Grand Seiko has always understood the difference between the watches that tell the time, and the one that hold a moment – the SBGH376 “Sakura-Wakaba” makes that distinction vivid. This is the first non-limited edition of the iconic 62GS design to be crafted in 18K yellow gold, a fact that already positions it as a landmark piece in the Heritage Collection. Born from a tradition that began in 1967 with Grand Seiko’s very first automatic winding watch, the 62GS introduced the language of flat surfaces, sharp edges, and gentle curves that no other brand has replicated with the same conviction. The SBGH376 carries that legacy forward, this time bathed in warm yellow gold, and with a dial that transforms a precise Japanese vernal phenomenon into something you can wear on your wrist.
The Dial: Evoking Sakura-Wakaba
Grand Seiko‘s craftspeople at Studio Shizukuishi drew inspiration from sakura-wakaba, the fleeting vernal instant when cherry blossoms and fresh young leaves coexist on the branch, their light pink and spring green briefly overlapping. Rather than depicting this scene literally, the designers applied the mitate principle, evoking rather than reproducing, resulting in a dial of warm golden-green that shifts with the light and carries an intrinsic sense of ephemerality. The surface texture adds topographic depth, so that the dial breathes differently depending on the angle of observation. Applied hour markers and hands in 18K yellow gold reinforce the dial’s cohesion, and the absence of a bezel, a signature of the 62GS architecture, ensures that light floods unobstructed across the entire face, amplifying every textural nuance.
Calibre 9S85, a High-Frequency Engine
Inside, Grand Seiko fitted the 9S85, the Studio Shizukuishi’s celebrated Hi-Beat automatic calibre running at 36,000 vibrations per hour, or 10 beats per second. That elevated frequency offers a practical advantage: the balance wheel completes its arc in shorter intervals, making the movement inherently more resistant to the positional changes and shocks of daily wear, and delivering a mean daily rate of +5 to -3 seconds. To sustain such energy output across 55 hours of power reserve, the mainspring uses Grand Seiko‘s proprietary Spron 530 alloy for higher torque, and the hairspring relies on Spron 610 for improved magnetic and shock resistance. Furthermore, the escape wheel and pallet fork, two of the most stress-critical components in any lever escapement, are produced via MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) semiconductor technology, achieving tolerances of one millionth of a millimetre. The result is a 37-jewel movement of genuine technical ambition housed in a 28.4mm diameter, 5.9mm thick plate.
18K Yellow Gold and the 62GS Geometry
The 38mm case in 18K yellow gold interprets the 62GS design with absolute fidelity to its 1967 proportions: wide flat surfaces meeting in sharp edges, alternating Zaratsu mirror polishing and directional hairline brushing. Zaratsu, the hand-applied wheel polishing technique that produces perfectly flat, distortion-free surfaces, reaches new visibility here in yellow gold, given how the metal’s warmth amplifies every contrast between polished and brushed zones. The box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating sits directly on the case without any bezel, and the screw-down see-through caseback reveals the 9S85 rotor in motion. Water resistance reaches 10 bar, and magnetic resistance sits at 4,800 A/m, making the SBGH376 genuinely practical despite its precious construction.
Availability and Price
The SBGH376 pairs with a brown crocodile leather strap and an 18K yellow gold pin buckle, completing a package of rare coherence. Grand Seiko positions it as a regular production reference, not a limited edition, which gives collectors time to consider thoughtfully. It reaches Grand Seiko Boutiques and selected retail partners worldwide in July 2026, at a recommended retail price of €33,500 in Europe.
