1968 Seiko Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Manual 4520-8000
Ref: 4520-8000
Specification
Lugs : 18mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as “Watch Only.” It comes with an 18mm leather strap and pin buckle. It is from Circa September 1968 and is in great vintage condition, as you can see. The original dial with the facet-edged batons has a subtle, even patina, signs of wear and age are to be expected. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b-Ogp94FjOjEtzpRQjLUfGVunhHiKNN4?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to N/A - https://youtu.be/QmWDZT8yY9s
The Watch
Here we have a classic 1968 Seiko Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 Manual 4520-8000 with a 36mm stainless steel case. The case gently curves over your wrist with stubby lugs, and a lug-to-lug length of 41.5mm and a thickness of 8.5mm ensures a comfortable fit. The case flanks flow effortlessly, with chamfered edges and crisp lines still evident along the lug edges. On the right side is a signed crown. The bezel is recessed into the case for a distinctive profile, with the crystal sitting proud of the dial. The off-white dial has applied facet-edged batons marking the hours that catch the light as you rotate your wrist. Elegant, slender dauphine hands with polished edges are complemented by a tapered second hand. At noon, an applied “Seiko”; at 6 o’clock, an applied “GS” with “Hi-Beat 36000” printed in black text. On the reverse, a screw-down case back with the details of the watch inside the Seiko horseshoe and the Grand Seiko gold medallion embossed in the centre, inside a high-beat manually wound Grand Seiko Cal. 4520A, 25 jewels, beating at 36,000 Beats per hour. This quality “no-date” movement was made at the Daini Seikosha factory between 1968 and 1972, it is much more elegant and has a thinner profile than the Suwa automatic movement of the same time period. The watch comes paired with an 18mm leather strap and pin buckle.
Personal Note
It's getting harder and harder to find great vintage Grand Seiko models, most wore well worn and used and some haven't aged particularly well, so when one like this comes up, it's time to act quickly. This Hi-Beat reference 4520-8000 from 1968 is wonderful on the wrist and just begs to be admired. I would not hesitate to add this to your collection today!
The Brand
The first Grand Seiko debuted in Tokyo in 1960. Suwa Seikosha made the reference 3180. Rather than sending its 25 Jewels Chronometer movement to the Swiss to be tested, Seiko decided to do the testing themselves. The European Chronometer Official Association believed that a chronometer-rated watch had to be independently tested to be awarded that designation. Seiko watches were not independently tested so therefore, they could not be chronometers. The ECOA did what irritated watchmakers do: they wrote a stern letter to Seiko requesting that the designation of Chronometer on Grand and King Seiko watches stop. Seiko obliged and ceased using the "Chronometer" on their watches. In response, the Japanese Chronometer Authorization Association was started in 1968 as an independent group to test timepieces to chronometer standards. The Association was short-lived: due to the rise of quartz watches, it closed in 1983. Today, Grand Seiko movements are tested over 17 days in 6 positions compared to COSC testing over 15 days in 5 positions. In 1985, Suwa Seikosha became Seiko Epson Corporation. In 2017, Seiko announced that Grand Seiko would become an independent brand.