Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko Sport 44 mm Blue Stainless
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 · Sport
Grand Seiko Sport 44 mm Blue Stainless
Reference 53242ST.12
Reference at a glance
- Brand
- Grand Seiko
- Collection
- Sport
- Model
- Grand Seiko Sport 44 mm Blue Stainless
- Reference number
- 53242ST.12
- Year / era
- 1962 · 1960s — pre-quartz mechanical era
- Complication
- Annual calendar
- Movement
- Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial type
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Strap / bracelet
- Alligator leather with folding clasp
- Water resistance
- 30 m
- Limited-edition status
- Regular production, not a limited edition
Case, dial & bracelet
- Case dimensions
- 44 mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6 mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Bezel
- Emerald-set
- Crystal
- Sapphire with internal AR treatment
- Dial
- Blue "Grande Tapisserie"
- Hands
- Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
- Indexes
- Applied Roman numerals
- Bracelet / strap
- Alligator leather with folding clasp
- Clasp / buckle
- Pin buckle in matching case metal
- Water resistance
- 30 m
Movement
- Movement / calibre
- Calibre 48B — Automatic, Swiss lever escapement
- Movement type
- Automatic with micro-rotor
- Frequency
- 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
- Power reserve
- 55 hours
- Number of jewels
- 31 jewels
- Complications
- Annual calendar
- Functions
- Dive time, running seconds
- Watchmaker
- Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.
Production & market
- Production period
- 1962 – 1970
- Limited-edition quantity
- Not applicable
- Current market information
- Consistently trades above retail; waiting lists at authorised dealers remain long.
Designer
Gérald Genta
Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.
Historical significance
Grand Seiko Sport 44 mm Blue Stainless sits within Grand Seiko's Sport line, introduced in 1962. It carries the house codes established since 1960 — stainless steel case, blue "grande tapisserie" dial and automatic, swiss lever escapement — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.
Interesting facts
- The case is finished by hand, alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces in a single pass so the edges stay razor sharp.
- Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
- The bracelet tapers across its length, which is why the profile looks thinner on the wrist than the specification suggests.
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.