To honour 25 years since the release of their celebrated 9F quartz movement, Grand Seiko have released two stunning Grand Seiko 9F Quartz 25th Anniversary Limited Edition watches. After five years of development, the first 9F calibre was introduced in 1993 and marketed as one of the best quartz movements in the world. Since then many watch aficionados – including ourselves – agree that it has to be one of the best quartz movements in the industry.
Why is it so good you ask? When it was first released it brought some incredible innovations to the wrist. From instantaneous calendar change, to a backlash auto-adjust mechanism to eliminate any trembling of the second hand, a twin pulse control system to deliver increased torque, a special construction to minimise dust affecting the gear train and stepping moor all the way to an extremely high level of reliability.
And of course, what would a Grand Seiko watch be without matchless precision? The two new Grand Seiko 9F Quartz 25th Anniversary watches boast an accuracy of plus or minus 5 seconds a year. When you compare that to the 5 seconds a day of a mechanical watch and 10 seconds a day for a standard quartz watch, it really puts the beauty and excellence of this movement into perspective.
The aesthetic of the Grand Seiko 9F Quartz 25th Anniversary watches are based on the original 1993 9F model with some subtle contemporary twists. The case size has been increased from 37mm to 39.1mm and is crafted from glistening stainless steel that has been polished using the brand’s famous Zaratsu technique. The SBGV238 model of the two also showcases a breathtaking 18 carat yellow gold bezel with matching gold hands and markers.
The white textured dials of the Grand Seiko 9F Quartz 25th Anniversary watches are truly mesmerising and the design is completely new to their collection especially made for the limited edition run. It isn’t until you look closely that you notice the dial is detailed with a repeated pattern of ‘GS’ for Grand Seiko and ‘9F’ for the celebrated movement. The face is also decorated with a delicate 5 pointed star as a symbol of its annual variation of ±5 seconds.
There are two variations of the Grand Seiko 9F Quartz 25th Anniversary watch available. The SBGT241 is kept simple in stainless steel and houses the 9F83 calibre which offers hours, minutes and seconds as well as a day and date window at 3 o clock. Meanwhile the SBGV238 brings some 18 carat yellow gold decoration and offers only the date at 3 o clock. On the stainless steel case back of both models, the renowned Grand Seiko lion emblem is decorated in 18 carat gold as well as it’s unique limited edition serial number.
The steel SBGT241 Grand Seiko 95 Quartz 25th Anniversary watch is limited to 1,500 pieces and retails at £3,500 while the gold SBGV238 variation is limited to only 600 and has a higher price of £4,500. Just like any Grand Seiko limited edition watch, these are expected to sell out pretty quickly. For more information on where to get your hands (or wrists) on your own, click here.
Specifications: Grand Seiko 9F Quartz 25th Anniversary Watch (SBGT241 and SBGV238)
- Case Size: 39.1mm
- Case Material: Stainless Steel (SBGT241) or Stainless Steel and 18 carat yellow gold (SBGV238)
- Bezel: Fixed
- Glass: Dual curved sapphire crystal glass
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Quartz, Calibre 9583 (Steel) or Calibre 9F82 (Gold)
- Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds. Day and date (Steel). Date (Gold)
- Dial: White textured with steel or yellow gold hands and markers
- Case Back: 18 carat yellow gold, engraved with limited edition number
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
- Limited Edition: 1,500 pieces (Steel), 600 pieces (Gold)
- RRP: £3,500 (Steel), £4,500 (Gold)
