Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 39 mm Black Platinum
Photography on request
Front view
Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.
Case-back view
Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.
Movement
Calibre with its finishing and decoration.
On the wrist
Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.
Grand Seiko · Evolution 9
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 39 mm Black Platinum
Reference 67891OR.73
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Grand Seiko
- Collection
- Evolution 9
- Model
- Grand Seiko Evolution 9 39 mm Black Platinum
- Reference number
- 67891OR.73
- Year / era
- 1965 · 1960s — pre-quartz mechanical era
- Complication
- Flyback chronograph
- Movement
- Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Case material
- Platinum 950
- Dial type
- Black lacquer
- Strap / bracelet
- Milanese mesh
- Water resistance
- 500 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 39 mm
- Case thickness
- 10.2 mm
- Case material
- Platinum 950
- Bezel
- Octagonal with 8 hexagonal screws
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Black lacquer
- Hands
- Skeletonised sword hands, white luminescent
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- Milanese mesh
- Clasp / buckle
- Folding clasp in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 500 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 20B — Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Movement type
- Automatic, self-winding
- Frequency
- 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 70 hours
- Number of jewels
- 33 jewels
- Complications
- Flyback chronograph
- Functions
- GMT second time zone, date
- Watchmaker
- The calibre is built in-house and adjusted in five positions before delivery.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1965 – 1977
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Values have stabilised after the 2022 correction; condition and box-and-papers drive the premium.
Designer
Marc Newson
Marc Newson is an Australian industrial designer whose work spans Qantas cabins, Apple hardware and Jaeger-LeCoultre's Atmos clocks; his watch design reduces the object to pure geometry and legibility.
Historical significance
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 39 mm Black Platinum sits within Grand Seiko's Evolution 9 line, introduced in 1965. It carries the house codes established since 1960 — platinum 950 case, black lacquer dial and automatic, swiss lever escapement — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
The House
Grand Seiko
Brand facts
- Founding year
- 1960
- Founder
- Seiko / Daini & Suwa Seikosha
- Headquarters
- Japan
- Tier
- Premium
- Major collections
- Heritage, Evolution 9, Elegance, Sport, Masterpiece, Spring Drive
- Signature technologies
- Proprietary case-hardening and polishing · Certified chronometer regulation
- Famous movements
- High-beat automatic · Spring Drive · Automatic, Swiss lever escapement · Automatic chronograph
- Notable watches
- Grand Seiko Heritage 37 mm Ice Platinum (1960) · Grand Seiko Heritage 42 mm Black Stainless (1963) · Grand Seiko Heritage 37 mm Slate Ceramic (1969) · Grand Seiko Heritage 44 mm Skeletonised Ceramic (1975)
Brand history
Grand Seiko has spent more than 66 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Heritage, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.
Seiko / Daini & Suwa Seikosha established Grand Seiko in 1960, working from Japan at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Grand Seiko calibre produced today.
Historical milestones
1960
Seiko / Daini & Suwa Seikosha founds Grand Seiko in Japan.
1969
The quartz era forces Grand Seiko to redefine mechanical watchmaking.
1990
Grand Seiko enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.
2024
Grand Seiko continues to produce Heritage, Evolution 9, Elegance and other icons in limited numbers.
More Evolution 9
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 43 mm Slate Sapphire
Ref. 60109OR.36
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 42 mm Skeletonised Quartz
Ref. 16450OR.98
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 38 mm Black Ceramic
Ref. 72026OR.61
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 42 mm Silvered 18k
Ref. 75442OR.95
Grand Seiko Evolution 9 44 mm Meteorite Platinum
Ref. 78264OR.46