I’m so done with Grand Seiko!

As some of you may recall from my musings on WC, a Grand Seiko “movement” trifecta/hat trick has been a collection goal of mine for a good long while. The idea has been in my head since I discovered the brand shortly after falling down the watch rabbit hole. First to join the team three years ago was the SBGA211 Snowflake with the 9R65 Spring Drive, followed a couple years later by the SGBN003 GMT with the 9F86 Quartz. Both are phenomenal watches.

Today I completed the hat trick by adding the SBGW231 with the 9S64 Mechanical movement to the collection. Why the 231? I’m drawn to the 231 by its classic dress watch design, world renowned GS finishing of the case, dial, hands, markers, and movement; the 231’s sobriquet as the Japanese Calatrava is well earned. Finally, my own connection to Japan, a place I called home longer than any spot on the planet since leaving my childhood home almost 40 years ago, has left me with an affinity for and appreciation of Japanese technical/industrial/artistic prowess, be it cameras, cars, or watches.

If you’re a GS fan you know that the SBGW231 has been discontinued and replaced by the identical SBGW301…which as is the way of the world, cost more than the SBGW231 it replaces. I had actually ordered the SBGW231 from the GS Boutique online last week when I saw both it and the SBGW301 listed for sale. Alas, the following day the order was cancelled, despite being listed, due to the 231 being discontinued and out of stock.

So, I called the local GS AD a few days ago to inquire about the 231/301. The AD webpage listed the watch with the 231 price, but didn’t specify the exact reference. I was unsure if they had the more expensive 301 but had not yet updated their webpage. As luck would have it they had one last 231 in stock. I made the hour long trip to purchase it this morning.

There are dozens of very fetching GS mechanical/automatic models that have caught my eye over the years. Yet the 231 was never far from my thoughts…or my wallet’s thoughts to be honest given its “entry level” price point. Even now there are other spring drive, quartz and mechanical GS models I’d love to add to the collection. Who knows, perhaps someday I will. But for now, I am done with Grand Seiko!