Grand Seiko 61GS complete guide

Grand Seiko 61GS

The 61GS family, developed by Suwa Seikosha, has the largest number of models in the vintage Grand Seiko range, with a great variety of designs, and only a few of them following Taro Tanaka’s “Grammar of Design” rules.

In terms of accuracy, the 61GS family movements can be divided into three groups:

  • Calibers 6145A and 6146A were regulated within the parameters of the Grand Seiko Standard, which at the time was +5 to -3 seconds per day
  • Calibers 6155A and 6156A were defined Special and they were regulated to be accurate within +/-3 seconds per day
  • Calibers 6185A, 6185B and 6186B were Very Fine Adjusted (V.F.A.) with an unprecedented accuracy of +/-2 seconds per day

All of the 61GS automatic movements can be wound manually and have a hacking function, and they all have a date or day/date complication.

61GS Date with caliber 6145

The 61GS caliber 6145, introduced in 1968 (production started in 1967), was the first Japanese automatic movement running at 36,000 bph.

Ref. 6145-8000 (61GAC 010)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Early production pieces have “Grand Seiko” written on the dial at 6 o’clock, instead of “Hi-Beat 36000” (see below).

Ref. 6145-8000 (61GAC 010)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Dial variant of the 6145-8000 (61GAC 010) with Grand Seiko printed at 6 o’clock, found only in the earliest pieces.

Ref. 6145-8000 (61GAC 010)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Stainless steel bracelet variant of the 6145-8000 (61GAC 010).

Bracelet: 6145/46 800

Ref. 6145-8000 (61GAC 010)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: 18k gold

Ref. 6145-8000 (61GAC 010)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: gold cap

Early production pieces have “Grand Seiko” written on the dial at 6 o’clock, instead of “Hi-Beat 36000” (see below).

Ref. 6145-8000 (61GAC 010)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: gold cap

Dial variant of the gold cap 6145-8000 (61GAC 010) with Grand Seiko printed at 6 o’clock, found only in the earliest pieces.

Ref. 6145-8000 (61GAC 030)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Ref. 6145-8000 (61GAC 030)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Stainless steel bracelet variant of the 6145-8000 (61GAC 030).

Bracelet: 6145/46 800

Ref. 6145-8020 (61GAC 040)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: 6145 802

Ref. 6145-8020 (61GAC 042)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: 6145 802

Ref. 6145-8030 (61GAC 051)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: 18k gold

Ref. 6145-8050 (61GAC 060)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XAB511

Ref. 6145-8050 (61GAC 065)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XAB511

Ref. 6145-8050 (61GAC 067)

Movement: 6145
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XAB511

61GS Day-Date with caliber 6146

The 6146 caliber is the day/date version of the 6145.

Ref. 6146-8000 (61GAW 010)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Early production pieces have “Grand Seiko” written on the dial at 6 o’clock, instead of “Hi-Beat 36000” (see below).

Ref. 6146-8000 (61GAW 010)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Dial variant of the 6146-8000 (61GAW 010) with Grand Seiko printed at 6 o’clock, found only in the earliest pieces.

Ref. 6146-8000 (61GAW 010)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Stainless steel bracelet variant of the 6146-8000 (61GAW 010).

Bracelet: 6145/46 800

Ref. 6146-8000 (61GAW 010)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: 18k gold

Ref. 6146-8000 (61GAW 010)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: gold cap

Ref. 6146-8000 (61GAW 010)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: gold cap

Dial variant of the 6146-8000 (61GAW 010) with Grand Seiko printed at 6 o’clock, found only in the earliest pieces.

Ref. 6146-8000 (61GAW 030)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Ref. 6146-8000 (61GAW 030)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Stainless steel bracelet variant of the 6145-8000 (61GAW 030).

Bracelet: 6145/46 800

Ref. 6146-8009

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: gold cap

Model for the international market.

Ref. 6146-8010 (61GAW 020)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: hardened stainless steel

Ref. 6146-8010 (61GAW 021)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: hardened stainless steel

Ref. 6146-8020 (61GAW 040)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: 6146 802

Ref. 6146-8020 (61GAW 042)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: 6146 802

Ref. 6146-8030

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

No mention in any Japanese catalog. Based on the provenance of the specimens I was able to trace, I think it was a model for the Asian market (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc).

