After the launch of the very first Grand Seiko watch in 1960, the creation of the 9S mechanical caliber in 1998 was perhaps the most important moment in the history of Grand Seiko. Designed from scratch to deliver high precision and excellent durability, the 9S caliber has been continuously enhanced, with new Spron alloys for both the main and balance springs and MEMS engineering, a technique that allows key components to be manufactured to tolerances as small as one thousandth of a millimeter.
Today, 9S is the platform on which the entire Grand Seiko suite of mechanical calibers is built and has earned a deserved reputation as one of the world’s finest calibers, thanks to its high precision, long power reserve and robust construction.
Hi-Beat 36000 V.F.A. in platinum
First used in 1969, V.F.A. - “Very Fine Adjusted” - defined a Grand Seiko watch that was adjusted so skillfully that it achieved a precision rate far in excess of the Grand Seiko Standard. The new Hi-Beat 36000 V.F.A. (ref. SBGH265) carries on the V.F.A. tradition thanks to the extraordinary precision rate of its 9S85 Hi-Beat 36000 caliber, +3 to -1 seconds per day, a level achieved by the highest level of adjustment and a testing program extended to 34 days. The watch is offered in a 39,5 mm platinum 950 case which is a new interpretation of the Grand Seiko design, created by Nobuhiro Kosugi, the designer of the first 9S watch in 1998.
Two surfaces of Zaratsu polishing extend to the very edge of the lug where these curved surfaces meet the hairline finish to create a perfect triangle. The dial, too, is exceptional; its design incorporates the special mark that was used to designate the watches made by the team at Daini Seikosha, the company now known as Seiko Instruments Inc., which developed its first Grand Seiko hi-beat watch in 1968. This long-remembered mark alternates with the GS initials in a mosaic that radiates out from the center of the dial in a geometric pattern.
The Hi-Beat 36000 V.F.A. is a limited edition of only 20 pieces. It is worn on a crocodile strap with three-fold clasp with push button release and its recommended retail price in Europe is €53,500.
Hi-Beat 36000 Special (SBGH266) and Hi-Beat 36000 (SBGH267)
The 39,5 mm case of the Hi-Beat 36000 Special (SBGH266) is in 18k gold while that of the Hi-Beat 36000 is in stainless steel. Both timepieces share the same case design as the V.F.A. creation, the same caliber 9S85 and the same dial design. The gold version, however, is adjusted to the Grand Seiko Special standard and offers a precision rate of +4 to -2 seconds per day. As with the V.F.A. version, the oscillating weight carries the Grand Seiko lion emblem in 18k gold as a symbol of the enhanced accuracy.
The stainless steel design also has a special oscillating weight. It is made of titanium and tungsten and the titanium surface is colored blue by an anodic oxidation process (a surface treatment in which metals are subjected to electrolysis so as to generate artificially an oxide film. Titanium oxide film produces color according to the light refraction index, enabling production of different colors by varying the thickness of the oxide film.)
Fitted with a crocodile strap with three-fold clasp, the Hi-Beat 36000 Special is a limited edition of 150. Its recommended retail price in Europe is €27,000.
The stainless steel Hi-Beat 36000 has a matching steel bracelet. 1500 pieces will be produced and sold for €6,300.
