Seiko - Grand Seiko Sport GMT Quartz

Grand Seiko Sport GMT Quartz

May 10, 2021,14:41 PM

Kintaro Hattori founded Seiko in 1881 and led the company until his death in 1934. His philosophy was that they should be “Always one step ahead of the rest.” Nothing better proves the power of his vision than Grand Seiko, with its uncompromising standards and relentless determination to push back the frontiers of fine watchmaking.

Today GS unveils a new 9F86 quartz GMT series, adding a new dimension to the Grand Seiko Sport collection. The sports case is simple in design, with muscular shape and sharp, Zaratsu polished surfaces. The limited edition dial has gold color details; it is offered as a limited edition of 2,021 on this the 140th anniversary of Seiko’s founding. Two other versions with red and blue accents join the permanent Grand Seiko collection.

These three new creations are Grand Seiko in every respect, combining the highest level of precision and durability with supreme legibility and the quiet yet instantly recognizable brilliance that is the Grand Seiko hallmark. The case ridges are sharp and crisp. The bezels are ceramic and almost impervious to scratches. Every detail enhances the legibility of the time and the precision that Caliber 9F86 delivers. The two-tone dial ring allows the night and day hours indicated by the GMT hand of matching color to be read instantly.

Legibility at night is ensured by the use of two colors of LumiBrite: green for the hour hand, minute hand and indexes, and blue for the GMT hand. The ceramic bezel allows the time to be read instantly and accurately in the GMT 24 hour format.

A date with instant change mechanism, a sapphire crystal, 20 bar water resistance and magnetic resistance of 16,000 A/m complete the specifications. The case diameter is a modest 40mm, making the watch perfect for sport and daily wearing.

A Note on the Movement

When Caliber 9F was created in 1993, the goal was straightforward but ambitious. As the quartz caliber for Grand Seiko, it should set new durability and precision standards and allow all the aesthetics of Grand Seiko to be fully expressed. A backlash auto-adjust mechanism eliminates any shudder in the seconds hand. The date changes in the blink of an eye. A twin- pulse control system allows the minute and seconds hands to extend right to the edge of the dial.

The use of aged and selected quartz crystals and thermo-compensation ensure high precision of ‒10 to +10 seconds per year.

Thanks to these unique characteristics, Caliber 9F can lay a strong claim to be the world’s highest performance quartz watch. Caliber 9F86 was created in 2018 and offers a GMT function in addition to the base characteristics of Caliber 9F.

The blue creation features a deep blue dial and bezel to match the bright blue color accents of the dial. The red version has equivalent features in bright red.

All three watches will be available in June 2021 at the Grand Seiko Boutiques and selected Grand Seiko retail stores worldwide.

Caliber 9F86 Sports GMT Quartz watches

Accuracy: ±10 seconds per year (at temperatures between 5°C and 35°C)

Instant date change

High-torque stepping motor

Protective shield construction

GMT function / Independent hour hand adjustment function

Specifications

Stainless steel case and bracelet

Ceramic bezel

Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating

Diameter: 40.0mm Thickness: 13.1mm