In 1968, Grand Seiko introduced the 45GS. This watch came only a year after the legendary 44GS, the timepiece that established the Grand Seiko Style, a design grammar that would define Grand Seiko watches moving forward. While the 44GS and 45GS were very similar in design, the latter featured a critical upgrade. Beneath its dial was Grand Seiko’s first manually wound 36,000 vph mechanical movement, the Calibre 4520, which enabled a new level of precision, accuracy, and performance.
Today, Grand Seiko presents two new 45GS re-creations that honour this watchmaking milestone most fittingly. One in stainless steel and the other in 18k yellow gold, each is powered by the manually wound Calibre 9SA4, which debuted earlier this year at Watches & Wonders Geneva. Calibre 9SA4 is Grand Seiko’s first 10-beat manual-winding mechanical movement to be introduced in over 50 years.
The re-creations pay tribute to two original 45GS watches that debuted in 1968. The new SLGW004 in solid yellow gold is limited to 200 pieces, while the stainless steel SLGW005 is limited to 1,200. The yellow gold watch has a dial in a light cream hue to capture the elegance of the original with its capped gold case.
The new watches closely follow the original dial and case designs. The case has a remarkable brilliance due to the interplay of light and shadow, which has been at the heart of the Grand Seiko watch design since 1967 and the 44GS. The dial colours and lettering are virtually identical to the original watches. Most prominently, the Seiko letters appearing at 12 o’clock reimagine the vintage character of the original. At six o’clock, one will notice the Hi-Beat and GS letters, the number 36000, and the Daini Seikosha factory logo, which is in tribute to the birthplace of the original 45GS.
While the original 45GS featured a solid case back, the re-creations have see-through backs to allow the wearer to enjoy the beautifully finished manually wound 9SA4. This movement was designed with particular attention placed on the tactile, aural, and visual sensations encountered during the hand-winding process. Its click has been fashioned to resemble the wagtail, a bird important to Morioka, a city near the studio where the watches are made. Like the original Calibre 4520, the 9SA4 beats 36,000 times per hour but does so with a modern design that includes Grand Seiko’s Free-sprung balance and the Dual-Impulse escapement, which allows Calibre 9SA4 to have a power reserve of 80 hours.
Both limited editions will be available in November 2024. The SLGW005 will be available at Grand Seiko boutiques and select retail partners worldwide, while the SLGW004 will be available exclusively at Grand Seiko boutiques.
