As we reported during Baselworld, Seiko has spun off its Grand Seiko collection into a separate, independent brand. And nowadays, you can scarcely qualify as a brand if you don’t produce your own dedicated divers’ watch. Grand Seiko has done just that, introducing its Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s watch at Baselworld 2017. The first-ever mechanical Grand Seiko timepiece for divers is also this week’s Watch to Watch.
The watch’s case, made of high-intensity titanium, measures 46.9 mm in diameter and 17 mm thick. Designed with saturation diving in mind, it features the valve-free helium-resistance technology pioneered by Seiko in some of its earliest divers’ watches, which uses an exceptionally heavy-duty case construction and an L-shaped gasket. The extended grooves on the unidirectional rotating bezel are extended for ease of use by a diver, even one wearing thick gloves. Both the case and the titanium bracelet boast clean, mirrored edges thanks to Seiko’s Zaratsu polishing technique, which is accomplished by holding the case against a rotating tin plate at a very precise angle. The bracelet attaches by means of a three-fold clasp with push-button release, and features an additional level of underwater functionality: a secure-locking, sliding extension that can change the bracelet size with the pressure changes.
The dial is made of a type of iron that Seiko says protects the movement, Seiko’s Hi-Beat Caliber 9585, from the effects of magnetism, imparting to the watch a stout 16,000 A/m of magnetic resistance. The self-winding movement boasts a frequency of 36,000 vph (10 beats per second), which contributes to the watch’s outstanding precision of -3 to +5 seconds per day, the necessary benchmark for all Grand Seiko movements. The movement has 37 jewels and a power reserve of 55 hours.
The Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Professional 600m Diver’s comes in two versions. One, a limited edition of 500 pieces and priced at 12,300 euros, features a deep blue dial and comes with an extra-strength silicone strap in matching blue along with the titanium bracelet. The other, a permanent part of the Grand Seiko collection, is a bracelet-only model with a black dial and priced at 12,100 euros. Both will be available at retail in August 2017, according to Seiko.
The retail is 9800.00 in US $ for the limited
I do really like that watch, it has all a professional diver should have including a ” no-he-valve”-technology for saturation diving!
For this price you’d better go for a Rolex Submariner or Sea Dweller.
At the price the majority will choose a Rolex Sea Dweller, either the new 43mm with red name or the 44mm Deep Sea.
I like the design and technology concepts of this watch. The wear and tear of the movement will be the most telling factor as the watch ages due to the hi beat movement. They shouldn’t make the blue dial a limited edition. It’s very attractive why not give the customer a choice?