Grand Seiko 4522-8000 in steel, hibeat 1971 Toshiba commemorative edition

Maker: Seiko
Model: Grand Seiko 4522-8000 hibeat
Year: 1971
Case Material: stainless steel
Case Dimensions: 36mm, thickness 9mm
Caliber: 4522A 25jewels
Service history: January 2025. Currently running at +4.2 seconds/day.
Lug Width: 18mm
Bracelet/Strap: generic Taupe Epsom grained calf strap
Box/Papers: none

The Grand Seiko 4522-8000 is a historically important timepiece produced by Daini Seikosha Kameido factory, a subsidiary of Hattori Watch Company (aka. Seiko). One of the standout features of the Grand Seiko 4522-8000 (and its no date brother 4520) is its slim "grammar of design" case profile. At just 9mm thick, this watch is much thinner than many other mechanical watches of the era. The case famously was designed by Tanaka Taro, Seiko's first in house designer, and was first used in the 44GS - also produced by the Kameido factory. Powering the Grand Seiko 4522-8000 is the high-quality 4522A caliber-developed in-house by Daini Seikosha and arguably the greatest movement made by Seiko. Introduced in 1968, the Hi-Beat caliber 45 was used in both the King Seiko and Grand Seiko models, and is loved by Seiko enthusiasts around the world for its incredible accuracy. The 45 family of caliber's consists of the 4502A, 4500A, 4520A, 4522A, and the 4580. Hi-beat (that is a movement with 36000 bph) movements existed before 1968, most notably constructed by Girard-Perregaux and Suwa Seikosha, but the caliber 45 was designed by Daini Seikosha completely from scratc, in-house. The 45 family of movements represent the pinnacle of Japanese watchmaking achievement as its derivative competed in the 1968 Geneva watch competitions where it swept the mechanical watch category for accuracy beating out all Swiss watchmakers.

What makes this 45GS particularly special is that it is a Toshiba commemorative model, originally presented to Toshiba Corporation employees in celebration of their 25 years of service with the company. These commemorative Grand Seiko pieces feature uniquely engraved casebacks that differ from standard production models. There are also Toshiba-issued 57GS commemorative versions, but both models are extremely rare. Collectors value them highly for the beautiful engravings on the caseback and for their unique status as officially commissioned commemorative watches produced by Grand Seiko themselves.

Overall, this all-original Toshiba commemorative Grand Seiko 4522-8000 is in excellent condition. The case remains very sharp and appears to have been polished only a few times over its lifetime. It retains the distinctive profile of the Tanaka “Grammar of Design.” The original silver-white dial is clean, showing no major blemishes or discoloration. The crystal has been replaced with a new old stock Grand Seiko crystal. The hands and the 45GS crown are all original and remain in excellent condition. The caseback retains its original gold GS medallion, and the Toshiba engravings are still crisp and well defined. The movement was serviced by the previous owner and is currently running well at an excellent +4.2 seconds per day.

Ships from Japan