Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002 Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002 is equipped with a new "Hi-beat" movement, movement 9SA5. Compared with the brand's existing Calibre 9S85, the movement is thinner, more precise, and can automatically run longer. Angus Davies (Angus Davies) carefully observed this new watch, paying special attention to its new movement.replica Grand Seiko Watches

In the manufacturing industry, certain words and phrases are part of the vernacular and are therefore popular with management types. For example, "Kanban" was conceived by an engineer at Toyota to improve the scheduling system of manufacturing efficiency. Similarly, the term "5S" describes an organizational system developed in Japan that pays close attention to the cleanliness of the workplace, thereby ensuring an ideal environment for "just in time" manufacturing.

However, perhaps for middle managers, the most famous term is "Kaizen", which means "become better". It embodies a key aspect of Japanese culture, namely the concentrated use of internal company talent to promote continuous improvement. This philosophy of Grand Seiko seems to be active.

9S85 movement

Few companies will propose 5Hz movements because they present many technical challenges. High-frequency movements tend to make lubricant slip, the escapement is more prone to wear, and the power reserve is usually shorter. Only a few companies have overcome these challenges and successfully produced a 5 Hz movement. Since its first release in 2009, Grand Seiko is such a company, producing a large number of Calibre 9S85.Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale 168566-3007

Using a high-frequency movement, the balance wheel is not susceptible to impact, and the movement is not prone to position errors when worn.

The 9S85 movement uses MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical System) technology (often called Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung (LIGA) in Europe). The use of this technology facilitates the manufacture of small parts to the smallest tolerance. The escapement fork lever and escapement wheel are hollowed out, thereby reducing weight and energy consumption. In addition, the surface of each component shows extraordinary smoothness, improving friction and reducing energy consumption again. The tooth shape on the escape wheel is intricate and has a small oil storage cavity, which can maintain the state of the lubricant, thereby prolonging the wear time.

The power reserve of the 9S85 movement does not match the power reserve of the 4S movement 9S65, but it can still run autonomously for up to 55 hours. In any case, this is a considerable number.replica luxury watches

Continuous improvement

As mentioned earlier, Caliber 9S85 came out in 2009 and is still used in several watches in the Seiko series, including some watches that I really want to own. Indeed, its incredible reliability is well known to many watch collectors.

For the watch industry, this caliber has not changed for many years. However, I remembered this sentence: "If there is no crack, don't fix it". However, with the word "Kaizen" sounded, Grand Seiko has just launched a brand new 5Hz movement, movement 9SA5. The advent of this new movement coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Seiko model.

High-end watch brands have chosen to accommodate their new high-frequency movements in the new Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002.

The specification table of the 9SA5 movement reveals many enhancements and immediately proves the reason for the change.

dial

The appearance of the new Grand Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002 will reassure Japanese brand advocates immediately. The silver dial is decorated with a sun pattern and the company logo is located below noon.swiss replica watches

Like several other Grand Seiko watches, the new timepiece uses multi-sided hour and minute hands, all engraved with GS style. Careful inspection revealed that they also had truncated tips and counterweights.

The index, GS logo and "calendar frame" are made of 18 carat gold. The index has channels and many aspects. Grand Seiko's preference for facets, whether in hand or on the index finger, surpasses pure aesthetics. Each angled surface can enter the light and improve clarity.

The white date dial has black numbers, and its shape and size are slightly different, again improving readability. In addition, the date change is almost "instant". The slender center sweeps the second hand across the dial and kisses the minute displayed on the thin line next to the dial. The Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002 is consistent with all models of the brand and gives time succinctly.

case

I freely admit that I am a "Seiko freak". Seiko's execution is one of Grand Seiko's distinctive aspects. All contours and edges are perfectly defined. Both the stainless steel case and the titanium case are full of silky and silky appearance, thanks to the company's legendary zaratsu polishing process. Grand Seiko did not specify whether the 18-carat gold case of the 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002 has been polished using the same technique, but please be assured that it is still a fine example.replica Richard Mille RM 052 skull Watches

The case combines polished and straight surfaces. Placing two contrasting finishes in very close positions is very difficult and requires a lot of fusion of skill and time. Needless to say, at first glance the case of this watch shows that Grand Seiko is clearly capable of this task. Indeed, the interaction between the two types of finishes gives the case an elegant atmosphere. When viewing the Grand Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002 from the side, you can see the curved strap. Its shape seems to be ergonomic and easy to fit on the wrist.

