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Grand Seiko Evolution 9 60th Anniversary Limited Edition 40mm Stainless Steel SLGH003
Ref. SLGH003
Sits in Grand Seiko’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Grand Seiko watches we list, which start at £3,150.
Price range £3,150 to £7,650 across 12 Grand Seiko watches in stock.The SLGH003 arrived in late 2020 as a 1,000-piece edition marking sixty years of Grand Seiko, and it carried more weight than most anniversary releases: it was the watch that introduced both the Evolution 9 design language and the 9SA5 calibre simultaneously. The case draws its geometry from the 1967 44GS, one of the most studied examples of the brand's design principles, with the sharp transitions between satin planes and Zaratsu-polished edges that made that original so distinctive. The sunray blue dial carries a gold GS emblem and a red seconds hand — the only colour other than the case steel and blue on an otherwise restrained face. The 9SA5 is the more significant part of the story. Running at 36,000 vibrations per hour with a dual-impulse escapement and twin barrels, it achieves an 80-hour reserve while remaining thin enough that the full case comes to only 11.7mm — unusually flat for a high-beat automatic of this specification, and notably so against the wrist. The crown sits lower in the case than convention places it, pulling the centre of gravity down so the watch settles flush rather than tilting. The hands and indices carry no lume at all, relying entirely on their diamond-cut facets to gather available light; the bracelet closes with a three-fold clasp set with an 18k yellow gold GS medallion, and its screw-linked construction with half-links allows sizing to a degree that most bracelets of this width do not.
- Reference
- SLGH003
- Brand
- Grand Seiko
- Collection
- Heritage
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 5.18mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 9SA5
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47mm
- Power reserve
- 80 hours
- Weight
- 178g
- Warranty
- 5 years
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 7 collections
This watch appears in the Grand Seiko Heritage range (9), Back in Stock (4,868), Stainless Steel Watches (3,133), Automatic Watches (1,750), Blue Dial Watches (861), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (369) and Limited Edition Watches (197).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 5.18mm is unusually slim for a 40mm case
- 47mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 60th Anniversary alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | SLGH003 | 03.3300.3604/21.C822 | Q9008170 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £6,950 | £6,250 | £7,450 |
| Case size | 40mm | 39.5mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 80 hours | 60 hours | 40 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
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.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 80 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
What size strap does it take?
22mm. 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 47mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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