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Grand Seiko Heritage 38mm Mens Watch Green
Ref. SBGH343
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Stepping up in Grand Seiko's range
The SBGH343 takes its dial name, Sakura-Wakaba, from the young leaves that follow the cherry blossom — and the colour delivers on that reference convincingly. The textured light-green surface shifts in character as light moves across it, reading almost silvery in flat overhead light and deepening to something richer when caught at an angle. There is no lume on the hands or indices: Grand Seiko relies instead on Zaratsu-polished facets that catch and throw light with enough precision to make painted luminescence beside the point for a watch of this dressy disposition. The case geometry traces back to the 1967 62GS, a design notable for eliminating the bezel entirely so the dial occupies almost the full visible surface. At 38mm this iteration is a direct response to collectors who found the more prevalent 40mm 62GS siblings a fraction too large for the style — the proportions here sit closer to what the original designers intended, and the high-intensity titanium keeps 98 grams on the wrist feeling considerably lighter than that figure suggests. The 9S85 running inside is a Hi-Beat movement built to Grand Seiko's tightest tolerances, oscillating at 36,000 vibrations per hour and holding accuracy to +5/-3 seconds per day — figures that reflect the care of the studio rather than the ambitions of the specification sheet.
- Reference
- SBGH343
- Brand
- Grand Seiko
- Collection
- Heritage CollectionCase Size: 38
- Case size
- 38mm
- Case thickness
- 12.9mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Titanium
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 9S85
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Titanium bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 44.7mm
- Power reserve
- 55 hours
Learn more about Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko began in 1960 as Seiko's attempt to build a watch to the highest standard in the world, judged against Swiss chronometer criteria rather than Japanese ones. The first model met the Bureaux Officiels standard, and the ambition was explicit: not a good Japanese watch, but a better watch than the Swiss were making.
The 1967 Grammar of Design, laid down by Taro Tanaka, still governs the aesthetic. Flat surfaces and sharp facets rather than curves; hands and markers cut to catch light in defined planes; every surface either mirror-polished or perfectly flat, with no in-between. The polishing is done by hand on tin plates — Zaratsu — which produces distortion-free reflections and cannot be replicated by machine.
The precision case was made at observatory trials in the 1960s, where Grand Seiko movements placed among the leaders in Geneva and Neuchâtel before the competitions ended.
The house's distinctive technology is Spring Drive, introduced in 1999 after nearly three decades of development. A conventional mainspring drives the watch, but the escapement is replaced by an electromagnetic brake regulated by a quartz oscillator: mechanical power, quartz accuracy, and a seconds hand that sweeps without ticking at all.
Grand Seiko was separated into a standalone brand internationally in 2017, with dials frequently drawn from Japanese landscape — the Snowflake among the best known.
- 1960
- The first Grand Seiko is built to Swiss chronometer standards.
- 1967
- Taro Tanaka codifies the Grammar of Design.
- 1968
- The 61GS Hi-Beat reaches 36,000 vibrations per hour.
- 1999
- Spring Drive combines mechanical power with quartz regulation.
- 2017
- Established as an independent brand worldwide.
Also in 3 collections
This watch appears in Automatic Watches (1,468), Green Dial Watches (380) and Titanium Watches (159).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 38mm suits most wrists
- 44.7mm lug-to-lug keeps the 38mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | SBGH343 | L37214536 | AB01761A1K1X1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,640 | £4,550 | £5,950 |
| Case size | 38mm | 39.5mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Titanium bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 55 hours | 68 hours | 70 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 55 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 44.7mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference new, at £5,640. There is nothing to compare it against today.
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