Grand Seiko Watches

About Grand Seiko Watches

Grand Seiko is the premium sibling of the powerhouse watchmaker Seiko, with a singular mission to make the best watches in the world. Functional beauty and design purity are the hallmarks of every Grand Seiko.

Grand Seiko History

The first Grand Seiko was released in 1960 and was the first watch in Japan to be compliant with the standard of excellence of the Bureaux Officiels de Contrôle de la Marche des Montres. It was made entirely in-house, a realization of the vision of Seiko’s founder, Kintaro Hattori, from the inception of Seiko.

In 1967, the 44GS was the most accurate manually wound 5-beat watch in the world. Its design introduced new standards for proportion, finish, angles, and every other aspect described as the "Grand Seiko Style” that is embodied in every Grand Seiko timepiece that followed.

In 1988, Grand Seiko’s first quartz watch, the 95GS, was born. Completely made in-house, it outperformed every quartz watch that preceded it. Just five years later, the 9F series was introduced and became the pinnacle of quartz watchmaking.

In 1996, the 9S movement would be tested to a standard higher than any public standard of the time; this would be a new GS standard for Grand Seiko, setting a precedent for every Grand Seiko mechanical watch to follow to this day.

In 1999, Spring Drive was born, and the Caliber 9R65 was released in 2004, the result of 28 years of R&D to realize the dream of producing a traditional watch powered by a mainspring with an electronic regulator and able to deliver an accuracy of one second a day. The smooth sweep of its second hand tells the time just as nature does—continuously and silently.

2020 marked 60 years since the birth of the Grand Seiko; in Japan, 60 years define the full circle of the zodiac cycle. To mark the significance of the new era, we were introduced to two completely new, important, and highly innovative movements.

The 9SA5 (High-Beat) movement and the Spring Drive Caliber 9RA5 both deliver higher precision, a larger power reserve, slimmer proportions, and exquisite finishings. They are now platforms for future innovations from the watchmaker.

Grand Seiko Collections

The Grand Seiko lineup is divided into five collections that embrace the high standards and philosophy of the brand, using a variety of materials, finishes, complications, and calibers. Inspired by its Japanese artisanal culture of watchmaking and nature in the form of the landscape that surrounds its two studios that divide the creation, innovation, and production of its timepieces.

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection

The Evolution 9 collection, introduced in 2020, established a new flagship line for Grand Seiko. Since the release of the 44GS in 1967, it has been a tradition for all Grand Seiko models to follow the design codes it introduced, known as the Grand Seiko Style. This collection evolves this grammar of design and pushes its boundaries further by offering more complex finishings, bolder design lines, and even greater attention to detail.

As a contemporary collection, it embraces a sportier aesthetic, with more brushed surfaces than seen on its predecessors. It also features the two modern pillars of Grand Seiko Movement technology, using the 9SA5 High-Beat Caliber and the 9RA2 Spring Drive Caliber.

Grand Seiko Heritage Collection

The Heritage collection reimagines the earliest and quintessential Grand Seiko timepieces like the 44GS and 62GS from 1967, incorporating modern applications in movement technology, manufacturing techniques, and craftsmanship.

This collection pays tribute to the simplicity, functionality, legibility, and timeless beauty of Grand Seiko’s original design aesthetic while being a fresh canvas for innovation with a variety of exquisitely finished modern-grade movements, intricate dial finishings, and modern case proportions.

Grand Seiko Sport Collection

Grand Seiko’s fundamental attributes of offering functional, legible, and durable timepieces, along with the vast expertise it has from its less-premium sibling Seiko, which is highly regarded for its sports and tool watches, allow for an uncompromising formula in the creation of its own sports timepieces.

The Sports collection delivers the highest-grade finishing, materials, movements, and designs, suitable to perform faultlessly for the most astute sports watch enthusiast. The range consists of diver's watches, chronographs, and GMTs that are powered by the brand's highly accurate and reliable automatic or Spring Drive calibers.

Grand Seiko Elegance Collection

The Elegance Collection embraces a formal design language by offering a combination of everyday functionality with elevated refinement. This is achieved by fusing the brand's most classical designs with contemporary updates while remaining faithful to the Japanese aesthetic and purity of design inherent in every Grand Seiko.

