Grand Seiko 44GS Hi-Beat - Snowfall Mount Iwate

The textured dial of this timepiece is inspired by Mount Iwate, seen from the Shizukuishi Watch Studio where Grand Seiko mechanical timepieces are made. It expresses the beauty of fresh snowfall in winter mountain scenery. The Grand Seiko watchmakers’ pride in their surroundings is regularly represented in their designs – from engineering watch movements which emulate the smooth motion of time passing, to creating dials reflecting the beauty of Japanese nature.

This timepiece is part of the Grand Seiko Heritage Collection timepieces which echo historical styles re-interpreted with the very latest movements, manufacturing techniques and craftsmanship. First released in 1967, the 44GS case shape created a visually recognisable ‘Grand Seiko Style’ design for Grand Seiko watches to follow – balancing legibility and light with a clear and calm dial layout. Viewed from the front or side, the blend of sharp angles, brilliant Zaratsu polished surfaces and softly curved lines presents an infinite range of expressions through the interplay of light and shadow.

The case, crown and bracelet of this watch are all made from brand’s exclusive ‘Ever-Brilliant Steel’ – with its brilliant white hue, this grade of steel is more corrosion resistant than other high-end watches.**

This Hi-Beat watch is powered by the in-house built mechanical Calibre 9S85, with a power reserve of 55 hours, an accuracy rate of +5 to -3 seconds per day. As a true ‘manufacture’ Grand Seiko incorporates the latest in-house technical developments alongside its breadth of craftsmanship in all mechanical movements.

With anywhere between 200 and 300 individual components, our mechanical watches exhibit a near-perfect consistency of functionality in every detail to ensure precision. Mere parts alone, however, cannot constitute the level of accuracy for which Grand Seiko is renowned. The task of assembling Grand Seiko is borne by craftsmen and women who have honed their craft to such an extent that they can adjust parts by hand to tolerances of one hundredth of a millimetre. This extremely detailed craftsmanship ensures precise timekeeping delivered by the 9S mechanical movement.

Every Grand Seiko features signature high standards of precision, durability and legibility, handcrafted in Japan by Takumi artisans. Grand Seiko: beautifully, precise Japanese watchmaking, from the pinnacle of Seiko Watch Corporation’s in-house manufacture.

*This material is used extensively in the surfaces of marine structures and vessels because of its extreme corrosion resistance in sea water. It has a PREN (Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number) value 1.7 times higher than that of the grade of steel used in most high-end watches. PREN is a widely accepted standard used to measure corrosion resistance. ** as of December 2019, based on Seiko Watch Corporation’s research.