SBGZ005 from Micro Artist Studio.
Seiko is preparing to celebrate its second anniversary in 2021, which is the 160th birthday of its founder and the 140th anniversary of the company. Seiko has just announced the launch of a watch to commemorate every occasion, which is undoubtedly the first of many commemorative watches.
Grand Seiko Masterpiece Collection Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary Limited Edition (ref. SBGZ005) is a replica of ref. 1960 3180-the first Seiko-but with the addition of a patterned dial and a specially completed 9R02 Spring Drive movement, accompanied by a high price.
initial thoughts
The design of SBGZ005 is essentially the first replica of Grand Seiko, a classic and handsome watch, perhaps the essence of Grand Seiko. Although the overall style is consistent with the original year, it is still cleverly modified-the dial is decorated with radial geometric patterns, and is equipped with 14k gold solid hands and hour markers. All these additions make it look more attractive without departing from its original aesthetics.
Although the appearance is very attractive, Grand Seiko has been accelerating the production of its original models. This is the fifth (or even sixth) refurbishment of the Grand Seiko 3180, the last being launched earlier this year. The proliferation of remakes makes the 3180 design too ordinary in terms of comfort.
Then there is the movement, 9R02, which was also found at the 20th anniversary of the Grand Seiko Elegance Spring Drive. 9R02 is derived from 7R14 of Credor Eichi II and is beautifully decorated. Every component is chamfered, polished, polished or run-in to the same level as the best in Swiss (or German) watchmaking – that’s it.
But SBGZ005 is very expensive. The retail price is US$103,000, which is almost 50% more expensive than SBGZ001, while the price of SBGZ001 has risen sharply with little actual improvement. At the same time, SBGZ005 is a limited edition of 50 watches, the number is surprising, because the handmade style of Micro Artist Studio used to limit the annual output of the entire model series to about two dozen.
The rapid rise in prices and the reliance on pirated and anniversary editions may be explained by the increasing number of European luxury goods industry managers in the Seiko Group. Although the sustainability of this strategy is difficult to predict, history tells us that most Swiss brands that follow the same path will eventually have to reverse course.
Seiko became the “first” again
SBGZ005 has a width of 37.5 mm and a height of 9.6 mm, which is slightly larger than the old 35 mm original, but the size increase in metal is not obvious. Its case is made of platinum, with the Zaratsu flat polishing technology signed by Seiko, plus a domed sapphire crystal. fashion watch
The dial is engraved with a charming radial pattern and marked with an asterisk at six o’clock. This is the “SD” logo, indicating that this is a “special dial” with solid gold hour markers. The hands are also platinum.
The back of the SBGZ005 display shows the 9R02 movement. The movement has a pure gold plate on the moving train bridge with the words “Micro Artist” engraved on it, but it can be customized according to the owner’s requirements.
Grand Seiko Masterpiece Collection Kintaro Hattori 160th Anniversary
Ref. SBGZ005
Diameter: 37.5 mm
Height: 9.6 mm
Material: Platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m
Movement: 9R02
Features: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Frequency: Spring Drive
Winding: Hand wind
Power reserve: 84 hours
Strap: Crocodile with folding clasp
Year: 2020