When the 44GS first went on sale in 1967, it established the design language known as the “Grand Seiko Style”, which was devised to achieve a brilliantly shining watch. Now, as a modern interpretation of this ideal, the SBGJ263’s exterior features many flat surfaces that exhibit an unblemished, mirror-like surface. And thanks to the use of a cutting-edge steel alloy for the case and bracelet, it’s sharp features will look like new for longer.
In this watch, the Hi-Beat 36000 mechanical movement has been adapted to include a GMT function. Thanks to Caliber 9S86, this watch can tell the time in two places simultaneously: a 24-hour hand can be used to track the time in one time zone, while the local time can be tracked by the conventional hour hand, which can be easily adjusted in one-hour increments.
The dial bears the “Mt. Iwate pattern,” which evokes the surfaces of the imposing peak, which is visible from the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, the birthplace of Grand Seiko mechanical watches. The case and bracelet are made of highly anticorrosive Ever-Brilliant Steel, a stainless-steel alloy that boasts a PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) value 1.7 times higher than that of the grade of steel used in most high-end watches.
