Though this year will be remembered for all the long reasons but Seiko plans to end this year on a high by introducing two new models, not just any models but the coveted Grand Seiko. 2020 marks two important anniversaries and both will be celebrated by a new Grand Seiko respectively. First of them is SBZ005 which celebrates the 160th birth anniversary of Seiko’s founder Kintaro Hattori. The second one is SBGW260 which marks the 140th anniversary of the establishment of Seiko.
SBZ005 basically stands for Grand Seiko Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary Limited Edition. The watch at first glance will look somewhat familiar and then you will realise that the case is modeled after the very first Grand Seiko from 1960.
Coming to the specs the case is Zaratsu polished in platinum with a diameter of 37.5mm and a thickness of 9.6mm. As this is a dress watch the water resistance is kept at 30 meters. Though the case draws inspiration from the first ever grand seiko but the aesthetics are quite modern. The case is covered by a dual curved sapphire crystal. The caseback has a sapphire display as well so that the owner can admire the beauty of the creation.
The dial is finished with patterns and varying depths that depicts grooves like elements. The grooves have been arranged to create a geometrically complex pattern. To draw attention to the pattern and keep a lcean look one can see the Grand Seiko logo in a gothic font at 12 o’clock. At the 6 o’clock you will find a star mark that signifies that the indexes and hands are made out of 14k white gold. The gray second’s hand gives a monochromatic feel.
The watch is powered by the caliber 9R02. The caliber is based on the 7R114 in the Credor Eichi II and it has proven its worth in watches like SBGZ001 and SBGZ003. Like all Grand Seiko movement this one is also Spring Drive caliber and gives an accuracy of +1/-1 seconds per day and a power reserve of 3.5 days ie 84 hours. Seiko’s master artists from the Micro Artist Studio designed the hands.
Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGW260 is another Grand Seiko that draws inspiration from the first watch ref 3180. The case is 38mm made out of 18k rose gold and has thickness of 10.9mm. Being a dress watch the water resistance is kept at 30 meters. The dual curved sapphire crystal houses a dial that is immediately recognisable by seiko community and fans. At 12 o’clock you have the Grand Seiko Logo and at the 6 o’clopck you have the words “Diashock” and “24 jewels.” Just like the ref. 3180 the presence of the star logo at 6 o’clock denotes that the indices and hands are 18k rose gold.
The watch houses the hand wound 9S64 that has a power reserve of 3 days ie 72 hours and beats at 4Hz. It adheres to the standard set by Grand Seiko and keeps accuracy within the bounds of +5/-3 seconds per day. Unfortunately the movement is not hand decorated. But to show that the watch marks the 140th anniversary, Seiko has made the use of heat blued screws, beveled edges, and a gold plate engraved with Seiko’s “S” trademark. All of this can been easily seen through the sapphire display caseback. The caseback has the iconic Grand Seiko Lion etched into it.
Well, Seiko has been guilty of releasing too many limited edition watches in a year when the entire economy is reeling. Couple of months ago they launched the SBGC238 and most of the limited edition watches draw inspiration from the ref 3180. Well the caveat is that BGZ005 is the first Grand Seiko watch with a case inspired by the ref. 3180 to feature a Spring Drive, while the SBGW260 is the first ref. 3180 reissue to feature a rose gold case.
Well at the end of the day one thing that we all agree upon is that Grand Seiko is underrated and they offer great value for money. Their craftsmanship can give the top Swiss manufacturers a run for their money. It’s just that Grand Seiko tend to fly well below the radar with far less exposure. The Grand Seiko Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGZ005 is a limited edition of 50 pieces and has a price of $103,500. The Grand Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition SBGW260 is a limited edition of 350 pieces and has a price of $29,000. For more information, visit Grand Seiko.
The Enigmatic Pen 