@Gasworks White Birch: Time to sell / trade in the SLGH005?
So, I am the proud owner of a White Birch and love it!
However - there's always a however, isn't there - I am thinking about parting with my SLGH005. Why? For very idiosyncratic reasons:
- I've come to decide that I don't care about the movements inside of watches, other than if it's Spring Drive
- So, while it's amazing that you get 80 hours of power reserve from a hi-beat movement with 36,000 vph, and everyone raves about this being the second new escapement architecture in 250 years... none of that matters all that much to me
- And, as such, I'm consolidating my GS collection to only Spring Drive and 9F Quartz watches
(Look, I know how utterly ridiculous that is. I mean, it's like saying, "I only collect rookie year baseball cards of left-handed pitchers born west of the Mississippi." But, you know, we gotta come up with some bullsh*t organizing principles with which to guide us through life, otherwise the universe, and our very short time in it, is all just chaos and savagery, right?)
The one thing holding me back from letting it go is the dial. It's out of this world. Which is why I commissioned a custom Shirakaba dial build from @Gasworks. Check it out! It's awesome!
My thinking was that if I could have a custom mod made for me, with equivalently gorgeous dial, then I could easily let go of the SLGH005 - after all, if you don’t care about the movement inside a watch, at that point, all you care about is the finishing, the design, and… the dial, right? And a dial is a dial is a dial, right?
Unfortunately, that’s not how it’s worked out. The @Gasworks White Birch custom mod is a phenomenal watch. It's beautiful, the fit and finish is wonderful, it boasts a reliable NH35 movement, and the price @Gasworks charges is criminally low. However, no matter how good Chinese fast prototyping and advanced machining has become, the Shirakaba-ness of the aftermarket / mod dials available to purchase is ultimately incapable of matching that of the handmade craftsmanship, coupled with the massive R&D budgets and MEMS technology, of the real deal from Grand Seiko.
Which is mind-blowing to me. Over the course of the past year, I’ve purchased something like ~50 Chinese fakes… eh, Chinese replicas... of Rolexes, Omegas, and other Swiss watches to hand out as gag gifts and stocking stuffers for family and friends. And, in each and every case, if you asked me to put them side-by-side with my real Swiss watches, I would give myself a 50/50 chance of being able to identify the fake - in other words, zero ability above random chance to distinguish real from fake, because the fakes are simply that good.
Not so with the SLGH005. I mean, you would think that all their “craftsmanship” and “dude spent 15 years learning how to rub a stick made of ancient dogwood on the case to get it perfectly shiny” was all just marketing schtick. But, weirdly enough, it ain’t. It’s real. Apparently, no matter how good the Chinese manufacturing, it still can’t replicate this:
https://grandseikogs9club.com/chronicle-9/making-white-birch-dial-slgh005/
So, where does this leave us? I don’t know, man! All I know is this:
- If you want a phenomenal White Birch / Shirakaba dial watch, get in touch with @Gasworks
- Is the actual SLGH005 “worth it”? I don’t know. That’s entirely subjective, right? Are there diminishing returns though? Absolutely. Totally. Why buy an SLGH005 for a Shirakaba dial, when you can get a custom @Gasworks White Birch for something like 1/20th the price, right?
- Can you get a Chinese replica of a Grand Seiko that could pass for the real deal, the way you can a Rolex or an Omega? No, you cannot
So, time to sell / trade-in the SLGH005?
****
P.S. Charity auction for a Baltic Bicompax 002 goes until Friday, June 24, 12pm PT. Win a watch and dictate my user handle here on WatchCrunch! And get a glow-in-the-dark dinosaur.
The Artist formerly known as @HotWatchChick69 and formerly-formerly @Omeganut
More from Mr.Dee.Bater
If u go that far just to get rid of it if the birch u might aswell sell it. if not all u got out of the gaswork mod was a long post on WC 😂
If u go that far just to get rid of it if the birch u might aswell sell it. if not all u got out of the gaswork mod was a long post on WC 😂
Well, I got a nice new watch out of it! Ha!
I guess this goes back to the underlying question: "How many watches is too many?"
I look at some folks on here, and they seem like this to me...
But, I'm sure to any normal human being, they would react to the number of watches in my collection the same way!
is this for real? never seen or hold gs before but its like nothing can replicate finishing and quality of the dial
Well, I got a nice new watch out of it! Ha!
I guess this goes back to the underlying question: "How many watches is too many?"
I look at some folks on here, and they seem like this to me...
But, I'm sure to any normal human being, they would react to the number of watches in my collection the same way!
I have no idea how many watches u own. But just seeing your posts from time to time. U have to have loads.
Dont even know how u are still married. 😂
Also...I like a good story. And after u sell the WB u have a great one. People will be so confused when u tell them that u sold an 8 grand watch because some degenerate (but beautiful) watch geeks told you to
Thank you for the kind words Mr. @Omeganut
I have to agree with you that, as nice as this Shirakaba dial is (and it is very nice) it's not quite a match for the GS. I have to say GS would have some explaining to do if it was. I have a Snowflake type dial from the same supplier on this (below) and it's lovely. Not GS lovely; not $10k lovely, but still lovely...
If anyone is interested in a criminally low cost custom build or mod by a mostly bald Welshman then please DM me. I'd love to put something together using bonkers dials like these...
