Within the world of vintage watches, Grand Seiko – like this full-serviced 1967 Grand Seiko 4420-9000 mechanical dress watch here, on a vintage stainless-steel mesh bracelet – with its distinctive "Grammar of Design," inhabits the top of the food chain, simple as that.  Grand Seiko watches were quite simply the most painstakingly designed and exquisite watches made by Seiko, produced by both the Dani and Suwa factories, including the 44GS line here.
 
Make no mistake, Grand Seiko then and now marks the very best Seiko has to offer, easily on par with the vast majority of what Switzerland has to offer by way of competition.  And the Grand Seiko 4420 – labeled as “vintage perfection” by respected watch periodical Fratello – represents one of the highest achievements of Grand Seiko – namely, creating one of the best watches on the planet.  Period.
 
Serious watch writers also share our love of this watch, with Fratello’s very own Michael Stockton proclaiming, “This is a landmark piece with highly unique styling and world-beating finishing…The uniqueness, quality, and cohesive package are truly endearing [ ].  If you find a good one, I don’t think you can go wrong.  Where this watch belongs — in every serious collection.”
 
In 1967, Seiko debuted the 44GS here, which revealed to the world its legendary “Grammar of Design” design by Seiko prodigy Taro Tanaka.  With the 4420 produced until 1969, per Fratello, “Taro Tanaka created an absolute masterstroke of a design with the Grand Seiko 44GS.  This was a watch that took elements from prior King and Grand Seiko models and elevated the whole form.  A boldly angled case with polishing on most surfaces came together with a flat, matte slab of metal between the 18mm-spaced lugs.  The look is different than anything we’d seen before from any watchmaker, but it works somehow.  From the side, there’s a strong line running the length of the case that meets faceted lug ends.  It’s details like this that make one appreciate the work that went into designing such a case.”
 
By way of background on Grand Seiko design - and as alluded to above - in the early 1960s, Seiko’s Tanaka created a set of design principles he called The Grammar of Design.  In 1962, Tanaka noticed Swiss watches "sparkled brilliantly" and realized the design of high-end Seiko watches could be radically improved through the implementation of "flat and conical surfaces perfectly smooth and free of distortion."
 
Tanaka’s Grammar of Design was implemented in Grand Seiko and King Seiko lines from 1967 and made these lines instantly recognizable as status symbols in the hierarchical Japanese business world of the 1960s and 1970s.  Tanaka’s rules would go on to fundamentally change Seiko’s design language.  All surfaces and angles of the case, dial, indices and hands had to be flat and geometrically perfect to best reflect light.
 
Following this aesthetic, bezels were to be simple two-dimensional faceted curves.  And third, no visual distortion from any angle was allowed, and all cases and dials had to be mirror-finished.  In “A Journey in Time: The Remarkable Story of Seiko,” Tanaka’s approach to the new style is described as follows:

“He started by creating cases and dials that had a perfectly flat surface, with two-dimensional curves on the bezel as a secondary feature.  Three-dimensional curves were not used, as a general rule.  He also decided that all distortion should be eliminated from the dial, too, so that it could be finished with a mirror surface.  This formed the basis for the new Seiko style.”
 
Fratello noted that, “A lot has been said about ’60s Seiko watches and that also rings true for the Grand Seiko 44GS.  The watch is often seen as the epitome of Taro Tanaka’s Grammar of Design ethos…We know today, and especially when it comes to Grand Seiko, it’s truly difficult to come up with something novel in the watch world.  On top of that, it’s even more difficult to create an eternal design.  The 44GS is the brand’s opus, and it is an absolute classic.  Every watch that came before it and after from the brand somewhat paled in comparison.  In my view, this is a watch that truly brought something new, and that makes it highly significant.”
 
This Grand Seiko comes on a vintage stainless-steel mesh bracelet, and with a brown leather strap, rugged travel case, and springbar tool.