Thoughts on Grand Seiko

Expensive but great watches

Frequently, I find myself appreciating the artistry & skill that went into a watch, but I know I'll never buy it because it just doesn't fit my lifestyle. I've learned how to be able to simply admire the piece without the need to own it.

Praised be the day I‘ll reach this level of equanimity 😅

I will eventually buy one more GS, a spring drive watch in a steel case that retails for around 2k cad less than the titanium version. It is available but not yet in my ad’s inventory. Enthusiasts seem to hold quite a range of likes and dislikes about the brand, it took me a very long time to want one but might even more challenging to stop at 3. I wear my White Birch shopping for groceries in a nearby market a few days a week, nobody notices my watch including some storekeepers who love watches.

Agree with @UnholiestJedi , you can love a watch without wanting to own it.

For example I love ladies watches, the miniaturisation and prettyness I find very aesthetically pleasing, but I'd never own one

Im the same with GS- amazing machines but really not my style (way too blingy as you said) & springdrive just doesn't appeal.

I bought a SGBN005 and had the same initial thoughts as you; too nice, too polished for every day wear. I sold it. I missed it. I then bought a SBGN003 and appreciate it so much more. I don’t feel pressure to wear it because it’s quartz and will always be ready when I pick it up. It’s staying in my collection.

Take a look at sbgm221 imo it's very elegant and not blingy. I have the sbgn005 and picked up the sbga413 recently and wear them 2-3 times a week and love it. The sbga413 is blingy but honestly nobody ever notices. I've been waiting for a Rolex 41mm DJ wimbledon for 18 months and feel that might be to blingy but we'll see if I ever get the call.

The GS line really is the new Rolex. You get quality on that same level along with reasonable price and availability.

Fantastic value for money, love both of mine,

Grand seiko is definitely where the value Is in terms of watchmaking, hand assembled by master craftsmen, amazing movements, perfect finishing, there aren't many brands that offer quality at the price point,

I can only see GS getting more popular in the future, they have only been on the international market for a few years as they were japan only, and the way they have took off already is amazing

When rolex came along, brands like omega. Longines, blancpain etc were already well established brands that had been around for decades and rolex upset the market and became well known and obviously very polpular

I think GS is the modern rolex.

Don't get a watch that doesn't fit your style just because it's cool or well made. There are plenty of watches I really like, but I'm never going to purchase and likely wouldn't wear even if someone gifted them

Personally for me a lot of GS watches are a tad large or a tad thick for me. Also while they have a good amount of watches I think are gorgeous, there’s even more I think are very unremarkable. Just like other Seiko brands they’ve got some designs that just really don’t spark my interest. They also don’t have as unified of a design language as many other brands have so I really think they’d benefit from trimming the fat.

Overall there are definitely GS watches I would consider buying, but I definitely wouldn’t be buying it for the brand.

The fact that you actually saw/tried on GS watches in person, yet still uncertain speaks volumes. Countless other quality watch brands remain and perhaps the GS itch will return one day. I for one love the brand for all the obvious, household reasons not worth boring you with. Happy hunting🤙

I find your Gishi very very cool and it's one that is on my list. But I recently found out about this one https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-grand-seiko-sport-collection-sbgv245-with-quartz-caliber-9f82, which is literally making me drool :P

When i think "blingy" I think of Invicta or heavily studded (usually diamond chips) watches. Skeleton watches might also fit as the opposite side of the same bling coin. I think of GS having craftsmanship ship and superior finishing as the attraction. Any precious metal serves only to highlight the finish and not the metal itself. That said, I am firmly in the would love to own one category.

Quartz GS is king.

To compete with gshock! I would definitely be ordering some rough seiko🤣

I Would say mine is the opposite of bling

All watches look blingy in the shops. The lighting is terrible. They need somewhere where you can see the watches in daylight.

Yeah this was precisely what I feared. I will do that next time.

Well, this one is growing on me the more I look at it. I prefer the dial and case of the SBGV245, especially as I have exclusively dark/black dials, but I like the hands of the Gishi better. Moreover, this one I can get, whereas the Grey Monster is hard to source. Can you actually set the hour hand independently on this one? In the end I reckon it will be a battle between the SBGX343 and SBGN027.

I daily my SBGA285 and it's not overly blingy in normal daylight conditions. It does have great polishing, but not to the point of bling.

I mean, Grand Seiko have always been a brand oriented around the idea of dress watches, and those models pictured above are about as plain and non-blingy as a GS can get. If they're not suitable enough, I recommend looking elsewhere.

Don't forget about the sbgx341

I haven’t! But I’m not too fond of the white dial with the orange bits of the chapter rings. That becomes too sporty for me and I generlly prefer muted tones.

I bought the gmt a few months ago and yes the hands and indices do sparkle like nothing else I find with the white gmt hand and brushed case and bracelet it’s quite a restrained watch and it’s nice to be able to make the hands and indices twinkle for my own entertainment. Out of the GS range I think this is by far the least bling watch they make. I love mine

Saying that I tried on the hi beat green dialed tikka summer breeze I was really taken by it and it’s definitely a shiny shiny thing. Totally out of my tool/dive watch zone.i tried on a number of watches and it was the only thing that rang my bell I’ve been an omega fan since the 80’s owning many along the way but GS have taken over as my most desired watch

Love them, but I think they release too often and too quickly. Own a Snowflake and was about to buy a high accuracy quartz when they discontinued it and replaced it with one that was t as hood in my opinion.

I had one for about a month. Absolutely beautiful watch and brand. As I only wear watches on bracelets, the GS bracelet is an abomination resulting in an unusable bracelet for anyone who’s wrist expands and contracts throughout the day. Even with playing with half and full links it was either very tight or flopping on my wrist.

Sold it and don’t ever see myself getting one again unless they update their bracelets. I will admire from afar and am jealous for those who can actually have a good fit.

The spring drive technology is what draws me to GS. The snowflake dials are a bonus!

My concern too

https://www.watchcrunch.com/scullyismybuddy/posts/gs-owners-are-they-too-nice-to-wear-for-things-for-everyday-use-like-work-from-home-in-sweatpants-and-t-shirt-everyday-lol-223258

FWIW, I’ve thought about GS a lot, and

A couple other concerns I worry are :

• They most “in” models now won’t be in 10yrs from now (birch, shunbun). I love their textures dials, but the basically end up being trendy in a way (yes even if GS has a very classic design language, their dial texture can be sorta trendy)

• The Evo 9 collection and 9SA5 movement is kinda cool, but but overhyped IMO (another thread here:https://www.watchcrunch.com/scullyismybuddy/posts/gs-96a5-dual-escapement-twin-barrels-what-s-the-deal-224040)