BY SAM DELAWARE
Grand Seiko employed Titanium for the very first time right at the turn of the millennium c.2000 with the release of a relatively unassuming time-only watch, the SBGR011.
The High-Intensity Titanium construction was an impressive concoction developed by the Japanese watchmaker offering significantly improved hardness over common Stainless Steel and Titanium alloys without the need for any additional surface coatings.
Improving what was already a stunning release c.September 2024, the Icefall Hi-Beat SBGH347, Grand Seiko now offers this very same glacial dial and highly accurate 9S85 in a full (and slightly larger) High-Intensity Titanium build.Â
Sizing up the SBGH347 by 3mm, the Titanium SBGH349 measures 40mm across the case, 46.6mm lug-to-lug, and 13mm thick.Â
While it’s hardness/scratch resistance is certainly an attractive characteristic for everyday wear, Grand Seiko’s High Intensity Titanium also maintains a weight factor 30% lighter than stainless steel. Although Grand Seiko has not disclosed any official weight rating, the 40mm SBGH349 should clock in lighter than the full stainless SBGH347 despite the increase in size.
The dials of the SBGH347 and the new Titanium SBGH349 both showcase Grand Seiko’s masterful dial craftsmanship. The vivid representation of the glacial icefalls of Mt. Iwate, near Studio Shizukuishi, is rendered in striking detail. The vertical, crevasse-like pattern, with its icy white-blue tones feels as though the dial surface itself would be cold to the touch.
Grand Seiko has also rolled over the same Hi-Beat 9S85, from the ever-brilliant steel SBGH347. The in-house caliber provides, as the name (and dial) implies, a 5hz beat rate (36,000 vhp).
Though the 9S85 is not a Spring Drive movement, the 10-beat-per-second oscillation advances the seconds hand with a near seamless sweep around the dial in similar fashion.
The 9S85 provides 55 hours of power on a full wind, which translates to just over 2 full days and change.
High Intensity Titanium carries over from the main case to the 20mm bracelet, the 3-row unit rendered in a striking cadence of high polish and vertical brushing. The bracelet concludes with a three-fold branded clasp with a standard push button style release.
Priced $500 USD above the stainless steel model, the Grand Seiko ‘Icefall’ Hi-Beat 1998 Revival Titanium carries a price tag of $7,400 USD and will be available for purchase in January 2025.Â
