Grand Seiko Wristwatch 6146-8000 Hi-Beat 36000 Vintage 1968

SPECIFICATION

Reference: Grand Seiko 6146-8000
Movement: Automatic 6146 HI-Beat 36.000 BPH
Age: December 1968
Case Size: 37mm
Case Thickness: 12mm
Lug to Lug: 42mm
Lugs: 18mm
Condition: Used Seiko watch
Box & Papers: No
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Warranty: 12-Months Warranty

 POINTS TO MENTION

• In great pre-owned condition, with light wear from use
  
• Case and bezel have some light scratches and mark
  
• Fully serviced hi-beat movement
  
• Sunburst dial
• GS signed crown
  
• Paired with an unworn grey leather strap
  
• Gold medallion is in great condition. 

THE WATCH

The dial has a beautiful white finish and simple faceted steel baton markers. This one has a nice clean day/date window at 3 o’clock. The date is quickset via the knurled “GS” signed crown. The steel hands are a simple dauphine style with a black line down the middle of each.

The movement is one of Seiko’s finest, a 25-jewel automatic hi-beat that operates at 36,000bph, made at their Suwa factory. It can also be wound manually and has a hacking feature. It is finished to a high level, with a nicely decorated rotor. The 61GS movement achieved the Seiko internal GS standard approval, which was adjusted to be within -3/+6 seconds per day when it left the factory. It is based on the 61 SeikoMatic 5 movement and was engineered with technology developed from data from the Astronomical Observatory Concours competitions that Seiko did extremely well in during the late 1960s.

A BIT OF TRIVIA

The Grand Seiko line made its debut in 1960 and continued until the 1970s (the mechanical Grand Seiko was revived in 1998 and continues production to this day). The most iconic of all the Grand Seiko case designs began as the manual wind 44GS in 1966 and culminated in the automatic 61GS in 1968. The 61GS line was the result of refinements over the years including technology from the Astronomical Observatory Concours of the late 1960s.

The watch was designed by Taro Tanaka, the first graduate of a college design programme hired by Seiko. He wanted to design a watch that would “sparkle brilliantly” while on display, one that would compete with the Swiss watches of the time. He came up with a set of rules that would come to be known as the “Grammar of Design.” This meant perfectly flat surfaces and angles for cases, dials, hands and indices. All distortion would be eliminated, and the case finish would have a mix of high polish and brushed surfaces, couples with razor-sharp edges. The 6146-8000 is a perfect example of this design philosophy. Brilliant flat surfaces of mirror finish, with sharp lines delineating the different planes.

OUR THOUGHTS

This Grand Seiko 6146-8000 is an absolute icon. Powered by the high-beat Caliber 6146, it delivers exceptional accuracy with a movement that operates at 36,000 vibrations per hour. Its design follows Seiko’s revolutionary “Grammar of Design,” featuring crisp lines and mirror-polished surfaces that set a new standard in Japanese watch aesthetics, and stands as a cornerstone of Grand Seiko’s vintage legacy and remains a prized piece among collectors.