Modern Grand Seiko mechanical with a sub-10mm thick case
I was browsing through the plus9time ig account to read up on the recent GS announcements.
The new SLGW002 & 3 made me do a double take.
Hand wound hi-beat movement with a case thickness less than 10mm?
So off to the official GS website and sure enough the blurb confirms it:
... Calibre 9SA5 when winding it by hand. Thanks to its svelte movement, the latest birch-inspired mechanical watch is 38.6mm in diameter and achieves a slimness of 9.95mm.
I thought I'd never see the day!
Can't wait for this to make its way into other dial and cases.
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Case ist beautiful. Dimensions are spot on.
This will be really interessting!
This is fantastic! I enjoy hand wound movements, and that dial is beautiful.
I'm just happy after so many years we're finally seeing a mechanical movement in a thinner case.
I can't say I love the hour hands, but that can be easily rectified if they start rolling the handwound 9SA4 out in the 44GS cases with their dauphine handsets.
How GS managed to put a high beat movement less than 10mm in a titanium case is amazing. Have to check it out in person when it’s available, but might be adding this to the collection next.
I'm a jeans, sneakers and tool watch guy most of the time so GS have never tempted me - but they're absolute masters of their craft.
Hope they do spring drive version,but keep the dial exactly the same 👌♥️
Beautiful, and it has the power reserve indicator on the back, that is a first for a non- spring drive movement from Grand Seiko, I think?
Have they sorted out the accuracy issues of the hi-beat movement yet? The internet is littered with accuracy issues and I’ve yet to see that GS has actually resolved that issue.
I'm just happy after so many years we're finally seeing a mechanical movement in a thinner case.
I can't say I love the hour hands, but that can be easily rectified if they start rolling the handwound 9SA4 out in the 44GS cases with their dauphine handsets.
When I first got my Birch I wasn’t too fond of the hour hand either but in reality it makes it SO easy to tell the time at a quick glance because the hour hand is big and bold whereas the minute hand is long and skinny. There’s no mixing up the two hands. I’ve never seen another watch that’s easier to read the time at a quick glance. Because of this I appreciate the choice of hands even if they aren’t my favorite detail to stare at.
It’s very nice. A sideways birch?
Beautiful, and it has the power reserve indicator on the back, that is a first for a non- spring drive movement from Grand Seiko, I think?
I think so too, I haven't looked into their back catalogue recently but vintage GS didn't have power reserves from memory.
The way they modified the movement to include a power reserve will make it more engaging and enjoyable experience to wind.
I wonder why more movement makers don't do this. If we ignore the obvious answer that the general public would prefer convenience of an automatic... Then what's left is either the cost or a watch making problem to not warrant it in most movements.
If cost wasn't the case, maybe manual winding would be popular if they were finished to this level.
When I first got my Birch I wasn’t too fond of the hour hand either but in reality it makes it SO easy to tell the time at a quick glance because the hour hand is big and bold whereas the minute hand is long and skinny. There’s no mixing up the two hands. I’ve never seen another watch that’s easier to read the time at a quick glance. Because of this I appreciate the choice of hands even if they aren’t my favorite detail to stare at.
That is a very good point...
Although my heart still wants them pointy, poke-your-eyes-out, similar looking dauphines ever since I laid my eyes on a vintage PP Calatrava.
Utility and rationality doesn't always win when I look at a watches. And I bet I'm not unique in that regard 😂
It’s very nice. A sideways birch?
I suppose. Though I'd prefer a Mt Iwate dial.
My goodness the more I read about this watch the more I am amazed.
20mm Lug width
https://wornandwound.com/video-hands-on-impressions-of-the-beautifully-slender-grand-seiko-slgw002-and-slgw003/
I just need to know who they hired to design this watch.
We need to get this person a raise.
My goodness the more I read about this watch the more I am amazed.
20mm Lug width
https://wornandwound.com/video-hands-on-impressions-of-the-beautifully-slender-grand-seiko-slgw002-and-slgw003/
I just need to know who they hired to design this watch.
We need to get this person a raise.
The weird lug widths on all the GS kept me from Getty one since I have a lot of 20mm straps. Glad they made it 20mm for this release. I’m excited to see what new dials they’ll release with this new manual movement