The upper sapphire crystal is box-shaped, further enhancing the classic characteristics of the watch. However, unlike the old-fashioned or classic watches, the 60th anniversary limited edition SLGH002 has a back cover, and you can see the internal self-winding movement.

Sports-Introduction

As mentioned earlier, Caliber 9S85 used to be, and is still an excellent movement. Now, with the advent of the 9SA5 movement, the Japanese luxury brand has further improved its standards. Indeed, at this price point, you can rarely see the various attributes of the new movement, and sometimes six-digit watches also lack this attribute.replica Patek Philippe Nautilus Watches

The new 5Hz movement equipped with Grand Seiko's 60th anniversary limited edition SLGH002 movement 9SA5 is thinner and has a longer power reserve, providing 80 hours of autonomous operation when fully tightened. These two improvements should be mutually exclusive, but somehow, Seiko has made progress in watchmaking in both of these areas.

Double pulse escapement

Most mechanical watches are equipped with a Swiss lever escapement, which indirectly sends pulses to the balance through the pallet lever. The inherent problems with this arrangement are that the transfer of energy is not 100% efficient and the power is lost.

When the balance wheel rotates in one direction, the double-pulse escapement still uses indirect pulses, similar to the traditional Swiss lever escapement. However, the other pallet fixed on the balance wheel directly meshes with the escape wheel. When the balance wheel rotates in the opposite direction, it is directly pushed by the pulse. This method reduces energy consumption and increases power reserve by default.

Similar to the escape wheel and pallet fork used in the 9S85 movement, the corresponding parts in the 9SA5 movement are formed using MEMS technology. Similarly, they are hollowed out, reduced weight, extremely smooth, reduced friction, and smart design. Overall, these attributes also provide an impressive 80-hour power reserve for the movement.replica BREMONT ALT1-C CLASSIC watches

Free spring balance and overshoot

Most mechanical movements, including movement 9S85, have an index adjuster. The hairspring is fixed to the balance cock through a "stud" and between two "curb pins" mounted on the "racquet". If the racket moves toward or away from the "stud", the effective length of the hairspring will change, becoming longer or shorter, which affects the speed of movement.

The potential problem with this method is that the position of the balance spring relative to each curb pin affects the swing. In particular, the vibration will cause the balance spring to move between the curb nails, which will cause the effective length of the balance spring to change, thereby changing the moving speed.

The 9SA5 movement is equipped with a free-hanging balance, which is technically superior. The length of the hairspring is fixed, and the timing screw or counterweight (masculine gas) is used to adjust the speed of the balance wheel to affect the moment of inertia of the balance wheel. Although it takes more labor to set up than adjusting the balance of the index, it can make finer adjustments and therefore can provide higher accuracy.

Another benefit of the free-hanging balance is that the balance spring tends to "breathe" more concentrically while the balance swings back and forth. This is called "isochronism" and again has a positive effect on accuracy. In addition, free-hanging balances are less susceptible to position. Finally, because the length of the hairspring is fixed, the accuracy of the movement is not easy to change for a long time.replica Patek Philippe Nautilus Watches

Grand Seiko is obviously obsessed with the smallest details and indulged in the desires of all self-respecting and self-respecting lovers. For example, the four timing screws mounted on the balance wheel are located "inside" and placed in the recessed portion of the balance wheel rim. When the balance wheel swings, the air turbulence generated by the screw becomes less, which contributes to accuracy.

The term "Breguet overcoil" is part of the watch term. The system includes an external coil that "lifts" the hairspring and bends it into a predetermined shape. This enhancement requires more time and expense, but it improves synchronization. Grand Seiko once again sought his own path of excellence, referring to "overcoil" without mentioning the famous Swiss watchmaker. "After more than 80,000 simulations, the result was that its performance was optimized at every possible location," thus selecting the curved shape of its coil. In fact, this illustrates another benefit of overcoiling, that is, it is less susceptible to position.

Horizontal gear train

Grand Seiko stated that the 9SA5 movement "is 15% thinner than the current Grand Seiko high-beat movement". The components of the gear train have been arranged to reduce the overall thickness of the movement. In addition, the gear train is in the same position as the double barrel, again providing a slim torso for the movement.