Grand Seiko Masterpiece Collection

Located deep within the Shiojiri Facility, where all Grand Seiko Spring Drive and quartz watches are made, is the Micro Artist Studio, which is responsible for the Masterpiece collection powered only by Spring Drive technology.

The Micro Artist Studio comprises an elite team of Grand Seiko’s most skilled and talented watchmakers who take pride in their heritage and craftsmanship to create the most exquisite, limited, and timeless offerings ever seen by the watchmaker.

How Much Do Grand Seiko Watches Cost?

Grand Seiko’s broad selection of movements, materials, and tiers of high finishing allows for a gradual increase in pricing from its entry-level 9F quartz steel pieces priced at $2,100 to its flagship Evolution 9 High-beat Chronograph priced at $13,700.

Precious metal models like the SBGY026 command a premium price of $27,200; for reference, its alternative steel model, the SBGY007, is priced at $8,300. A special price range of above $50,000 is reserved for its Masterpiece collection, which is extremely limited in numbers and requires an exquisite level of resources to create.

As a premium luxury brand that operates completely in-house, it is able to rival even the best Swiss watchmakers in value for money due to its advanced movement technology and high finishing. Therefore, within every collection is a high-pedigree offering waiting to be discovered.

Best Selling Grand Seiko Watches

The most popular Grand Seiko watches are its most versatile offerings that stay true to the essential characteristics of the Grand Seiko Style: to be precise, beautiful, legible, and easy to use.

Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Lake Suwa SLGA019

The Evolution 9 style echoes the foundations of the Grand Seiko Style by taking its best elements and reworking them into a contemporary package that forms the High-intensity titanium case of the SLGA019.

It has wide, faceted lugs and features an increased use of hairline finishing that enhances its flat, mirror-polished surfaces, elevating its versatility. It measures 40mm and has a thickness of 11.8mm with a lower center of gravity to improve wrist feel.

This model features a blue rippled textured dial inspired by the surface of Lake Suwa flowing under a gentle breeze in the morning.

Grand Seiko Heritage SBGH301

The SBGH301 embodies the Grand Seiko style in a traditional 44GS case made of Ever Brilliant Steel. Its case is faceted, with bold angular shoulders Zaratsu polished flat surfaces, and measures 41mm in diameter with a thickness of 13.3mm.

Echoing its beauty and versatility is a black dial that has a radial fine ridge pattern inspired by the snowy peaks of Mt. Iwate at dusk and features sharp, faceted indexes and hands that are diamond polished.

Visible through its sapphire caseback, it is powered by the High-beat 9S65 with a 55-hour power reserve.

Grand Seiko Elegance “Omiwatari" SBGY007

The classical case of the SBGY007 is inspired by a wind-filled sail; in order to create a distortion-free finish on its curved surfaces, a new adaptation of Zaratsu polishing was developed for it. It is 38.5mm in diameter and 10.2mm thick, making it the thinnest steel Spring Drive watch.

Its beautifully textured curved ice blue dial is inspired by the legend of “Omiwatari”, the act of god crossing the frozen Lake Suwa, and is made to mimic the color, feel, and texture of this snow-covered ice.

Grand Seiko Sport GMT Limited Edition SBGJ275

The SBGJ275 is a High-beat GMT limited edition to commemorate 25 years of the Caliber 9S. Its textured sky-blue dial takes inspiration from the cloud-covered sky above Mt. Iwate. The design is elevated by a 24-hour rotatable sapphire bezel in blue and white, together with a blue GMT hand that allows for three time zones to be viewed at a glance.

It is housed in a steel sports-focused case that features more hairline finishing for versatility and measures 44.2mm in diameter with a thickness of 14.8mm.

Grand Seiko Movements

Grand Seiko’s mechanical movements have always been considered to be at the forefront in the watch industry ever since its first Grand Seiko in 1960, which was Chronometer grade. Its current range of 10 9S mechanical movements offers 28,000 vph (vibrations per hour) to high-beat 36,000 vph, 50 to 80 hours of power reserve in automatic or manual wind.

Spring Drive is considered to be one of the most significant innovations within the watch industry. It is a traditional mechanical movement that is regulated by a quartz crystal to realize the dream of Grand Seiko: to achieve an accuracy of one second a day. There are currently 10 9R Spring Drive calibers used, offering 3-days to 8-days of power reserve in automatic or manual wind.

