additionally, each model features a date window at the 3 o’clock position.

The biggest difference between the models is their color palettes. The SBGP001G and SBGP009 both feature warm, cream-hued dials with a silky sunray finish, though the former features a pop of blue on the seconds hand. The SBGP003 and SBGP011 maintain the style of the 44GS and both feature an inky black dial which is a more back-to-the-basics approach than the textural, nature-inspired dial designs we're accustomed to seeing from Grand Seiko. The last of the quartz models on this list is the navy blue SBGP005, and the pricing for these pieces ranges from $2,600-$3,500. 

SBGJ275

With this model, I feel like I’m cheating a bit, since the SBGJ275 was released as a 2,000-piece limited edition, part of the brand’s 25th anniversary celebration of the 9S movement. But, if you had your eye on it and didn’t pull the trigger, this model is sold out on the brand’s website, and this is your warning that it’s going to be a lot harder to get a hold of moving forward. 

This model is positioned in the brand’s Sport Collection and features one of my favorite dial finishes – and one that the brand doesn’t utilize very often. The mixing of various shades of blue, silver, and white is intended to mimic the scenic, aerial view of clouds at daybreak. This watch is on the larger side with its 44.2mm diameter, but it packs a punch in terms of its utility. In addition to the blue-and-white GMT bezel and dedicated GMT hand, there is also a recessed 24-hour scale around the dial, which allows its wearer to read the time in three time zones, and the watch is water resistant up to 200 meters. The movement within is the 9S86 Hi-Beat caliber, which has a power reserve up to 55 hours, and you can see the light blue rotor (which gets its unique hue from an anodic oxidation process) through the sapphire caseback – which is usually not the norm for Grand Seiko’s models with this level of water resistance. 

For more information on Grand Seiko, visit the brand's website here.