Grand Seiko celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Caliber 9S, the first modern-day GS caliber designed by the team led by designer Nobuhiro Kosugi, with the release of two Heritage collection special models with dials inspired by the skies over Mount Iwate, the SBGH311 & SBGR325.
The two new anniversary models of the Heritage line pay tribute to classic Grand Seikos, with many featuring dials with nature motifs. Both share the same 37mm case design, diamond-cut indexes, hour, and minute hands, three-hand-and-date configurations, cobalt blue seconds hand, and a gold Grand Seiko logo at 12 o’clock.
The SBGH311 features a silver dial textured and designed to represent the sea of clouds visible from Mt. Iwate in the Iwate Prefecture. The titanium oscillating weight visible through the transparent sapphire crystal case back has a Grand Seiko emblem and a blue shade made through an anodic oxidation process. The timepiece is powered by a Hi-Beat 36000 37-jewel automatic mechanical caliber 9S85, hand-assembled at the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi. It has a 55-hour power reserve and water resistance of up to 100m.
The SBGR325 on the other hand features a light blue sunray-finished dial that represents the clear skies above Mt. Iwate. The sapphire crystal back sports the Grand Seiko signature blue color on the oscillating weight. This timepiece runs on the automatic 4hz Caliber 9565 that has 35 jewels, a 72-hour power reserve, and 100m water resistance.
The Grand Seiko Caliber 9S 25th Anniversary Limited Edition watches are limited to a production limit of 1,200 apiece. The SBGH311 model carries a $6,600 price tag and is now available exclusively from Grand Seiko’s Online Boutique and at Grand Seiko Boutiques and select retail partners worldwide starting February 2023. The SBGR325 model comes in at $5,300 and will be available at the Grand Seiko Boutiques and select retail partners worldwide in April 2023.
