# Sticky  Understanding Grand Seiko - Part 2 - Design



## JoeKirk

In *Understanding Grand Seiko - Part 1 - History*, we covered an interesting attribute to Grand Seiko that is still very relevant to the brand today... Design.

*Grand Seiko Grammar of Design *

It is important to know that Grand Seiko was created to be the world's best practical watch. This was the vision at Suwa Seikosha when creating the first Grand Seiko, the 3180. Simplistic, highly accurate, built for longevity, easy to read and comfortable when on the wrist were the main traits of Grand Seiko. However, it was not until later that a new focal point came to light for GS... Beauty. 









We learned briefly about the design school graduate then Seiko employee, Mr. Taro Tanaka, who introduced what was to influence the overall design of the brand and became known as "Grand Seiko Grammar of Design" in the 1967 44GS model. Mr. Tanaka earned his degree in an industrial design course in the department of engineering at Chiba University. He joined K. Hattori (now Seiko Watch Corporation) in 1959 as the company's first ever design school graduate, and proceeded to create such pieces as the stopwatches for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and 1972 Sapporo Olympics, the first generation of Seiko Sportsmatic 5 (1963), and the first Diver Professional 600m (aka Grandfather Tuna 6159 from 1975). He even aided in the development of Seiko's proprietary luminous paint known as Lumibrite which was introduced in 1993. In Grand Seiko, he designed models such as the Self-Dater (later known as the 57GS and the precursor for "Grammar of Design" from 1964), the 45GS (the first hand-winding Hi-beat from 1968), the 61GS (the first GS Automatic Hi-Beat from 1967), and of course, the 44GS which set the precedent for Grand Seiko's Grammar of Design (1967). 









This design, based on traditional Japanese aesthetics, utilizes flat surfaces and sharp lines. This combination plays with light and shadow, two things that cannot exist without each other. The sharp lines and facets are at different angles and use light and shadow in contrasting ways on every flat surface. 









Along with these attributes, further characteristics were necessary, such as creating a very thin bezel. The bezel size contributes to the overall appearance of the watch. Mr. Tanaka felt that bezels were too thick and "clumsy" due to the global standards of units of measure in watchmaking in the 1960's. The bezel's thickness was reduced by changing units of measure within Seiko, keeping the bezels thin and flat, while also on a downward slope with its highest point at the crystal and the flat surface slanting down out to the outer edge. 









Attributes such as recessing the crown half into the case, using flat dials, having a double wide index at 12:00, using multi-faceted indices overall, and polishing all indices and hands with a diamond cutter, were also critical for Grand Seiko to achieve its goal of a beautiful and highly legible wristwatch.









The use of flat surfaces in the case, such as the wide lugs, created a unique and distinct appearance for Seiko as a brand (with pieces like Seiko 5), but especially for Grand Seiko. Prior to Mr. Tanka, most Seiko cases were round. Because of his dissatisfaction with this plain or commonly used design, Mr. Tanaka set out to create something new and very different. This proved to be extremely difficult to manufacture, but the end result was well worth it. The flat lug design also utilized a similar trait of that in the bezel, using a declining flat slope from the bezel to the outer edge of the case to create a watch that seemed to taper out to the wrist, making it seem much thinner than it actually was. The use of reverse angles and two-dimensional curves also projected a flat presence, but the sharpness of the facets helped to create a unique visual identity. The Self-Daters were the first Grand Seiko models to achieve a perfectly smooth, distortion-free mirror surface for the bezel and other flat surfaces - they sparkled unlike any other watch at that time. The method by which this dimensionality was achieved is known as Zaratsu polishing. 

The current Grand Seiko collection in entirety uses flat surfaces, sharp lines, thin bezels (unless a sports model) and Zaratsu finishing to create the beautiful attributes that the brand's design was founded on in the 1960's. 

*Modern Grand Seiko Design *
 









Many of Grand Seiko's designs inherit traits from the models of the 1960's. Modern reinterpretations of the 44GS can be found in models such as SBGJ001, SBGJ013 and SBGV005. Also, the 44GS inspired the case design for the first series of 9S85 Hi-Beats SBGH001 and SBGH005, despite the slight difference of thinner, rounded tip lugs.









