Grand Seiko Night Birch SLGH017 Review: Wowza 🤩

Apologies in advance for a lengthy review. I’ve had this watch for some time now and there’s a lot to talk about; my writeup is way overdue.

First off, a bit of a #throwbackthursday to early 2023: I was on a trip overseas last year with only one watch in tow (my EP) when I unexpectedly walked past a new GS boutique on my way to a different destination. On the front outward window display they had both the White Birch SLGH005 and the Night Birch in their own decorated cubbies. Together they stopped me dead in my tracks. I had never seen the Night Birch in the flesh before, and as an owner of the White Birch it would be ridiculous to have the same watch, right? Well consider the seed planted… I was mostly trying to admire the White Birch but something about its dark and somewhat mischievous brethren kept me glancing back at it.

The White Birch is an exemplary watch, executed to the finest GS standards. As @TheHoroSexual recently posted it here, it’s an amazing modern GS timepiece. But on my wrist that 160g (178g unsized) weight got a little tiresome, and I found myself taking it off frequently or opting for different watches altogether. I know the majority of folks prefer a nice hefty stainless watch, so I’m not going to dwell too much on that. But, for anyone who’s interested in comfort (especially with GS bracelets) and the titanium execution, read on!

Both the White and Night Birches are powered by the innovative 9SA5 automatic hi-beat movement, new for 2020. It’s got an impressive architecture, a new dual-impulse escapement, and certainly some of the best finishing at its price point. 36000vph and still over three days of power reserve makes it really nice to be able put down on a Friday and pick up again at the start of the week.

The White Birch was the first to really bear the standard for the new GS Evolution 9 collection of watches as its premier non-limited release; even going so far as to garner much industry praise and winning a GPHG award in 2021.

The Night Birch launched somewhat quietly in 2022 as there were so many Spring Drives, Lake Suwas, LEs, and other Evo 9 models launching in rapid succession during that era.

Finished with the same exact stamped dial pattern as the White Birch (WB), the Night Birch (NB) opted for a dark and subtler dial and additional satin/cross-brushing on the hands and indices to complement the high intensity titanium. The seconds hand is also capped on this model. It ends up with a totally different demeanor overall, and one that needs to be appreciated in person as photos really have a hard time capturing the dynamism. The darker hue of the titanium works perfectly with the dark dial, and it’s hardly noticeable as opposed to when you see a white dial GS with a titanium case—that stands out quite a bit more.

Fast forward a couple of months, I couldn’t resist any longer and scored a sweet deal. My first impressions of the NB were really of amazement—it addressed some of the little naggles that I had accumulated with the WB, like the too-shiny-for-some-situations, the weight and lack of comfort, legibility.

Coming in at only 103g sized for my wrist, it weighs the same as a Tudor Black Bay 79230 on the fabric strap…but on bracelet! The wide 22mm lug width and mild taper bracelet provides an excellent balance so that the watch doesn’t feel top heavy (like the modern 9S86 44GS 14.4mm SS GMTs).

At 11.7mm thick, the watch wears exceptionally well even without microadjust due to the lighter weight and better balance. I hardly feel it on the wrist and have no issue wearing it to sleep and practically nonstop if desired. 100M/10ATM and a screw-down crown provide that extra peace of mind.

The typical GS finishing in all of its glory is there, dialed up to 10. From the bracelet bevels to the case flanks, bezel, dial, dial furniture, etc.—you name it and it’s done perfectly. The way the dial sits ever so close to the bottom of the crystal makes it feel like the dial is right there at the edge of your fingertips.

While the WB and NB are both 40mm in diameter, the WB feels more like a 40/41mm on the wrist, whereas the NB perhaps more like a 39mm. The NB wearability reminds me a lot of my old vintage GMT-Master, but with modern fit and finish. Like putting on a pair of comfortable jeans and sneakers. Compare and contrast to a modern Milgauss and GMT-Master II, the WB is far less comfortable than both of those, while the NB is more comfortable than all of them even without the microadjust or EZ link extensions, which says a lot to me.

Additional thoughts:

• The GS high intensity titanium is for all intents and purposes essentially grade 5 titanium, and more scratch resistant than stainless. I have been wearing this a lot out and about and only have a few small microabrasions by the clasp so far. 🤞🏼

• The titanium premium over the WB is USD $1,300–and we know that there’s a GS price hike coming soon—but both can be found for far under retail on the secondary market. MSRP is indeed a bit hard to stomach.

• The NB comes in the elongated triple-slot box from GS and a five-year warranty. My older first batch WB started with the three-year, and comes in the standard GS box. They should now also come with five-years.

• The movement sounds aurally great. Higher beat of course, but it has a nice reverberating pinging that’s super relaxing to listen to when you have it near the ear.

• Accuracy issues still pop up on different 9SA5 examples, but the longer warranty and additional new service center options are there to help mitigate the teething issues; eventually they’ll get it fully sorted. For what it’s worth my WB was more accurate than my 9S86 hi-beat at +3s/d. This NB will probably need to go in at some point in the next four years for a spa treatment, but hasn’t been a bother to me yet as I change rather often.

• I find myself staring into the dark foresty dial a bit too often—causing temporary lapses in time and judgment. Be forewarned!

Overall conclusion: Highly recommended. I’m giving it a perfect score across the board. Dress it up or down, it goes well and just disappears into your ensemble. I’m not so easily impressed by watches anymore these days, but this one definitely caught me by surprise way more than I would have imagined. The monochromatic versatility is a powerful position to take.

If I were to rate the WB—which I may yet if I ever get around to it—it would get a couple of 4’s instead of all 5’s, but that’s just my experience and everyone’s mileage will vary…

Thanks for reading.