Grand Seiko also employs 3 quartz calibers currently, accurate to ± 10 seconds a year: the 9F562 with a date display and a slim profile, the 9F885 with a date display and a stop-seconds function, and the 9F86 with a date display and a GMT function

Grand Seiko Watch Colors

Grand Seiko, along with its traditional versatile colored models, offers a wide variety of organic dial colors and textures. Their obsession with dial design is a niche for which they are best known. Inspired by nature, Japanese culture, beautiful traditional objects, and the landscape that surrounds its Shizukuishi and Shinshu watch studios, allows for bold colors to be used, given that they can be associated with an inspiration and be considered an art form in the detail that it is presented.

The textured white Snowflake dial seen on the SBGA211 and SBGA011 (predecessor) is its most talked-about feature, inspired by the snow-covered Hotaka Mountains that surround the Shinshu Watch Studio where the watch is made.

Colors such as pink, red, and green are brought to life with exceptional detail and inspiration, as seen on the pink SBGA413 with a Spring cherry blossom-inspired textured dial, the red SBGA493 with a textured dial inspired by the forging process of a katana, and the green SBGJ259 with a patterned dial inspired by a bamboo garden path. Many more models share this design philosophy.

Grand Seiko Watch Materials

The essential characteristics of a Grand Seiko—to be precise, beautiful, legible, and easy to use—align with the choice of materials used on its cases, bracelets, and dials. These characteristics illustrate the timelessness and daily versatility of Grand Seiko’s offerings.

A vast majority of its pieces feature 316L stainless steel, which is regarded as the industry standard. A more premium alternative, Ever Brilliant Steel, which is more corrosion-resistant and offers a brilliant white hue, has recently been adopted within its Heritage offerings.

Grand Seiko is celebrated by collectors for its ability to offer many of its popular Sport, Heritage, and Evolution 9 models in titanium, a metal that is lighter and harder than steel. Traditional titanium has a muted gray appearance; however, Grand Seiko’s High-Intensity Titanium has a much brighter hue. Complemented by Zaratsu mirror polishing, its High-Intensity Titanium offerings stand out in the industry.

Precious metals that include 18k yellow, rose, and white gold feature within the Elegance Collection, Masterpiece Collection. Platinum 950 is exclusively used in its low-production Masterpiece Collection, which is treated to more hand finishes by its master craftsmen in the Micro Artist Studio.

Grand Seiko Watch Types

Daily wear watches can be found in the Evolution 9 and Heritage Collection. They are time-only or time-and-date models that are contemporary in design and feature versatile materials like steel or titanium.

GMT watches feature in the Evolution 9, Heritage, Sport, and Elegance Collections, each offering a different design language. Chronograph watches are seen in the Evolution 9 and Sport Collections. The Evolution 9 line-up includes Grand Seiko’s first mechanical chronograph, the 10-beat SLGC001, and a Spring Drive GMT chronograph model. The Sport collection features GMT chronograph models in steel, titanium/ceramic, and full ceramic.

Dive watches are featured in the Evolution 9 and Sport Collections. The Sport Collection dive watches are designed with function in mind, and the Evolution 9 models offer textured dials and elevated finishings.

Dress watches appear in the Elegance and Masterpiece Collection. The Elegance models use Grand Seiko’s original and most classical designs, adopting metals like steel or gold. The Masterpiece Collection case aesthetics share the same philosophy but are only exclusively offered in precious metals, mainly 950 platinum, that is finished to exquisite detail by its master watchmakers in the Micro Artist Studio.

Grand Seiko Watch Complications

Grand Seiko’s vast resources and immense passion for the art of horology enable it to have a unique operational structure that allows its watchmakers to innovate and obsess over new technologies and complications. This is how significant technologies like Spring Drive (after 28 years of R&D) and its Kodo Constant-Force Tourbillon (that won the GPHG Chronometry Prize) were created.

Currently, Grand Seiko utilizes a few different complications in its watch collections. You’ll generally find models with date complications and a few with power reserve indicators on the dial. There’s also the classic chronograph complication (primarily spotted in the Sport Collection), as well as the GMT complication, which is ideal for those who want to track multiple time zones.

