55th Anniversary Box Set | Historical Collection one of 55 | Steel

Grand Seiko have unquestionably established themselves as one of the world's most impressive watch brands - challenging Swiss dominance and developing innovative technologies. The original Grand Seiko model was produced at Suwa Seikosha (now Seiko Epson), in Nagano prefecture, Central Japan - in 1960 - and was the first Japanese-made watch to achieve an excellent rating from the ‘Bureaux Officiels de Contrôle de la Marche des Montres’ - then Switzerland’s official chronometer testing agency.
Released in 2015, fifty-five limited edition, steel Grand Seiko box sets were made to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Grand Seiko. Fifty sets were kept for domestic sale, each with uniform silver dials and steel cases (for the complete edition). The set includes a 2016 62GS, 2013 44GS and a 2014 “Self-Dater”.

Starting with the latter, the 2014 “Self-Dater” pays homage to the original reference (from 1964), with similar proportions and distinctive case styling. The radial-brushed dial is classically understated, balancing the inclusion of an outer-minute track perfectly. The crown is also inspired by the original. At its heart, the “Self-Dater” boasts one of the most advanced quartz movements ever produced, the Grand Seiko 9F. The movement is accurate within 10 seconds a year (owing to thermo-compensation), with a high torque motor and adjustment screw for regulation, accounting for quartz drift.

The 2013 44GS, similarly, harks back to one of Grand Seiko's most historical references, the 1967 44GS. The original concept focused heavily on the case, replicated in this 2013 version. Its execution is arguably unique to Grand Seiko, with multiple polished angles throughout. The 2013 44GS is completely faithful to the original, with a 37.9mm case. It also holds the Grand Seiko seal on the case-back, just like the 60s model. Like the above mentioned “Self-Dater”, it displays three hands - hours, minutes, and centre-seconds for the time. Overall, the dial layout is clean, with the highly-polished, steel hands visible in a variety of lighting conditions, forgoing the need for luminous material. Inside, is the manually-wound Grand Seiko 9S64, with a frequency of 4hz and power-reserve of 72 hours.

Rounding-off the collection, the Grand Seiko 2016 62GS recreates the original 62GS, from 1967. Seiko announced the 62GS Historical Collection at Baselworld, 2015, to mark the 55th anniversary of Grand Seiko. The 62GS was the fourth Seiko historical recreation, after the Self-Dater and 44GS.

The distinctive, bezel-free case is slightly larger than the original (at 37.6mm), to accommodate its larger movement. It has a box-shaped sapphire crystal resting directly onto the case, with faceted lugs and polished surfaces throughout. The case is finished with the zaratsu technique (also used for Japanese swords). Like the original, the 2015 62GS displays the crown at 4 o’clock. This feature was originally designed to indicate automatic-winding, additionally serving as a reminder to keep the watch wound on the wrist, while rendering the crown less obtrusive. The Grand Seiko emblem on the case-back is taken from the original, and differs slightly from the current logo, seen on modern Grand Seiko watches. The buckle is also “vintage” style. It comes equipped with 9S65 movement, with 3-day power-reserve and -3 to +5 seconds per day rating, which is the Grand Seiko standard.

This limited edition, Grand Seiko steel set comes complete with its original Grand Seiko box, paperwork, warranty card and Guarantee Repair Coupon. Each is fitted to their respective, original gloss-black strap and steel Grand Seiko buckle.

Until recently, Grand Seiko watches were a Seiko sub-brand (featuring the Seiko logo at 12 o’clock and “Grand Seiko” at 6). In 2017, Seiko announced its decision to present Grand Seiko as an independent brand, with only "Grand Seiko” visible on the dial. This limited edition, steel box set therefore represents an excellent opportunity to acquire three limited edition, Grand Seiko pieces, with original inspired design.

Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment.

A CLOSER LOOK

Brand:	Grand Seiko
Model:	2016 62GS; 2013 44GS; 2014 “Self-Dater”
Movement:	Cal. 9S65; 9S64; Grand Seiko 9F
Functions:	time-only: hours, minutes, center seconds
Features:	limited edition of 55
Case:	stainless steel
Crystal:	sapphire
Bracelet:	original gloss-black straps, Grand Seiko buckles
Year:	2015
Box & papers:	full set - box and papers