In 2000, the Seiko Corporation decided to release its most prestigious watch collection worldwide, in order to celebrate 50 years of its production; many lovers of high end mechanical watches from all around the globe met this masterpiece for the first time. It was a big surprise, seeing a timepiece with such a long history as something completely new.
Among the models that were introduced, the SBGM023 was completely new in the latest Grand Seiko Automatic GMT watches (SBGM021 and SBGM023), was the advanced product of Japanese technology – the Caliber 9S66 self-winding movement. Having the hand-winding capability, this automatic mechanism provides a superb power-reserve up to 72 hours and a remarkable accuracy (+5 ~ -3 seconds per day).
Even those who are not particularly drawn to the conservative design of this watch could find something classy and beautiful on this one. Its dial looks simple and clear, but at the same time, it is so reach with small details, wonderful curves and finishes, which gives it a nice artistic touch. It features a blue 24 hours track, hand-applied 12 hours markers and a minute track at the outer rim, as well as a nicely shaped date window at the 3 o’clock position. The 4th blue GMT hand displays time in the second time zone. Its fixed bezel that comes in a slightly different shade than its stainless steel case, additionally emphasizes the bright dial. A high definition dual-curved sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating covers the Grand Seiko Automatic GMT on both sides, making the case-back transparent for a clear view on the mechanism.