Note: My prices may increase dramatically once word gets out so get in early to avoid disappointment. 🤣🤣
is this for real? never seen or hold gs before but its like nothing can replicate finishing and quality of the dial
Yeah, my initial hypothesis was that no after-market manufacturer could replicate GS'es dials adequately, but needed to test it empirically. After all, EVERY SINGLE SWISS rep I've ever ordered looks indistinguishable (to me) from the real thing!
I mean, check out what's on offer here!
I have no idea how many watches u own. But just seeing your posts from time to time. U have to have loads.
Dont even know how u are still married. 😂
Also...I like a good story. And after u sell the WB u have a great one. People will be so confused when u tell them that u sold an 8 grand watch because some degenerate (but beautiful) watch geeks told you to
Staying married? Oh, it's easy! Just buy your wife the house of her dreams, let her pick every stick of furniture, every appliance, every fixture... everything. You have no say in ANYTHING. And anything that you do end up buying gets moved into the garage. Meanwhile, the only things that you can claim as your own are: clothes, a couple of laptops (one belongs to employer) and an iPad, car, and now... watches.
As for selling the SLGH005...
Anything for a good story!
Thank you for the kind words Mr. @Omeganut
I have to agree with you that, as nice as this Shirakaba dial is (and it is very nice) it's not quite a match for the GS. I have to say GS would have some explaining to do if it was. I have a Snowflake type dial from the same supplier on this (below) and it's lovely. Not GS lovely; not $10k lovely, but still lovely...
If anyone is interested in a criminally low cost custom build or mod by a mostly bald Welshman then please DM me. I'd love to put something together using bonkers dials like these...
Note: My prices may increase dramatically once word gets out so get in early to avoid disappointment. 🤣🤣
This! What is this???
Never ever feel the need to justify your collection criteria.
This! What is this???
Your new experience in hand painted dials 😁
This story reminds me of the dauphine hands I recently ordered. They are very nice, but I can see machining marks under the right light. I simply put them away.
Your new experience in hand painted dials 😁
Wait! What??? Are you EFF'ing with me??? You hand painted that???
Wait! What??? Are you EFF'ing with me??? You hand painted that???
Ha ha ha...No... I didn't hand paint it. But someone did. Lol
I'm currently looking at options to produce my own dials but that's some way off atm.
I sense another buy a watch save the world coming. And if I can feel it I imagine your GS AD surfer dude is sitting at home like:
Ha ha ha...No... I didn't hand paint it. But someone did. Lol
I'm currently looking at options to produce my own dials but that's some way off atm.
Well, regardless... I may be coming to you soon for that dial in a watch! What kind of case and hands would you pair it up with???
Well, regardless... I may be coming to you soon for that dial in a watch! What kind of case and hands would you pair it up with???
Something titanium maybe? 😊😉
I sense another buy a watch save the world coming. And if I can feel it I imagine your GS AD surfer dude is sitting at home like:
Yeah, that's true. Corporate will check Chrono24 and eBay for serial numbers, etc. Private party sales obviously would fly under their radar.
Or... charity auction too. But, I'd have to set a reserve on that auction!
I knew that "Oh it's so hard to find a date window for your Citizen" was just a BS excuse from @Gasworks to push me down the priority list so he can make custom builds like this for you!
I see how it works...
All I can say is you better not get invited to any VIP Gasworks events before I do or it's going to KICK OFF.
I knew that "Oh it's so hard to find a date window for your Citizen" was just a BS excuse from @Gasworks to push me down the priority list so he can make custom builds like this for you!
I see how it works...
All I can say is you better not get invited to any VIP Gasworks events before I do or it's going to KICK OFF.
I knew that "Oh it's so hard to find a date window for your Citizen" was just a BS excuse from @Gasworks to push me down the priority list so he can make custom builds like this for you!
I see how it works...
All I can say is you better not get invited to any VIP Gasworks events before I do or it's going to KICK OFF.
The reason your Citizen got "bumped" was as follows:-
You managed to purchase a Citizen with a missing part that turned out to be rarer than rocking horse shit. I have now heard there may be one lurking in a small village in Tibet and have dispatched a crack team to locate it and bring it to me.
As for Gasworks events...they normally happen after 9 pints of Guinness and a curry.
Wow! What a small world. I too only collect rookie year baseball cards of left-handed pitchers born west of the Mississippi
Maybe you should buy the new (newer?) spring drive white birch and sell your current one
Maybe you should buy the new (newer?) spring drive white birch and sell your current one
I know, right? Goddammit! Why does life have to be so difficult?
I know, right? Goddammit! Why does life have to be so difficult?
Not difficult for me cos I can afford neither of them 🤷🏻♂️
@Omeganut Dude, have you seen the new Dr. Strange yet? (this conversation has nothing to do with this post).
@Omeganut Dude, have you seen the new Dr. Strange yet? (this conversation has nothing to do with this post).
I got a date with Disney+ tonight!
I got a date with Disney+ tonight!
Good. I have things I need to discuss.
well, time to get the SLGA009 instead
Interesting post. Gasworks did a great job, but man that White Birch is simply amazing and I've not seen one in the flesh yet. I know that if/when I do I'm going to buy it. My AD says she knows when I'm ready to buy because I start saying, "I need it". It's like an internal dialogue to myself that I say out loud.
Absolutely bonkers and wonderful post and discussion!