Ref. 6146-8030

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: 18k gold

No mention in any Japanese catalog. Based on the provenance of the specimens I was able to trace, I think it was a model for the Asian market (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc).

Ref. 6146-8040

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

No mention in any Japanese catalog. Based on the provenance of the specimens I was able to trace, I think it was a model for the Asian market (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, etc).

Ref. 6146-8050 (61GAW 060)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XAB511

Ref. 6146-8050 (61GAW 065)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XAB511

Ref. 6146-8050 (61GAW 066)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XAB511

Ref. 6146-8050 (61GAW 067)

Movement: 6146
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XAB511

61GS Special Date with caliber 6155

Introduced in late 1970, the Grand Seiko 61GS Special boasted an accuracy of +/-3 seconds per day. The 6155 caliber is even more “Special”, because it was only used for a single reference.

Ref. 6155-8000 (61GCL 010)

Movement: 6155
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

61GS Special Day-Date with caliber 6156

Grand Seiko caliber 6156 is the day/date version of the 6155. Unlike the 6155, this movement was featured in a variety of models.

Ref. 6156-8010 (61GWL 020)

Movement: 6156
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: hardened stainless steel

Ref. 6156-8000 / 6156-8001 (61GWL 010)

Movement: 6156
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XAB271

Ref. 6156-8000 / 6156-8001 (61GWL 010)

Movement: 6156
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Ref. 6156-8020 (61GWL 030)

Movement: 6156
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: gold cap

Ref. 6156-8030

Movement: 6156
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Ref. 6156-8040 (61GWL 050 / GAC050)

Movement: 6156
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Bracelet: XQB220

61GS V.F.A. Date with caliber 6185

The Grand Seiko V.F.A. (Very Fine Adjusted) watches, introduced in 1970, were guaranteed to be accurate to within one minute per month, at least for the first two years of ownership.

For a mechanical automatic watch, an accuracy of +/-2 seconds per day was unprecedented, and is still astonishing even by today’s standards.

Ref. 6185-8000 (6185 014)

Movement: 6185
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: AAPC

There is also a dial variation with VFA written above the Suwa logo at 6 o’clock.

Ref. 6185-8010 (6185 024)

Movement: 6185
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: AAPC


There is also a dial variation with VFA written above the Suwa logo at 6 o’clock.

Ref. 6185-8020 (6185 030)

Movement: 6185
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Ref. 6185-8020 (6185 050)

Movement: 6185
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Ref. 6185-8021 (6185 030)

Movement: 6185
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Ref. 6185-7000 (6185 046)

Movement: 6185
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: 18k gold

61GS V.F.A. Day-Date with caliber 6186

Grand Seiko caliber 6186 is the day/date version of the 6185.

Ref. 6186-8000 (6186 010 / GAA010)

Movement: 6186
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

Ref. 6186-8000 (6186 024 / GAA021)

Movement: 6186
Type: automatic
Jewels: 25
Bph: 36.000
Case: stainless steel

61GS Movements

6145
Grand Seiko 6145 automatic movement

Caliber 6145A

Technical sheet

TypeAutomatic
ComplicationsDate
Bph36,000
Jewels25
Accuracy+5 to -3 seconds per day
Manual windYes
HackingYes

Caliber 6146A

Technical sheet

TypeAutomatic
ComplicationsDay/Date
Bph36,000
Jewels25
Accuracy+5 to -3 seconds per day
Manual windYes
HackingYes

Caliber 6155A (Special)

Technical sheet

TypeAutomatic
ComplicationsDate
Bph36,000
Jewels25
Accuracy+/-3 seconds per day
Manual windYes
HackingYes

Caliber 6156A (Special)

Technical sheet

TypeAutomatic
ComplicationsDay/Date
Bph36,000
Jewels25
Accuracy+/-3 seconds per day
Manual windYes
HackingYes

Caliber 6185A and 6185B (V.F.A.)

TypeAutomatic
ComplicationsDate
Bph36,000
Jewels25
Accuracy+/-2 seconds per day
Manual windYes
HackingYes

Caliber 6186B (V.F.A.)

TypeAutomatic
ComplicationsDay/Date
Bph36,000
Jewels25
Accuracy+/-2 seconds per day
Manual windYes
HackingYes