Editor’s Note: Watches & Wonders (formerly SIHH) and Baselworld 2020 are canceled but that hasn’t stopped watch brands large and small from debuting their new wares. To stay on top of this year’s best new watch releases, visit our tag page.
In celebration of 60 years since its founding, Grand Seiko has released three new watches that recreate its very first reference. Featuring a slim profile and the manually wound caliber 9S64 viewable through a sapphire case back, the new models are 38mm in diameter (the originals were 35mm) and feature a three-fold clasp for easy adjustment.
The new SBGW-series reference is available in three materials: platinum, with a dial bearing a star indicating that its indices and dial are made of 18k gold; 18k yellow gold; and “Brilliant Hard Titanium,” a material that’s exclusive to Grand Seiko and is as light as pure titanium but twice as hard as stainless steel. (Due to this model’s light color, Grand Seiko’s famed Zaratsu-polished surfaces are particularly visible.)
Other refined touches in the new SBGW series include carefully bent hour and minute hands that follow the dial’s contours; the manual-winding caliber 9S64 movement with 72-hour power reserve and accuracy of +5 to -3 seconds per day; crocodile straps; and 30m of water resistance. All three models will be available in Grand Seiko boutiques from June 2020, with the titanium version (SBGW259) carrying a price of $8,000; the yellow gold (SBGW258), $26,000; and the platinum (SBGW257), $38,000.
