Grand Seiko marks the second anniversary of its establishment in the Asia-Pacific with the Heritage Collection 44GS “Fuji” SBGJ285. Featuring a purple-pink dial inspired by the wisteria flower, this limited edition is based on the reinterpretation of the vintage 44GS and its distinctive wide-flanked case.
The case and bracelet are in Ever-Brilliant steel, a proprietary steel alloy that’s harder and shinier than conventional watchmaking steel. Powered by the high-frequency automatic cal. 9S86, the SBGJ285 features “true GMT” functionality with an independently adjustable hour hand.
Initial thoughts
As a long-time fan of Grand Seiko, I love the patterned dials and Zaratsu case polishing. The SBGJ285 exemplifies the essence of Grand Seiko. Though Grand Seiko does put out a significant number of limited editions, this one stands out for its unusual purple-pink colour, which is a different shade from the “salmon” dials that are now in vogue.
The watch also reflects the brand’s traditional strengths and weaknesses. The case and dial finishing are excellent, particularly at this price point. However, the bracelet is not as refined as sophisticated as that of the competition. That said, this will look good on a leather strap, especially given the vintage-inspired 44GS case pairs well with a strap. Conveniently, this limited edition is delivered with both a steel bracelet and a calfskin strap.
Wisteria flower
The limited edition retains the standard case of the “SBGJ” model reference. It’s in Ever-Brilliant steel, measuring 40 mm in diameter and 14.04 mm in thickness, which is compact in width but fairly thick. The familiar 44GS case design is characterised by angled, flat flanks that catch the light well, especially with the mirrored flat polishing that is a Grand Seiko signature.
As is typical for limited edition Grand Seiko watches, the highlight is the textured dial. It’s finely grained and in a pale purple inspired by the wisteria flower; the shade is traditionally known as fuji-iro.
In typical Grand Seiko style, the dial features multi-faceted, mirrored steel indices and hands. The GMT hand is in a deep purple to match the dial. A subtle purple-and-silver 24-hour scale on the dial’s perimeter functions as the second time zone indicator.
The SBGJ285 is powered by the Hi-Beat cal. 9S86. The calibre runs at 36,000 beats per hour (5 Hz) and offers 55 hours of power reserve.
Part of the “9S” family of movements, the calibre was constructed from the ground up as a second time-zone watch and features a “true” GMT function with an independently adjustable hour hand linked to the date. The local time hour hand is adjustable backwards and forwards in one-hour steps, with the date moving in tandem with the hour hand.
