The Grand Seiko SBGW325—a 600-piece limited edition—brings back the raised Arabic numerals of the 2001 SBGW003, set against a navy blue dial inspired by traditional Japanese indigo dyeing.
Grand Seiko introduced its 9S family of calibres in 1998, and it has powered the brand's mechanical watches ever since. The first hand-wound version followed in 2001: calibre 9S54, which made its debut in the SBGW003, a three-hand watch with Arabic numerals on the dial. Twenty-five years on, the Japanese brand has brought those numerals back in the SBGW325, a limited edition in the Elegance Collection that goes on sale in October.
Technical Specs
| Reference | SBGW325, Elegance Collection |
| Case | Stainless steel with Zaratsu polishing; 37.3mm diameter, 11.7mm thick, 44.3mm lug-to-lug, 19mm lug width; 61g |
| Crystal and back | Box-shaped sapphire with inner anti-reflective coating; see-through caseback secured by six screws |
| Water resistance | Splash resistant (30m); magnetic resistance of 4,800 A/m |
| Dial | Matte navy blue with raised silver Arabic numerals; gold-tone GS logo and seconds hand |
| Caliber | In-house calibre 9S64, hand-wound; 28,800vph (4Hz), 24 jewels, 72-hour power reserve; +5 to -3 seconds per day |
| Functions | Central hours, minutes and seconds; hacking seconds |
| Strap | Crocodile leather hand-dyed with natural indigo (hon-ai); second strap in calf leather with quick-release system included |
| Price | USD 5,800; EUR 5,700 in Spain |
| Availability | Limited edition of 600 pieces; October 2026, at Grand Seiko Boutiques |
Raised numerals on indigo
According to the brand, the round 37.3mm case takes its form from the first Grand Seiko of 1960. The lugs widen towards the tip, which shows off the mirror surfaces and ridgelines left by Zaratsu polishing, Grand Seiko's technique for producing polished planes free of distortion. At 11.7mm thick and 44.3mm lug-to-lug, it will be comfortable for anyone who prefers a compact watch.
The dial is specific to this edition: a matte navy inspired by aizome, Japan's traditional indigo dyeing. Raised silver Arabic numerals stand out against it and reproduce those of the SBGW003. On that watch they were gold on a light dial; here only the GS logo and the seconds hand are gold. The hour and minute hands are Grand Seiko's usual faceted dauphine type, and with no date window nothing interrupts the ring of numerals.
The crocodile strap is dyed by hand with natural indigo using the hon-ai technique, a slow process in which the craftsmen work towards a deep blue that matches the dial. A second strap in grained calf leather, fitted with a quick-release system, comes with the watch.
The calibre 9S64
The 9S64 is the successor to the 9S54 of 2001. It runs at 28,800vph and has a 72-hour power reserve, 22 more than that first hand-wound calibre, which reached 50. In a watch that has to be wound by hand, those extra hours are enough to take it off on Friday night and find it still running on Monday morning. According to Grand Seiko, the mainspring's force falls off gradually as it unwinds, which keeps accuracy stable across those three days.
Grand Seiko rates this calibre at a mean daily rate of +5 to -3 seconds per day, measured with the movement at rest, and +10 to -1 with the watch in use. That is eight seconds between minimum and maximum in static testing, two fewer than the ten that Swiss COSC certification allows, at -4 to +6. Every 9S movement is tested in six positions and at three temperatures, and is made at Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, the workshop in Iwate Prefecture where the house's mechanical watches are produced. The movement can be seen through the sapphire caseback, which is secured by six screws. The automatic 9S65 comes from the same family and is the base of calibre 8L45 in the King Seiko Vanac HKF005, which ORELO reviewed in September.
A boutique-only release
Grand Seiko is selling the SBGW325 only in its boutiques. Of the 600 pieces, 450 are allocated to Japan, where the watch is offered at five boutiques and through the brand's online boutique, which leaves 150 for every other market. In the United States it costs USD 5,800, and the online boutique for that country lists shipping for October. Grand Seiko's page for Spain lists it at EUR 5,700 and links to the brand's European online boutique. In Mexico, Grand Seiko is sold through retailers such as the department store El Palacio de Hierro, Berger and Peyrelongue, and its page for that country does not currently include this reference; buyers in Mexico, Colombia, Argentina or Chile can ask the brand about purchase and shipping options.
Compared with the regular SBGW301
The SBGW325 matters because it brings back the dial of the first hand-wound Grand Seiko 9S and pairs it with the hand-wound calibre the brand makes today. It has a compact Zaratsu-polished case, an in-house movement with three days of reserve, the raised-numeral dial and a hand-dyed strap. It costs USD 800 more than the SBGW301, the regular-production model with the same case dimensions and the same calibre, which the brand sells for USD 5,000; the difference covers the dial, the two straps and a limited run. Water resistance stops at splashes, as is usual for a dress watch on a leather strap, and boutique-only sales, with three-quarters of the edition going to Japan, leave few pieces for the rest of the world. A buyer who wants an everyday Grand Seiko that can get wet will find more suitable options in the brand's Sport Collection. For one who was waiting for a hand-wound watch from the house with a dial unlike those in regular production, the SBGW325 is that watch.