Other design elements have been added to modern Grand Seiko models to accommodate modern movements. As an example, the "Snowflake" SBGA011 and others that share the same case designs use almost contrasting technique to the 44GS. The bezel does slant downwards as does the 44GS, however, the case and bezel meet, tapering at the same angle as opposed to different angles. Due to the width of Spring Drive, the sloping bezel and case come to a sharp edge on the case side and then taper inwards at a 13° angle, creating a deceivingly smaller appearance on the wrist when worn. While working in a near opposite method as the 44GS, this Spring Drive case reduces appearance of width, as opposed to the 44GS case design reducing the appearance of thickness.









Grand Seiko was meant to be the best practical watch and intended for every day use. Comfort is a major factor in design, with several elements contributing to wearability. In order to achieve this comfort level, most all Grand Seiko models are designed to be fairly light weight and well balanced. The case designs tend to have wrist shaped curvature to the lugs, with short lug profile (typically lug to lug length on GS is well under or around 50mm) ensuring a comfortable fit on near any size wrist.









Another contributing factor to comfort is the bracelet. Each link is polished by hand for beauty, but also meticulously designed with a rounded shape and particular thickness that keeps great balance and comfort on the wrist. With the exception of sport models, Grand Seiko does not use micro-adjustable clasps in order to create a more seamless integration with the rest of the bracelet and reduce the potential bulk and weight on the clasp itself. In order to create to a more perfect fit for the bracelet, half links are used - but note, when both half-links are measured, together they are slightly longer than one full link. How does this aid in fit? If you find the watch is too loose by removing two links, and too tight by removing two full and one half links, try removing one full link and two half links - this should be exactly what you need for a proper fit.









Legibility is another design aspect that is essential for Grand Seiko. Utilizing multi-faceted diamond cut indices and hands contribute greatly to legibility. This creates a sparkling effect that catches light at different angles, creating high legibility even in low light settings. Dial color plays a vital part in which hands and indices are used. For lighter colored dials, the flat surfaces of hands and indices are mirrored, which reflects black easily. Dark dials have hairline/brushed finishing, which captures and holds light. Both of these methods provide high contrast to dial color, thereby creating higher legibility.









Legibility of the date window is also very important. In most cases, Grand Seiko date windows are framed, so they are easily distinguished. Additionally, the size of the date display area and numbers can be as much as 1.2 to 1.5 times the size of comparable watch models. 









The use of Seiko's proprietary High-Definition Sapphire Crystal with the also proprietary 99.9% Clarity Coating (anti-reflective coating) plays a strong role in legibility as well. High-Definition Sapphire, developed by Seiko, creates a perfectly crystal clear view of the dial without distortion typically caused by the domed shape. This is even true in the heavily domed, box-shape sapphire crystal, which actually took Seiko 4 years to develop. The Clarity Coating was developed in order to eliminate reflection, without the typical blue glare you find in other anti-reflective coatings. 

All that goes into Grand Seiko design is rigorously contemplated and examined with longevity in mind. Design that will not go out of style. Design that withstands the test of time. Design that has been with the brand for over 50 years. This dedication to longevity is taken even a step further by being baked into the very fabric of the construction of the watches: all components have been designed to be easy to disassemble and repair; essentially, Grand Seiko is designed for generations to come.

Stay tuned for Part 3 - Case Manufacturing and Zaratsu Polish Finishing


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## zuiko

Wonderful write-up and detail. Thank you.


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## T1meout

Joe, thank you for sharing.
This thread could use some additional pictures of the sbgw047.
So here you go:


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## ahonobaka

Thank you Joe, the write up is excellent!

I'd like to learn more about the sport models, particularly the divers; Are you able to speak to the design cues, how the "grammar" is/isn't applied and for what reasoning, and finally the construction areas where they differ from non-sport models?

Can't thank you enough for this material!


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## Pencey Prep

Enjoying reading this as much as the 1st instalment. Great work.


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## Laso1

Joe, once again you have put together a well thought out and informative post. Thank you.


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## whineboy

Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge and lovely photos, Joe. The GS community is full of kind people.


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## SimpleWatchMan

Another great article. |>


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## tomatoes

I'm about to pull the trigger on an SBGW047 within the next 2 weeks.
but I'm also thinking to myself if it is going to be redundant (read: me being greedy) since I've already the SBGW031 which I haven't worn since receiving it new 3months ago! I have been waiting for a special occasion to wear the 031 but none seem in sight o|

I am however, excited at the prospect of owning 2 of the most minimalist watches from the GS brand! :-!


