During Baselworld 2017, Seiko made the announcement that it was separating its Seiko and Grand Seiko lines. This move made a lot of sense at the time. The idea was that they are already equally beloved by Seiko-holics, but this distinction helps make the difference apparent to everyone else. One consequence of this meant that all the Grand Seiko timepieces currently being produced were scrubbed of Seiko branding so only the lion logo of Grand Seiko would be placed on the dial. While there were other timepieces released by the now-separate brand in 2017, this move dominated the discussion during the show and for much of the year. With that distinction now fully in the rear window, Grand Seiko has followed up with multiple interesting new models at Baselworld 2018. First up is the introduction of three watches that feature a new case and a unique dial to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Grand Seiko 9S Caliber.
The 9S Caliber was introduced in 1998 and served as a defining point in Grand Seiko’s history. Over the years it has been improved with new Spron alloys for both the main and balance springs and MEMS engineering that allow key components to be manufactured to tolerances as small as one-thousandth of a millimeter. As of this morning, we now have the 9S85 Hi-Beat 36000 caliber. With a rate of +3 to -1 seconds per day, the new watch (SBGH265) both honors the 9S caliber’s history and elevates the brand to new heights of mechanical accuracy.  It comes in a...