Ten beats a second, fourteen millimetres thick
By Kenji Watanabe, Osaka ยท
The 9S86 is the high-beat GMT movement from Grand Seiko's Shizukuishi studio near Morioka, beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour. That means a smoother sweep than standard mechanicals, and Grand Seiko has been making hi-beat calibers since the 1960s, so the tradition is real.
The SBGJ201 is 40 mm wide but 14.4 mm thick, and that thickness is my main complaint. It sits tall, and on a bracelet in steel it is heavier than its diameter suggests. 55 hours of reserve is fine for a high beat movement but not generous, as you would expect from the higher beat rate.
Otherwise it is lovely: black dial, GMT hand, date, sapphire, 100 m, display caseback.
For 6,900 to 7,300 dollars, I would compare it with the Spring Drive GMT, which is just as precise in daily life and runs longer. The SBGJ201 is for the person who wants the mechanical heartbeat specifically, and is willing to accept the height.