I’ve written about a lot of Grand Seiko watches over the past five years at Oracle Time but this one stands out. Instead of the usual mix of artisanal dial finishing and nature inspired patterns, it’s a minimalist watch with a clean dial and Arabic numerals. It’s called the SBGW325 9S Mechanical Manual-Winding Limited Edition ‘Arabic Numerals’.
It’s a modern reinterpretation of the SBGW003 120th anniversary model from 2001 (celebrating the 120th anniversary of Seiko as a whole), which was itself a reinterpretation of Grand Seiko’s earliest watches from 1960. That 2001 watch was designed in part by Nobuhiro Kosugi, the Head of Design at Grand Seiko at the time. It was he who created the typography for the Arabic numerals that are recreated on the new SBGW325, which are designed to harmonise with the Grand Seiko logo.
The combination of the clean lines of the numerals with the dot minute track and dauphine hands make this one of the cleanest dials in recent Grand Seiko history. There’s no extraneous details, it’s sharp and to the point. The use of matte blue as the dial colour and silver for the hands and numerals (accented by a golden seconds hand to match the GS logo) give it a surprisingly modern, sporty look. If you introduced some lume to the display and improved the water resistance from 30m you could almost imagine that you’re looking at a field watch.
It even has vintage field watch proportions of 37.3mm diameter x 11.7mm thickness. Though the finishing pushes it distinctly back towards dress watch design thanks to its high sheen polished bezel, caseband and lugs. The fluted crown makes it nice and easy to wind and set the time. The lugs lead into an indigo crocodile leather strap dyed with traditional Japanese dyes.
Powering the SBGW325 9S Mechanical Manual-Winding Limited Edition ‘Arabic Numerals’ is the 9S64 manual-winding movement with 72-hour power reserve. It has a great daily accuracy of +5/-3 seconds per day, which is within chronometer levels of precision. It almost feels strange that it’s neither hi-beat nor spring drive given Grand Seiko’s recent focus on their most advanced calibres. However, I think that works in the watch’s favour because it makes this one of the most affordable Grand Seikos launched this year.
It’s priced at £5,000 including VAT. It’s also a limited edition of 600 pieces worldwide, of which only a small number have been allocated to the UK market. Ultimately, I think this is a watch for collectors who love Grand Seiko as a brand. It’s not an expression of Grand Seiko’s eccentric watchmaking; it’s a watch about Grand Seiko. Presented in the brand’s signature colours and dedicated to one of their veteran designers. While the SBGW003 was marketed as a 120th anniversary model and this watch doesn’t have the anniversary moniker in its name, it has been released in Seiko’s 145th anniversary year and is an anniversary launch in everything but name. It’s available in the UK starting from October, 2026.
Price and Specs:
More details at Grand Seiko.
