The Grand Seiko GMT SBGJ231, or the Blue Iwate (or Midnight Iwate depending on who you talk to) is a watch I am really proud of owning. This version is a Japan special which you can only purchase directly from a Seiko Premium Boutique in Japan (only two of these in the world located in Tokyo and Osaka). In limited quantity, the boutique only sells this watch to walk-in customers and do not ship for international orders. I reserved my watch by paying in full, months in advance and picked it up myself from the Seiko Premium Boutique in Ginza (Tokyo) which was quite an experience in itself and at this point, my wife realised that the trip wasn’t just a family holiday. However, the Blue Iwate was recently and unofficially reported by a Seiko buddy of mine that this watch was spotted at a Bangkok AD and he was told that they get 2-3 in a year. This could be good news for Seiko fans.

The Blue Iwate houses GS’s Hi-beat automatic movement with GMT complication, which is one of GS’s core and important collections.  The blue variant of the famous GS Mt Iwate pattern design combined with rosie pink GMT hand and pink GS logo in the famous 44GS modern interpretation case, it was just love at first sight and I knew that I had to get one before GS decides to discontinue this model (rumour was it has a 2 years production plan for this ref.) I have now owned, enjoyed and loved this watch for 9 months.

Accuracy for all my Grand Seikos have been phenomenal. The Blue Iwate ticks at -1s per day since the very first day. The watch is 40mm in width and 15mm thick but wears more comfortably than the dimensions suggest and has a lot of presence on the wrist. It is a thicker case, probably due to the accommodation for the GMT complication. The steel bracelet that came with the watch is well-made, but like most other GSs, it does not have quick micro-adjustment within the clasp and the fit can be tricky for people who like to wear their watch tightly but still comfortably. Due to the thickness of the case, thin straps don’t work well with this watch. I use a custom made padded alligator on this watch which is simply stunning!

Is this watch recommended for the GS fans out there? Yes, Hi-beat + GMT + 44GS case + a stunning special limited production dial at the same standard RRP as other Hi-beat GMT GSs. There is nothing to complain about there. It is perhaps not as iconic as the beautiful Spring Drive Snowflake (everyone’s GS) but this watch wins with its unique dial and special case design. You can’t go wrong with most of the GSs to be honest.

Would this be my one and only GS? I can’t answer that question as I think I NEED a white dial GS as well, however I know that the Grand Seiko GMT Blue Iwate will stay in my core collection for years to come. It has the same status as a SD4K in my heart and that says a lot about the Blue Iwate 🙂