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## T1meout

tomatoes said:


> I'm about to pull the trigger on an SBGW047 within the next 2 weeks.
> but I'm also thinking to myself if it is going to be redundant (read: me being greedy) since I've already the SBGW031 which I haven't worn since receiving it new 3months ago! I have been waiting for a special occasion to wear the 031 but none seem in sight o|
> 
> I am however, excited at the prospect of owning 2 of the most minimalist watches from the GS brand! :-!


I don't need an excuse and wear my 047 whenever I feel like it regardless of my attire. I even intend to wear it while wearing semi formal/ dressy shorts this upcoming summer. Life is to short not to enjoy the things we really like whenever we please.


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## JoeKirk

T1meout said:


> Joe, thank you for sharing.
> This thread could use some additional pictures of the sbgw047.
> So here you go:


Haha! Totally necessary since it is the founding piece contributing to design! Where's the wrist shot?!


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## JoeKirk

ahonobaka said:


> Thank you Joe, the write up is excellent!
> 
> I'd like to learn more about the sport models, particularly the divers; Are you able to speak to the design cues, how the "grammar" is/isn't applied and for what reasoning, and finally the construction areas where they differ from non-sport models?
> 
> Can't thank you enough for this material!


My pleasure and glad you enjoyed!

I do plan on making my way to a detailed post on the diver model designs at some point and time. Maybe after the new Hi-Beat Pro models are released. There are attributes that contribute to the divers from Grammar of Design, but are certainly more heavily found on the new Hi-Beats. The more interesting part is that the GS Spring Drive divers take more cues from historical Seiko divers from the 60's-70's than anything else, but also adhere to the Grand Seiko philosophy.


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## robhaa

This is a great read. Thank you!


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## georges zaslavsky

very informative and instructive post, thank you:-!


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## mitadoc

Thank you for the great thread and information!


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## in2zion

Thank for sharing this!


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## JoeKirk

Glad everyone has been enjoying these posts! The next one will be posted sometime next week on case manufacturing and finishing!


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## BubbleFree

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on GS. Makes me want to buy one even more .

Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


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## chrisca70

Thank you for this great series! It would be great if you can write a bit on the manufacturing and design of the HEQ movements 8J, 9F, etc.


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## T1meout

JoeKirk said:


> Haha! Totally necessary since it is the founding piece contributing to design! Where's the wrist shot?!


Ask, and ye shall receive!


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## Watcher1988

Wonderfull post! thanks!


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## WhiskyDad

Thanks, Joe. Very informative.


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## closeset

Thank for sharing!


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## Gharddog03

Killer write up!!


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## Fraga

T1meout said:


> Joe, thank you for sharing.
> This thread could use some additional pictures of the sbgw047.
> So here you go:


This watch is absolutely stunning!!!!!!!!!
That's it, I going to go on a freeze on buying watches for a while so I can save up for a Grand Seiko.
Thanks for sharing.


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## OakFields

thank you for wonderful post


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## verreauxi

Another great read, thanks!


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## sbhas2k

Excellent writeup. Thanks


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## andreas_mw

nice review thanks


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## whosam

This a fantastic overview. Thanks for sharing!


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## axinnel

ahonobaka said:


> Thank you Joe, the write up is excellent!
> 
> I'd like to learn more about the sport models, particularly the divers; Are you able to speak to the design cues, how the "grammar" is/isn't applied and for what reasoning, and finally the construction areas where they differ from non-sport models?
> 
> Can't thank you enough for this material!


I would also like to know this. Given the first two write-ups in the series so far, I don't think anyone could explain it better than Joe. I already love GS, I tell everyone that the best value on the market is a GS, and spring drive in particular. All of the education that Joe is providing makes me love and appreciate GS even more. I can't wait to read the third installment!


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## Bezeler

Where did you get these diagrams? These are awesome, thanks!


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## afennell

Beautiful imagery and amazing write up. One pet peeve of mine is that I like date wheels that match the dial. It seems lazy to me that so many watches just have white or black date wheels. I understand that sometimes the date wheel can complement the overall design by being a different color, but I find more often than not it detracts when they don't match.


