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Grand Seiko makes the SBGH349 Icefall larger, but also more lightweight – and also proves a trend

Grand Seiko makes the SBGH349 Icefall larger, but also more lightweight – and also proves a trend

Borna Bošnjak
  • Just three months after unveiling the new Icefall dial texture, Grand Seiko adds a 40mm titanium variant to the collection.
  • The Heritage Collection SBGH349 sports Grand Seiko’s proprietary High-Intensity Titanium case, with 100 metres of water resistance.
  • It’s powered by the high-beat 9S85 movement, and priced at US$7,400.

There’s no shortage of special dials when it comes to Grand Seiko, and the latest to join the bunch was the “Icefall”, debuting in the 37mm SBGH37 in September 2024. The Ever-Brilliant Steel model is now being followed up by the Grand Seiko SBGH349, with a larger, 40mm case in High-Intensity Titanium. The case lines, specs (other than dimension), and movement are pretty much identical, so it simply comes down to which size and metal you prefer. Rather than speculating, we decided to ask our Instagram audience this exact question when the SBGH349 launched – and this is what you had to say.

 

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If you needed any more proof that small watches are in, a quick look at our poll would give it to you. Even when it comes to this style of watch, which I would say leans to the sporty daily side, our readers preferred the 37mm Ever-Brilliant Steel, with the vote split 64% in its favour. Reading through the comments, though, the winner was less clear, with a small majority preferring the new titanium variant, but also a few fairly pointing out that it’ll be highly dependent on your wrist size and watch size preferences.

Frozen waterfall Jily Su in winter Landscape of mountains with a waterfall Caucasus, Russia

With the vox populi out of the way, let’s take a closer look at the new watch, starting with that lovely dial. Looking at the render above, it’s quite obvious where the inspiration for its vertically brushed striations comes from, as well as its nickname. The Icefall, as Zach pointed out in his article, strikes a balance between simple vertical brushing and Grand Seiko’s Birch dials, in this case inspired by a 30-metre waterfall cascading down the slopes of Mt Iwate near Studio Shizukuishi.

grand seiko sbgh349 icefall wrist

On the wrist, the 40mm diameter combines with a thickness of just under 13mm, and a lug-to-lug of 48mm. These dimensions are in line with what you’d expect from a steel sports watch, though the High-Intensity Titanium build will obviously reduce some heft. There will be little in terms of visual heft reduction – something you might expect given the usual, dull grey shine of titanium. HIT is one of Seiko’s two proprietary titanium alloys (the other being Brilliant Hard Titanium only used for the SLGW003), and is the more commonly used of the two, boasting a lustre almost as bright as polished steel, and of course Zaratsu-polished.

This lovely finish also applies to the case-matching bracelet, which is actually comprised of five links, even though it’s reminiscent of a classic three-link. Something I would’ve loved to see on this larger model is an inverted, articulating end-link, as it would reduce the effective lug-to-lug and make the 48mm lug-to-lug friendlier for smaller wrists. The triple-folding clasp is a pretty standard Grand Seiko affair, with no taper down the bracelet links, and only a push-button closure with no micro-adjust – though perhaps for not too much longer.

grand seiko naturo whirlpools sbgh331 oceania limited edition movement caseback
The 9S85 movement in the steel-cased SBGH331 Naruto Whirlpools Oceania LE

The SBGH349 also shares a movement with the SBGH347, that being the automatic, high-beat 9S85. You can expect a 55-hour power reserve when fully wound, with an accuracy range of +5 to -3 seconds per day. For those familiar with COSC certification, you’ll notice that even though this isn’t a certified chronometer, its accuracy standards exceed it.

Grand Seiko Heritage Collection SBGH349 Icefall pricing and availability

The Grand Seiko SBGH349 will be available on the 1st of January 2025. Price: US$7,400

Brand Grand Seiko
Model SBGH349
Case Dimensions 40mm (D) x 12.95mm (T) x 48mm (LTL)
Case Material High-intensity titanium
Water Resistance 100 metres
Crystal(s) Sapphire front and back
Dial Brushed blue “Icefall” pattern
Bracelet and strap Case-matching bracelet, folding clasp
Movement 9S85, in-house, automatic, 5Hz high-beat
Power Reserve 55 hours
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Availability Starting January 1st 2025
Price US$7,400