Grand Seiko Partnerships & Brand Ambassadors

Grand Seiko has been the official timekeeper of Jazz at Lincoln Centers for the 2020–2021–2022 season, appreciating the art form of Jazz music and its mutual mastery of time and precision in one of New York City’s greatest-known establishments.

Its passion for sharing its learnings in horology has made it a sponsor of the Horological Society of New York, one of the most significant and oldest operating horological associations in the world. This year, the watchmaker signed a 3-year deal with Milan Design Week to shine a spotlight on its greatest masterpieces, rich heritage, and watchmaking philosophy.

Japanese actress Yuki Amami is a brand ambassador for Grand Seiko; she is seen passionately sporting the brand's watches.

Considered by many to be the greatest living independent watchmaker, Philippe Dufour, who has exchanged techniques and lessons in high-finishings with the master watchmakers at Grand Seiko, has been seen leisurely wearing a Grand Seiko White Birch.

Hollywood superstar Nicholas Cage has also been seen wearing and talking about his own SLGA008 during the red carpet premiere of his new film “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”.

Buying Grand Seiko Watches

Grand Seiko watches are available worldwide through the brand’s boutiques and authorized distributors. Exquisite Timepieces is an authorized retailer of Grand Seiko Timepieces, and you can discover and feel the entire collection at the Exquisite Timepieces watch store in Naples, Florida. Alternatively, you can shop at our online store and find all Grand Seiko models at the best possible prices with complementary insured shipping.

Caring For Your Grand Seiko Watch

Grand Seiko watches are made to last a lifetime. Appropriate care and attention are required, and it is important to understand the characteristics of your Grand Seiko watch and its recommended capabilities. A Grand Seiko may be splash-resistant, 100m water-resistant, or even 200m water-resistant; therefore, you must not expose your watch to water when its crown is in the extended position or not screwed in.

3–4 years is the recommended timeline for a service interval; within this timeline, a Grand Seiko watch should be taken to an authorized Grand Seiko retailer or service center. As an authorized retailer of Grand Seiko timepieces, Exquisite Timepieces is fully resourced to take care of your Grand Seiko watch service and repair when and if it is necessary.

Grand Seiko Watch FAQ

Is Grand Seiko really that good?

Grand Seiko is a fully in-house watchmaker with a heritage of excellence. Its aesthetics embrace Japanese design, craftsmanship, and culture, making its watches easily identifiable. It employs manual finishing techniques like Zaratsu polishing that are unique to the brand. Innovation in precision timekeeping has been a lifelong commitment of the watchmaker, allowing it to offer groundbreaking movement technologies.

Why are Grand Seiko watches so expensive?

High-end materials for its cases and bracelets, Zaratsu mirror finishings done by the hands of master artisans, textured dials, and groundbreaking movement technologies are a few costly reasons why Grand Seiko watches command a premium price.

Is Grand Seiko a Seiko Brand?

Until 2017, Grand Seiko was under the Seiko umbrella as a very high-end Seiko offering. It is now an independent and completely separate brand in order to identify only as a premium luxury watchmaker.

Is Grand Seiko more expensive than Rolex?

Grand Seiko employs a greater diversity in pricing than Rolex and can be said to offer more value for the money. Its entry-level 9F quartz steel models ($2,100) are far more affordable than any Rolex Automatic steel model (at least $5,000). When compared at a similar price point, Grand Seiko is consistently able to deliver more high-end finishings, modern materials, and advanced movement technology.

Find Your New Grand Seiko Watch With Exquisite Timepieces

When purchasing a Grand Seiko watch, it is important for any buyer to be able to experience and discover the brand and its offerings to ensure an informed and knowledgeable purchase. This will be possible through an authorized distributor selected by Grand Seiko to carry its entire range, maintain its high standards of service, and provide after-sales service.

Exquisite Timepieces is an authorized distributor of Grand Seiko watches. We offer a warranty on all purchases, and you can choose from our selection online or physically within our luxury watch boutique in Naples, Florida.

An online Grand Seiko order will come with free shipping and complete insurance coverage until it is delivered to you. In-store purchases will be accompanied by our professional staff, who will guide you to the right purchase and cater to the Grand Seiko Experience.