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## T1meout

afennell said:


> Beautiful imagery and amazing write up. One pet peeve of mine is that I like date wheels that match the dial. It seems lazy to me that so many watches just have white or black date wheels. I understand that sometimes the date wheel can complement the overall design by being a different color, but I find more often than not it detracts when they don't match.


Most often then not GS would rather choose function over form. Non matching date wheels provide greater contrast and therefore better legibility. It's really that simple.


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## YMII

Very interesting!

Does anyone know why the US-Limted Edition SBGA387G was just limited to 558?


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## Tickythebull

Another great read.

Thanks Joe.









Sent from my SM-A530F using Tapatalk


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## phaphaphooey

Another great one. Thank you for posting.


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## DanTokin

Nice thread. thanks for the work. 

Could you please indicate what is the material of the highly polished bezel on the sbga211 ? Is it still in titanium as the case ?
And if yes, is there any way to remove scratches from this highly polished bezel (products & advice) ?

Thanks in advance.
Dan


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## DanTokin

Nice thread. thanks for the work. 

Could you please indicate what is the material of the highly polished bezel on the sbga211 ? Is it still in titanium as the case ?
And if yes, is there any way to remove scratches from this highly polished bezel (products & advice) ?

Thanks in advance.
Dan


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## C.V.

Very interesting info here. Although appreciated visually, so much of the detail can be overlooked but this really spells out some really special design cues.


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## krayzie

Grand Seiko Evolution Book - By Ikuo Tokunaga from Mook Jan 2020


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## [email protected]

Does anyone know why my 9f62-0ab0 doesnt have any striping (plain non decorated) and no GS logo on the movement? Mind is sbgx061. Please enlighten me








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## krayzie

[email protected] said:


> Does anyone know why my 9f62-0ab0 doesnt have any striping (plain non decorated) and no GS logo on the movement?


Because 9F62 is from the '90s as a JDM product, before Seiko resorted to doing a ton of bling in order to increase sales in the west. See how you are asking this very question today because their marketing now knows we are shallow. Ever wonder why they turned GS into an independent brand from being a watch line, it's all western marketing directive like Lexus/Acura/Infiniti. The gold color indicates that it's top of the line, but apparently not enough communication to overseas buyers, so let's throw some Swiss like stripes onto it to bring it in line with the 9S. I mean they already did it with the 5R to turn it into a 9R lol!

It was originally designed primarily for high performance and in the case of 9F6, a smaller form factor than its predecessor in order to decrease the watch size.


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## heavyweather

Would you believe it, I've collected most of the pieces named in this work. It's an excellent write-up and an eloquently phrased litany of the reasons I find these particular references so beautiful. The 45GS shown here is such a singular piece, even the modern take on it doesn't quite nail what is so cool and unique about the 60s vintage ref (the 90° angular hooded lugs, mwah *chef kiss*). The 57GS Self-Dater is indeed singularly handsome and evocative of the style of the 60s. Pairs well with a fine scotch, this watch. The 61GS is currently being saved from an overpolishing by a masterful refinisher, and will soon return looking like Tanaka-san intended. He really had an impressive body of work. Whereas Genta's designs each seem singular and unique, Tanaka really honed a singular design language throughout his career, one that is immediately recognizable. Perhaps he has more in common with Giugiaro, whose touch can be immediately felt in any object he designed, whether it is a car, a camera, or a watch.


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## heavyweather

DanTokin said:


> Nice thread. thanks for the work.
> 
> Could you please indicate what is the material of the highly polished bezel on the sbga211 ? Is it still in titanium as the case ?
> And if yes, is there any way to remove scratches from this highly polished bezel (products & advice) ?
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> Dan


To your question sir, the bezel is titanium as well, same as the case. I would not recommend removing scratches yourself. GS will refinish the case upon request during a service, in America they can do it in Mahwah, NJ, or if you ask very insistently and agree to pay the additional shipping and customs fees, they will send it back to Japan. I recommend the latter option.


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## JesseBertone

What a great write up, very interesting


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## Pongster

So if you can only afford a few vintage GS, good to chase after 62GS and 44GS cases?


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## DrGoode

Informative. Thanks for sharing.


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## Horos

Thanks very much, Joe. Very helpful.


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