Grand Seiko 2020-2022 Releases Review — WatchProSite Forum Digest

cazalea · 2022-01-27T14:34:16Z

Cazalea reviews Grand Seiko's 2020-2022 releases, analyzing the brand's rapid expansion and new models. Discover key collections and design changes.

cazalea

WPS member · Seiko forum

18 replies3428 views36 photos

Cazalea provides a comprehensive overview of Grand Seiko's prolific output between 2020 and 2022, questioning whether the brand is releasing too many models. This detailed review serves as an invaluable resource for collectors trying to navigate the rapid expansion of Grand Seiko's catalog. Cazalea's analysis helps contextualize the brand's strategy during a period of significant growth.

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After a flurry of Seiko and GS watch releases, It seemed a good time to take inventory. Are there too many Grand Seiko watches? Can there be too many?

Even as your moderator I found it extremely hard to keep up, so I thought it worth a review to see how many there really are.

Let's see what has appeared in JUST THE LAST TWO YEARS, since COVID slowed the world down a bit (although we have to remember "a new watch" takes years in the planning and creating).

JAN 2020 60th anniversary models

Automatic Hi-Beat

Women's with diamond-set bezel

High-accuracy quartz

Quartz sports with ceramic bezel

3 SPECIAL 60th anniversary watches with hand-wound mechanical 9S64 movement in platinum, yellow gold and titanium

Engraved platinum, manual wind

Yellow gold with machined dial patterns, manual wind

Jewelry set watch with Spring Drive

New spring drive movement 9RA5 in a diver watch

New high-beat movement 9SA5 in a gold case

Automatic, not high-beat (seconds hand only half red, traditional hands)

Concept watch with constant force tourbillon (not for sale)

Hi-beat with new dual-impulse escapement and 80 hour autonomy (seconds hand all red, new fatter hour hand and 12 index)

Kintaro Hattori commemorative edition remake of original GS in platinum

Remake of original Grand Seiko in gold

NOW MOVING ON TO 2021 now, we find:

White birch tree dials and Series 9 design

4 GMT watches with 4 seasons themes; 2 with hi-beat movements and 2 with Spring Drive

New Spring Drive Chronograph with ceramic bezel and gold highlights

Masterpiece jeweled platinum Spring Drive

Wood grain dial platinum Hi-Beat Kintaro Hattori model

New quartz GMT movement in a sports watch

Platinum hand-engraved case with special thin manual-wind Spring Drive movement

Blue dial inspired by Lake Suwa, new Spring Drive with power reserve on the back, new fatter hour hand and 12 index

Gold Spring Drive with wood grain inspired dial and new hand design

Gold Spring Drive diamond-set case and winter "snowflake" like dial, traditional hands

New Hi-Beat GMT movement in titanium case, with lume (rare in GS)

And that brought 2021 to a close, so now we are into 2022.

White Birch Forest dial with a Spring Drive movement rather than Hi-Beat, and fat hour hand

Two Sports Dial Spring Drive GMT watches - one Spring Drive Chronograph GMT and one regular watch with rotating bezel and lume

Newest Spring Drive movement and newest Hi-Beat, each in a case of new Ever-Brilliant Steel

Whew! I hope this past early morning hour spent building this article is not in vain, and it gets at least one reading!

Cazalea

Key Points from the Discussion

A contributor highlights Anthony Kable's work at Plus9Time, which meticulously documents Grand Seiko releases and offers a searchable database for modern-era models, including 66 references in 2021 and 59 in 2020.
A collector expresses admiration for Grand Seiko dials, citing the 'Skyflake' as an example, and raises a question about the community's preference for the new 'fat' hour hand compared to the traditional sword hand.
The author notes that Grand Seiko's release strategy, with models metered out 'a few at a time', is influenced by the decline of traditional annual trade shows.
A contributor expresses curiosity about how Seiko's unit and dollar sales compare to Swiss watchmakers like Rolex, suggesting it would be an interesting market comparison.
The author acknowledges the sheer volume of new releases, which underscores the scale of Seiko and Grand Seiko as companies.
The author reserves judgment on the new 'fat' hour hands until he has the opportunity to wear a watch featuring them.
The author confirms that while some models are discontinued, others, like certain catalog pieces, have remained in production for up to 20 years.
A contributor points out recent releases, including the SBGA469, noting a pattern of 1-2 new watches appearing weekly.
A contributor asks whether the influx of new models signifies an expansion of Grand Seiko's range and output, or if an equal number of older models are being discontinued.

The Discussion

BigFatPauli

Jan 27, 2022

Thank you for putting this together - I'm sure it was a marathon!

To your verbose post I have a succinct reply: Probably.

cazalea

Jan 27, 2022

Thanks and to avoid bias I took out the "Too Many" in my title

But left the question in the post, so your answer is still probably correct ... it's amazing they can crank out all these watches. It gives you a sense of HOW BIG Seiko and Grand Seiko are as companies.

BigFatPauli

Jan 27, 2022

Agree. They are MASSIVE.

I remember seeing a chart of Swiss watch makers and how many unites and dollar values they were selling. Seiko was, obviously, not part of it but it would have been so interesting to see how it stacks up versus Rolex.

jml_watches

Jan 27, 2022

Wow - that's a lot of new watches

Have they dropped an equal number, or is this more of them expanding their range and output. Cheers JML

cazalea

Jan 27, 2022

Expanding!

I’m sure some drop off when inventory runs out, but I see some models in the catalog that have been in production for 20 years. Cazalea

jml_watches

Jan 28, 2022

That's positive

While I haven't succumbed yet - there's lots to like Cheers JML

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