At Watches and Wonders 2024, Grand Seiko unveils a new addition to its Sport Collection: the travel-ready Hi-Beat 36000 GMT SBGJ277 inspired by the snowy valley, or sekkei in Japanese. With its robust construction, high-functioning movement, and captivating aesthetics, the new SBGJ277 proves to be a dependable travel partner capable of adjusting to any circumstance.
The stainless steel case measures 44.2mm in diameter and 50.6mm in length. It showcases Grand Seiko’s distinctive Zaratsu technique, and highlights the finishing with alternating mirror-polished and hairline surfaces across various sections of the case. The downturned lugs gracefully embrace the wrist, creating an illusion of reduced lug-to-lug length. Coupled with the offset crown at four o’clock, this arrangement visually diminishes the apparent size of the watch, enhancing its overall comfort and wearability.
The bezel of the SBGJ277 is bi-directional and has a 24-hour scale. Its operation is smooth and precise, facilitated by grooves along the edge that ensure a secure grip. Additionally, the bezel incorporates a sapphire overlay, enhancing its durability significantly. The sapphire overlay serves to protect the luminous Lumibrite material beneath it, which illuminates brilliantly in low-light conditions with the white sections of the bezel emitting a vibrant green glow that matches the luminescent paint on the dial.
The dial of the SBGJ277 features a silver hue with a patterned texture inspired by sekkei (the Japanese term for snow valley). The magnificent mountain scenery of the remaining snow juxtaposed with greenery on a summer mountain is reproduced in the contrast of the snow-white color of the dial alongside the green of the rotating bezel and its ring of sapphire glass.
The hands and indexes are bold and meticulously finished. Additionally, they are generously coated with Lumibrite paint at the cardinal points, enhancing visibility in low-light conditions. The “GMT” text and GMT arrow hand are accented in green, and the latter features luminous paint for visibility in the dark.
Operating at 36,000 beats per hour, Calibre 9S86 boasts a 55-hour power reserve and achieves an accuracy rating of +5/-3 seconds per day. Additionally, it endows the SBGJ277 with genuine GMT functionality. This feature allows for independent adjustment of the local hour hand while the GMT hand remains fixed to the “home” time, which can be set to any desired non-local time zone. The advantage of this functionality becomes apparent when traveling to different time zones. Upon arrival at a new destination, the wearer can swiftly advance the hour hand to the appropriate hour without the need to reset the entire watch.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that the SBGJ277 features two 24-hour tracks – one on the chapter ring of the dial and another on the rotating bezel. As a result, it can effectively track a total of three time zones simultaneously.
The SBGJ277 will be available May 2024 at Grand Seiko Boutiques and select retailers for the price of £6,650.