Movement-design and finishing

The 9SA5 movement has an unusual curved bridge and is said to have been inspired by the "mountain shape". A bend in Iwate and Ishikawa, near the workshop where clocks are made. Of course, the design of the bridge is very attractive. In addition, the balance bridge is fixed at two points, thereby improving stability.

The hollow pendulum uses the movement of the wearer's wrist to power the two mainsprings. The hollow design of the pendulum allows people to see various moving parts that are usually invisible. The edge of the pendulum extends in the channel (bottom) surrounding the movement.

The bridge is decorated with a stripe pattern, similar to the Geneva wave pattern, with golden carved text. Perlage decorates the motherboard and has a lot of blue screws. Most notably, compared to the previous Grand Seiko model, this finishing looks less "industrialized" and more suitable for this watchmaking process.

Sports-Supplementary comments

I have been a public speaker several times, talking about my favorite topic, watches. In such incidents, people often ask me about the power reserve, especially increasing the time for the watch to run automatically. It is assumed that a longer barrel and a larger barrel can leave the movement unattended for a long time. Sadly, it is not so simple.

When the spring is tensioned, it sends power to the escapement, which properly sends power to the balance. The balance wheel swings back and forth. The oscillation of the balance wheel or the rotation angle is called "amplitude" and is expressed in degrees (°). Ideally, the amplitude should be 270°–315°. Excessive amplitude will cause "knock", and insufficient amplitude will damage accuracy. In short, a large clockwork is usually undesirable.replica Audemars Piguet CODE 11.59

Grand Seiko equipped the 9SA5 movement with two barrels, arranged in order (parallel). This ensures that the power delivered to the escapement is more consistent, which has a positive effect on amplitude and accuracy. By the way, some brands arrange two barrels in series, one above the other. In this case, Grand Seiko placed barrels side by side to reduce the thickness of the movement.

Throughout the article, I have mentioned "accuracy" or "precision", and introduced in detail the many functions of the 9SA5 movement, which help improve the performance of the watch. Although the accuracy of this movement is +5 to -3 seconds per day, which is the same as the movements 9S85 (5Hz) and 9S65 (4Hz), these data are based on static conditions. When the watch is worn in various positions (dynamic), the Caliber 9SA5 movement will show excellent accuracy.

The appearance of the Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002 looks classic, similar to the company's iconic 44GS in 1967, but the movement is full of modernity and innovative spirit.

The dial of SLGH002 is clear and easy to read, rich in details, and magnificent in appearance. In addition, the 40 mm case with an elongated shape should fit a range of wrists. Placing contrasting cases side by side while keeping each surface discontinuous is a difficult task that requires skill and time. Obviously, Grand Seiko has a large number of these two resources and executed the case with significant determination.

Although SLGH002 has many attributes, it is worth mentioning that its movement-the new movement 9SA5's brilliance to some extent overshadowed it. Usually, when I write an article about the movement in a watch, it only takes a few paragraphs. However, when it comes to this latest "Hi-beat" movement, it lists many of its specification details and conveys the benefits they provide, it seems that few paragraphs can be simplified.

When I admired the 60th anniversary limited edition SLGH002 of Seiko, its unquestionable excellence exceeded my financial ability, but last month, Shinji Hattori, the company's chairman and CEO, gave me some hope. He said: "The Caliber 9SA5 movement is a brand new movement and will be the basis for creating a new generation of Grand Seiko mechanical watches." These words aroused my interest, perhaps suggesting that more options close to steel and titanium may be just around the corner.

The 9SA5 movement uses the company's talents together and has made significant progress. Obviously, Grand Seiko understands the meaning of "Kaizen", and I, like many fans of the brand, look forward to witnessing its continuous improvement preferences again and again.breitling replica watches

Technical index

Model: Seiko 60th Anniversary Limited Edition SLGH002
Case: 18-carat yellow gold case; diameter 40mm; height 11.7mm; water resistance 10ATM (100m); front is box-shaped sapphire crystal; sapphire bottom cover.
Functions: hours; minutes; central sweep date
Movement: 9SA5 movement; self-winding movement; frequency 36,000 vph (5Hz); 47 jewels; power reserve 80 hours.
Strap: Brown alligator leather strap with 18-carat yellow gold 3-fold clasp and button release.