Description
About Grand Seiko SLGH013
Grand Seiko Heritage Collection
A new 44GS design with innovation inside and out
This modern Hi-Beat 36000 timepiece expresses anew the Grand Seiko Style. The dial is in light blue and has the texture of the snow that starts to melt in Spring on Mt Iwate, the imposing 2,038-meter-high peak that overlooks the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, where all Grand Seiko mechanical models are made.
The combination of a flat dial and a wide opening lets light pour in and create an ever-changing background against which the razor-edged, multi-faceted indexes and the hour and minute hands show their brilliance. Zaratsu polishing delivers a perfectly smooth and distortion-free mirror finish on the upper surfaces of the case. The 12 o’clock index is twice as wide as the others to make the time easily legible whatever the reading angle. The result is a radiantly sparkling dial of high legibility that expresses the uniquely Japanese character and heritage of Grand Seiko.
For the first time in a mainstream Grand Seiko creation, Ever-Brilliant Steel* is used not only for the case but also for the bracelet. This high-grade steel is bright in appearance and has a very high level of corrosion resistance that ensures the watch’s durability. The use of this advanced material is in perfect harmony with the very latest Grand Seiko movement, Caliber 9SA5, which offers the enhanced precision that only a hi-beat movement can deliver with a power reserve of a remarkable 80 hours.
* This stainless steel has a PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) value 1.7 times higher than that of the grade of steel used in most high-class watches. PREN is a widely accepted standard used to measure corrosion resistance.
About 9S Mechanical
In 1968, Grand Seiko introduced Japan’s first automatic 10-beat watch (61GS) to the world.
In 2009, 10-beat Caliber 9S85 surpassed the original, with high precision parts created using sophisticated modern technology assembled with skills honed over the many decades of Grand Seiko’s watchmaking.
Innovations to the precision controlling mainspring, the hairspring, and the escapement mean that the 9S Mechanical is not simply a revival of the 10-beat movement of the past, but an entirely new incarnation of this high-precision movement.
Grand Seiko SLGH013 Features
In 1967, a new watch was added to the Grand Seiko Collection that was destined to become one of its defining creations. It was the 44GS, the first watch to embody the Grand Seiko Style, a design grammar comprising the nine principles that gave Grand Seiko its distinctive look and that still today, 55 years later, inspire each new creation.
- 47 jewels
- Dual Impulse Escapement and Grand Seiko free-sprung balance
- Screw-down crown
- Solid sapphire see-through case back
- Three-fold clasp with push button release
Grand Seiko SLGH013 History
Prior to 1960, to challenge the status of Swiss watches and change the perception of Japanese watches, Daini Seikosha and Suwa began the discussion of a product line that can match the quality of Swiss watches under the suggestion of the parent company. At the time, Suwa Seikosha Co. was in charge of manufacturing men’s watches, so it was decided that Suwa would be producing the first Grand Seiko (GS).
The first Grand Seiko was released in 1960, it was based on Seiko’s previous high-end watch, CROWN. This Grand Seiko has a 25-jewel, manual-winding, 3180 caliber, and only 36,000 units were produced. This was also the first chronometer-grade watch manufactured in Japan, and it was based on Seiko’s own chronometer standard.
Design style
The design language of the Grand Seiko was set in 1967, with the creation of Grand Seiko 44GS. The 44GS set the ground for all future Grand Seiko with nine elements. These elements help improve the legibility of the watch under different situations, and create a sharp, crisp visual impression:
- Double width index at 12 o’clock
- Multi-faceted rectangular markers
- Highly polished bezel
- Highly polished planes and two-dimensional surface
- Half recessed crown
- Flat dial
- Multi-faceted hour and minute hands
- Curved side line
- Reverse slanted bezel wall and case side
- Dress style with simple but beautiful design
- Zaratsu polishing
source : wikipedia
