Generally speaking, I’m a big fan of Grand Seiko, and I find the majority of the brand’s watches to be objectively beautiful creations, even when they aren’t models that I could personally see myself wearing on a regular basis. However, Grand Seiko produces quite a lot of watches that check similar thematic and aesthetic boxes, and even though I’m someone who thoroughly enjoys most of the Japanese manufacturer’s timepieces, I also sometimes wish that the brand would pump the brakes just a little bit and actually release fewer new watches. That said, it’s hard to be truly upset about a brand producing too many attractive timepieces, and as part of its new releases for 2023, Grand Seiko teamed up with Watches Of Switzerland to create a trio of new models based on the brand’s famous 62GS case design from 1967.
The three Grand Seiko Heritage 62GS Watches Of Switzerland Group models consist of the gray SBGH333, green SBGH335, and purple SBGH337, with the only physical difference between the trio being the colors of their dials and seconds hands. While the SBGH335 and SBGH337 both feature seconds hands that are finished in darker shades of the purple and green colors that appear on their dials, the SBGH333 has a bright blue seconds hand that offers a touch of added contrast against the dark metallic gray surface of its dial. Just as you would expect, these three Grand Seiko 62GS models are exclusively available from Watches of Switzerland’s retailers, and the SBGH335 and SBGH337 will each be produced as limited editions of 200 pieces, while the gray SBGH333 will serve as the standard Watches of Switzerland special-edition model, which means that it won’t have its production capped at a specific number of examples.
From an external perspective, the trio of Grand Seiko Heritage 62GS Watches Of Switzerland Group Exclusive models offer largely the same on-wrist experience that you will find among other modern Grand Seiko references that are based upon the historic 62GS case, and their stainless steel components are immaculately finished with Zaratsu polishing and contrasting linear brushed surfaces. Water resistance comes in at 100 meters thanks to a signed screw-down crown at 3 o’clock and a screw-down display caseback, and while Grand Seiko can’t seem to refrain from printing some type of graphic on its sapphire caseback windows, the Watches of Switzerland 62GS models have incredibly subtle transparent Grand Seiko logos, which ultimately offer a largely unobstructed view of the mechanical movements that power the watches.
Internally, the three new Grand Seiko Heritage 62GS Watches of Switzerland models are all powered by the same Hi-Beat Caliber 9S85 automatic movement that you will find elsewhere within the brand’s modern lineup, which runs at a frequency of 36,000vph (5 Hz), with a power reserve of approximately 55 hours. Compared to the rather broad timekeeping tolerances typically associated with entry-level Seiko movements, the Grand Seiko Hi-Beat Cal. 9S85 is an entirely different creation that offers an accuracy rating of -3/+5 seconds per day. Additionally, while it isn’t as elaborately finished as some of the movements found inside the brand’s more premium models, the Cal. 9S85 is still quite aesthetically pleasing, with perlage on the mainplate, gold-filled engravings for its markings, and the brand’s signature “Tokyo stripes” adorning the majority of its visible surfaces.
As far as dimensions, the press release for the Grand Seiko Heritage 62GS Watches Of Switzerland Group Exclusive models states that they measure 40mm in diameter by 12.5mm thick, with 21mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug profile of 46.2mm. However, when I measured the watches with a set of digital calipers, I found that their overall thickness was actually 12.9mm, while the lug-to-lug distance is 47mm, and these are the exact same dimensions that Grand Seiko lists on its official website for the other 40mm 62GS models with the Cal. 9S85 movement. Realistically speaking, we are talking about differences amounting to fractions of a millimeter, and I personally find that the Watches of Switzerland 62GS models wear more-or-less identical to their standard-production siblings form the Grand Seiko Heritage collection that are also based upon a 40mm version of the 62GS case.
The 21mm lugs of the Grand Seiko 62GS Watches of Switzerland models are all fitted with the brand’s standard five-link stainless steel bracelet that consists of largely brushed surfaces with thin Zaratsu-polished segments separating the three larger brushed links. The bracelet itself is quite well-made and nicely finished, although the removable links are secured with the rather tedious system of floating pins held in place by small threaded caps at either end of each link, and this means sizing the bracelet is a slightly more involved process than when dealing with single-sided screws. Additionally, while the bracelet doesn’t include quick-release connections at the end-links or any type of integrated extension system, the push-button clasp does offer a very compact overall profile, and the bracelet includes a pair of half links to help owners achieve a comfortable fit on their wrist.
One of the most distinct features of the 62GS case is that it doesn’t have a bezel, which keeps the visual emphasis of the watch on its sweeping lugs and better showcases its dial. When it comes to the dials fitted to the trio of Grand Seiko 62GS Watches of Switzerland Group Exclusive models, all three of them feature the same core design with the classic 62GS layout and an intricate mosaic pattern adding texture to their surfaces. Similarly, while the handsets all appear in Grand Seiko’s signature dauphine shape with perfectly polished angles, the seconds hands fitted to the green dial SBGH335 and purple dial SBGH337 are finished in darker shades of green and purple lacquer, while the seconds hand fitted to the gray dial model is finished in a bright shade of blue. Additionally, unlike the purple and green models, the angled chapter ring surrounding the dial on the gray SBGH333 has been given matching accents placed at the five-minute markers, which appear in a bright shade of blue to compliment its seconds hand.
I personally love Grand Seiko’s nature-inspired dials, although Japan’s Iwate prefecture has lended itself to countless different designs, and the concepts behind Grand Seiko’s dials are starting to feel slightly tenuous. The dials of the Watches of Switzerland 62GS models pay tribute to the star-filled sky at Jodogahama Beach, which is (naturally) located in the Miyako Bay of Japan’s Iwate prefecture. The blue accents on the gray SBGH333 are intended to symbolize moonlit waters, while the green SBGH335 and purple SBGH337 are supposed to represent “the dynamic cosmos in the sky” with their striking pale green and purple colorways. Aside from the aurora borealis (which I’m fairly certain isn’t visible from Jodogahama Beach), I’m not really sure what purple and green “cosmos” the limited-edition models might be referencing, although it’s undeniable that the dials fitted to the Watches of Switzerland 62GS models are all quite good-looking, and their intricate mosaic patterns create a rather dynamic overall appearance.
Grand Seiko makes fantastic watches, but offering too many versions of a good thing can slightly detract from what might otherwise be regarded as highly auspicious releases. I personally enjoy all three of these Watches Of Switzerland Group Exclusive models, but I also find a number of other Grand Seiko models with the 62GS case to be equally attractive offerings, and this makes it rather hard to choose one that I would actually want to purchase for myself. However, since this trio of 62GS models can only be acquired from Watches of Switzerland Group’s network of retailers (Watches of Switzerland and Mayors) and two of them are limited editions of 200 pieces, these models aren’t really going to be competing against their core-collection 62GS siblings within Grand Seiko’s catalog, and they instead represent a fairly small and rather niche offering within the brand’s total output. Additionally, despite their different colorways, all three of the Watches Of Switzerland Group Exclusive 62GS models are accompanied by the same retail price of $6,900 USD, and it’s encouraging to see that Grand Seiko and Watches Of Switzerland aren’t charging more for the limited-edition versions, despite their unusual colorways and smaller production numbers. For more information on the Grand Seiko Heritage 62GS Watches Of Switzerland Group Exclusive models, please visit the brand’s website.
