Grand Seiko 56GS 5645-7010
A sharp cap of gold
The 7010 is a watch that can be underestimated in photographs. On the wrist, its restrained arrangement gains depth and a very particular sharpness. In this cap-gold example, that clarity comes with a warmer glow.
The edges matter. The gold has not turned the case into a soft approximation of the steel design: the planes still meet decisively. That combination of warmth and definition is what keeps drawing me back.
The watch
| Reference | 5645-7010 |
|---|---|
| My example | August 1971 |
| Family | Grand Seiko · 56GS |
| Manufacture | Suwa Seikosha |
| Movement | 5645 · automatic, date |
| Beat rate | 28,800 vibrations/hour · 4 Hz |
| Case | Cap gold |
| Case width, without crown | 36.9 mm |
| Thickness, including crystal | 10.5 mm |
Dimensions measured on this example.
Alongside the steel 7011
My August 1971 cap-gold example and the September 1973 steel 7011 both have sunburst dials. Their strong black accents give the composition a clear first reading, while the material changes the atmosphere around it.
My measurements also record a difference in width: 36.9 mm for this example and 36.0 mm for the steel 7011, both 10.5 mm thick. Looking at them together makes it easier to distinguish colour, surface and proportion rather than treating “gold” as the entire explanation.
