SBGW046 « AZ Fine Time Blog

To continue our reviews of the latest historical recreation from Grand Seiko, we introduce the 44GS Manual Wind in 18k Pink Gold, SBGW046. The 44GS Series will consist of 3 different colors of gold (pink, yellow, and white) each being limited to only 70 pieces produced for the entire world. Only one of each color came to the United States, and are exclusively available at AZ Fine Time.

The SBGW046 is the same retro design originally founded in 1967. The 44GS has impacted the overall design of Grand Seiko in many ways, in creating Seiko Style. The inspiration of this reincarnation of the 44GS stems from the 100 years anniversary of watchmaking for Seiko. In 1913, what was known back then as Seikosha, had introduced their 1st wrist watch, the Laurel.

Seiko was originally founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori. Originally, he had opened a clock and jewelry store in the Ginza region of Tokyo. The evolution of the company truly started in 1892 when Hattori started manufacturing his own clocks under the name Seikosha. Hattori had dreamed of manufacturing his own wristwatch and knew it could only be possible if all parts were manufactured in house. By 1910, Seikosha had started to develop their own hairsprings. By the dawn of the Taisho era (mid 1912), other clock manufactures started to challenge Seikosha, pushing Hattori to reach his goal of manufacturing his first wrist watch. By 1913, Seiko had released Japan’s first wrist watch.

The release of the Laurel continued to drive Seikosha in the realm of watchmaking and to continue the pursuit of perfection. By 1960, Seiko had introduced Grand Seiko, which rivaled the finest watches in the industry when it came to precision. In 1967, the design of the 44GS combined the beauty of design was implemented along with the finest mechanics to create a new era for Grand Seiko.

Today, the 44GS Limited Edition has the same exact 37.9mm case beautifully finished in the immaculate and time consuming Zaratsu blade polishing technique. This allows for a beautiful sparkle, on the case, but also the hands and indexes. The flat, slightly off white, dial has a very subtle metallic tone with an even more discreet sunburst pattern. The heavily domed sapphire crystal uses Seiko’s proprietary clear anti-reflective coating ensuring you see no distortion when looking at its gorgeous dial.

The strap on the SBGW046 is an elegant brown croc in a glossy finish, which compliments the pink gold tremendously well. The tang buckle is also in 18k pink gold and also helps duplicates the original 44GS in every aspect, aside from the fact of the precious metal used. This classic design is truly impressive and with out question, retains its vintage appeal.

The use of the 9S64 manual wind in this timepiece pays tribute to the vintage 1967 44GS. Of course, Seiko’s most modern technology takes place internally, boasting a 72 hour power reserve due to its Spron 510 mainspring, and incredible reliability and stability die to its Spron 610 hairspring (as we discussed in our last 2 reviews.

Another important contribution to the quality of the 9S64 is the use of MEMS technology. MEMS allows for the ultimate construction of parts, enabling for a more precise design of the escapement wheel and pallet fork, that also has enhanced durability and a longer lubricant reserve. When compared to traditionally machined parts, the other benefits include a smoother surface with less abrasion, intense hardness, and shapes and designs that would not typically be possible. The combination of the use of cutting edge technology and traditional watchmaking are incredible.

The SBGW046 retails for $18,500. As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 1-800-486-3996 or check us out on AZFineTime.com.

Thanks for reading!

See our video review below…

See more pictures below…

For the 100th Anniversary in watchmaking for Seiko, one of the most unique case designs for the brand was brought back to life in limited edition form for 2013. The 44GS, originally released in 1967 has been reintroduced looking identical to the original, but with the state of the art technology on the inside. This gorgeous design will be implemented in the brand as 4 limited edition manual wind models, and 2 automatics. These very special timepieces are scheduled to come in sometime in early August, but we couldn’t wait to share some of the details before their arrival.

The truest remake to the original is going to be the 4 manual wind variations utilizing the 9S64 caliber, which has a 72 hour power reserve due to its Spron 510 mainspring, the ultra-durable Spron 610 alloy (see demonstration HERE), and Grand Seiko standards of -3/+5 seconds a day deviation rate. These models will be 38mm wide and 11.5mm thick with a deeply domed sapphire crystal. The SBGW047 (far right) will be stainless steel and limited to 700 pieces for the world. The SBGW046 (rose gold), SBGW044 (yellow gold) and SBGW043 (white gold) will be limited to only 70 pieces of each for the world, with only 1 of each shade coming to the US market. We are proud to say, all 3 models in 18kt gold will be exclusively sold at AZ Fine Time in the US market. MSRP for the steel at the newly lowered pricing is set at $5,150. The white and rose gold will be $18,500 and the yellow gold $17,500.

Along with the manual wind variations will be 2 new automatics in the 44GS series. The SBGR081 (silver dial) will have a blue accented second hand and total production count of 1,200 pieces for the world. The SBGR083 (black dial) is going to have yellow gold accents and a total production count of only 700 pieces across the globe. They both are 40mm wide, 13.4mm thick, and use the 9S65 self-winding caliber, which are made (along with the 9S64) completely in-house by Seiko at their Shizuku-Ishi Watch Studio in Morioka, Japan.

The entire design of these models stay true to the original in many ways. While the manual wind variations retain more of the original design and are near exact, both keep true to the inspiration of the impressive 44GS design. All 6 variations will have closed case-backs with individual serial numbers.

The case design of these pieces are incredibly intricate and well thought out. The ideals in creating this design were to make a comfortable shape, that expresses the true beauty of craftsmanship while playing on light and shadow. The aesthetic values of these pieces highlight Japanese tradition. The term “Seiko Style” was derived from utilizing these Japanese styles that have been long implemented in their culture for years. The traits of this style mostly utilize straight lines and flat surfaces, which play beautifully with light and shadow. You may recognize some of these traits in fusuma (sliding doors), folding screens, fans and Shoji screens (paper sliding doors).

With this incredible design, the use of the immaculate Zaratsu katana blade polishing technique is highly visible. The brilliant sparkle of Grand Seiko is something that can only be truly appreciated first hand and with the new 44GS variations, the wearer gets to experience more of it. Thanks to the dominant flat surface of the case, the mirror finish truly shines. The incredibly labor intensive process of Zaratsu is not only utilized on the case and bezel, but also on the hands and indexes allowing them to glimmer and reflect small amounts of light, making for easier legibility in the dark.

We truly look forward to receiving the new Grand Seiko 44GS Historical Collection models here at Arizona Fine Time. Very few quantities will come to the US, and a vast amount of our allotments are already reserved by anxiously awaiting customers. If you are interested in pre-ordering any of these models or have any questions, please feel free to call us at 1-800-486-3996.

Here is a video from Seiko showing some of the beauty behind the 44GS…