Grand Seiko has just unveiled their two newest recreational diver’s watches, SBGH289 and SBGH291. These two additions to the Sport Collection feature Grand Seiko’s Hi-Beat 36000 movement, caliber 9S85, which has 37 jewels and boasts an accuracy rating of +5 to -3 seconds per day and a power reserve of 55 hours.
Grand Seiko’s recreational Grand Seiko diver’s watch is an essential tool putting precision, durability, and ease of use at the forefront, offering everything a diver needs while eschewing any distracting or superfluous adornment. Case in point, the dial. Rendered in blue on SBGH289 and black on SBGH291, both dials feature a clean design pairing a large handset with a legible layout. The bold, multi-faceted indexes are affixed onto the dial via a swaging process that ensures their resistance against shocks, and the hands are differentiated in shape to enhance time telling even at a glance. Both dials are also matte, which creates less reflections and makes them easier to read. Ample amounts of LumiBrite is applied to the hands, markers, and bezel for nighttime visibility. There is also a small luminous pip near the date at three in compliance with ISO.
Rated to 200 meters, The case on both models measures 43.8mm in diameter, 14.7mm in thickness, and 51mm in length from one end of the lug to the other. SBGH289 has a case and bracelet made of stainless steel and weighs 206 grams. SBGH291 is High-Intensity Titanium, which provides notable scratch and corrosion resistance, as well as a substantial weight reduction at 142 grams. Every component of these two watches is made to last, with easy maintenance built into the architecture of the case. Therefore, the case, stem pipe, crown, and rotating bezel (which has a four-part design) allow for easy disassembly and re-assembly at Grand Seiko Service Centers.
Caliber 9S85 is a sophisticated Grand Seiko Hi-Beat automatic movement running at 36,000 bph. This modern caliber makes use of innovations to its mainspring, hairspring, escapement, and gear train to improve precision, longevity, and overall reliability. Grand Seiko manufactures this movement from start to finish at Studio Shizukuishi in Iwate Prefecture, the home of Grand Seiko’s mechanical timepieces.