A Grand Seiko Hi-Beat collectible that combines throwback luxury with technical sophistication.
Grand Seiko is a familiar gate-crasher to the upper echelons of Swiss-dominated horological circles. With the latest Heritage Hi-Beat 36000 GMT 44GS 55th Anniversary Limited Edition, Grand Seiko not only covers familiar ground when it comes to high-frequency mechanical specs, the lovingly made-over limited edition serves as a great reminder of the pioneering ethos that the brand brings to table.
This watch bears direct lineage to the Hi-beat 36000 GMT Limited Edition (SBGJ005) that won the ‘Petite Aiguille’ award at the 2014 Grand Prix Horlogerie de Genève. As an aside, another Grand Seiko high-frequency model, the Hi-Beat 36000 80 Hours Caliber 9SA5, won the ‘Men’s Watch Prize’ at the 2021 edition.
But back to the Heritage Hi-Beat 36000 GMT 44GS 55th Anniversary Limited Edition. The new version is packed with the same ultra-fast and super-precise virtues as the prize-winning SBGJ005 from 2014. Like before, the Heritage Hi-Beat GMT (SBGJ255) runs on the automatic Calibre 9S86. Part of the 9S8-line of movements that Grand Seiko introduced a little over a decade ago – after having not produced high-frequency movements for more than 40 years - the Calibre 9S86 beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour and features a GMT complication.
Lauded for its solid performance and precision (55-hour power reserve and +5/-3 seconds daily deviation), the movement also features proprietary Seiko innovations. They include a redesigned hairspring, as well as escape wheel and pallet fork made using MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology that allows for the manufacturing of components with more intricate designs, that are also lighter with smoother surfaces to minimise friction and wear-and-tear.
For all its modern, high-frequency trappings, the absolute draw of the Heritage Hi-Beat GMT (SBGJ255) has to be its throwback-inspired aesthetics. Previous iterations of the Hi-Beat GMT, while stately and dressy, exude a sense of contemporary chic. The Heritage Hi-Beat GMT (SBGJ255), on the other hand, takes design inspiration from the original Grand Seiko from 1967, the 44GS, a watch that wrote the rulebook for how all Grand Seikos ought to look and perform.
The Grand Seiko aesthetic adheres of nine detailed design principles, which call for specific features such as a highly polished bezel, multi-facetted hands and markers, half-recessed crown, reverse slated bezel wall and case side, amongst others. These features are all faithfully replicated in all modern Grand Seikos and, on the Heritage Hi-Beat GMT (SBGJ255), appear even more pronounced.
Housed in a 40mm titanium case with matching bracelet, the Heritage Hi-Beat 36000 GMT 44GS 55th Anniversary Limited Edition is a picture of pristine refinement. Complemented by a silver dial with the faintest of vertical brushed texture that is accentuated by a dash of navy on the logo and GMT hand, the watch’s monochromatic appearance allows its intricate details and meticulous finishing – including the famed Zaratsu technique akin to mirror polishing - to shine.
That said, the watch does indulge in a bit of showiness, albeit with characteristic subtlety. Flip it over and one is treated to the sight of an open caseback that offers a view to the automatic Calibre 9S86, adorned by a specially sculpted rotor special rotor bearing the Grand Seiko lion emblem that is sheathed in a gorgeous gold tone created by subjecting the titanium material to an oxidisation process through electrolysis.
Limited to 1,200 pieces, the Heritage Hi-Beat 36000 GMT 44GS 55th Anniversary Limited Edition is an excellent tribute to the original Grand Seiko 44GS on the occasion of the original’s 55th anniversary.
