I’m officially a member of “The Cult of Grand Seiko”
The story started out with a used Tudor Heritage Black Bay 41 S&G that I bought from Hodinkee/Crown & Caliber. The watch was delivered in as new condition with about half a year remaining on the 2 year warranty. The watch was working fine until I started to notice it losing at least -10 seconds a day. This is not normal for a watch that is supposed to be COSC certified to -4 +6 seconds a day average in six different positions. I proceeded my local AD so that the watchmaker could determine whether or not the watch just needed to be regulated or if more in-depth work was required, it would be sent to Tudor in Switzerland for a warrantied service. Turned out that the watch needed to be sent to Tudor, so I proceeded with that route. The problem began when I received a call from the watch services manager relaying a message from Tudor in Switzerland, that the crown on the watch was dented and need to be replaced. I did not send the watch to them with any such damage. Luckily, the watch services manager at my AD knows how I take care of my timepieces and she ponied up and paid for the replacement crown. However, this was not the end of my concern. I was worried that if the crown had been dented between me, dropping off the watch off at my AD and Tudor receiving it- I was concerned that there would be other scratches on the case or bracelet. So, I instructed them to polish the watch so that it would be returned to me in the same condition I sent it in. I wait a couple more weeks and finally get the call that my watch was back from Tudor and ready to get picked up. I go to my AD the same afternoon to pick up my watch thinking it’s gonna be like new and ready for me to enjoy again. The watch came back with multiple scratches on the right side of the case on the upper right lug. So, if you’re looking at the right side of the watch, where the crown is placed-to the right of the crown I see multiple scratches going from left to right all the way up and down the highly polished sides. And not only were there scratches all over the side of the case but there was polishing residue all around the crown and on the side of the bracelet and it just seemed like a subpar job. The watch wasn’t even clean. I don’t know how it went past their quality control. I had sent in my Tudor Black Bay Chrono for a full case polishing, and it came back in as new condition. I was expecting a similar job on the Heritage Black Bay 41. However, that was not the case. I was extremely disappointed in the level of service from Tudor, especially considering the fact that the Tudor/Rolex representative that we got in contact with to try and rectify the situation informed us that they had never heard of such a complaint, and that they didn’t know how to proceed. Basically, my only options were to send it back to Tudor for another polish and hope that they do it better that time or I would have to wait until Tudor supplied my AD with the necessary tools to take apart the watch and polish it in-house. As you can see, I had a very hard decision to make. I did, however, end up going a different route. I decided to let go of the Tudor and not deal with the hassle anymore. I asked my AD what price they’d give me for my Heritage Black Bay 41 and they came back with a reasonable offer, so I put my store credit towards this beautiful Grand Seiko SBGA413 Shunbun Sakura.
Welcome! I’m @TheHoroSexual, a passionate collector and connoisseur of distinctive horology. My journey began with a Rolex Yacht Master 37, which ignited a lifelong appreciation for Rolex’s design lan...
More from TheHoroSexual
For some reason your story very resembles a youtube video I think I watched. You didnt happen to talk about this experience on a video did you?
Love the Shunbun. I own one myself.
Oh damn - another cherry blossom raft hits the streets!
I've been scared and scarred off Tudor from stories like these. And my GS lite prospex LX has finishing that always blows my mind every time I look at it.
Good move, and for the second time tonight ..
I had plenty of QC issues with the black bay line but never bothered w a service. I just ended up selling them. im sure there will be more stories like this bec for a 3-4k watch, their quality is sub-par. My FXD is excellent though 🤷🏻♂️
anyways, welcome to the cult! Where accuracy, design and innovation rules the order 😈
Don't be surprised if one day, late at night you got kidnapped, preferably while wearing your GS and you end up in the countryside with a view of Mt Iwate in the distance.
That's just your induction into the holy cult of Grand Seiko. You can ask any GS owners here. They'll avoid the topic but at some point they'll just give you the sign.
Gets back into the shadows
Don't be surprised if one day, late at night you got kidnapped, preferably while wearing your GS and you end up in the countryside with a view of Mt Iwate in the distance.
That's just your induction into the holy cult of Grand Seiko. You can ask any GS owners here. They'll avoid the topic but at some point they'll just give you the sign.
Gets back into the shadows
You wake up groggily tied to a chair, facing you is a window with a view of Mt. Iwate in the distance. The view is amazing. Snow capped mountains, with ridges and the shadows of snow, accompanied with the view of forests and lakes in its frozen and unfrozen states. So much texture! So much beauty! You look down at your wrists bound tightly to the arms of the chair. What's that around your wrist? GS bracelets! With no micro-adjusts! The horror! You can't wriggle out of this! You want to scream but your mouth is gagged. You stop struggling after a while and admire the view again. Over time the bracelets don't bother you as much as you continue to look through the window. There is no escape.
Welcome! Someone told me they had cookies but your story is cool too 🤣
Welcome! Someone told me they had cookies but your story is cool too 🤣
We don't know what happened next, sir. So yours involved cookies then?
Writes it down
For some reason your story very resembles a youtube video I think I watched. You didnt happen to talk about this experience on a video did you?
Love the Shunbun. I own one myself.
Nope. I’ve never been on a YouTube video. Congratulations on owning one too! They’re stunning!
Nope. I’ve never been on a YouTube video. Congratulations on owning one too! They’re stunning!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU9oTxhQ4HM
If you're interested!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU9oTxhQ4HM
If you're interested!
Thank you!!!
Beautiful and Awesome! Welcome to a great cult
We don't know what happened next, sir. So yours involved cookies then?
Writes it down
I remember biting into an ube cookie and then my mind went blank.
My next words were "Zaratsu polishing..." and the rest is nature infused history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU9oTxhQ4HM
If you're interested!
After going and taking a look at the link you sent me it turns out I actually did watch that video. 🙈
One day, hopefully soon, I will have Grand Seiko spring drive on my wrist. Have traveled to JPN for work >30x and so I simply cannot consider my collection complete without one. Well done - yours is a beauty.
After going and taking a look at the link you sent me it turns out I actually did watch that video. 🙈
Your experience seems similar. I wonder if it's Tudors machines that are the problem
Your experience seems similar. I wonder if it's Tudors machines that are the problem
snort More like they hired green kids polishing stuff.
Looks like, polish polish polish, "Ok looks good, of course it is, my eyes are young, I don't wear eyeglasses, do I old man?" types of kids who left machine marks on things.
snort More like they hired green kids polishing stuff.
Looks like, polish polish polish, "Ok looks good, of course it is, my eyes are young, I don't wear eyeglasses, do I old man?" types of kids who left machine marks on things.
I'm being optimistic and hoping it's a system thing hahaha. But usually they say it's ending up worse. So you might be right. The human polishing is worse than factory machine Polish process.
Sorry to hear about your experience with your Black Bay, but congrats on the Shunbun pick up!! Gorgeous. And welcome to club zaratsu :-)
Your experience seems similar. I wonder if it's Tudors machines that are the problem
I haven’t a clue. I feel as though the less experienced watchmakers at the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation work for Tudor before moving up to Rolex. 🤷🏻♂️ I don’t know if this is true or not but if it is, it makes sense that this kind of thing happens at Tudor more than Rolex.
Sorry to hear about your experience with your Black Bay, but congrats on the Shunbun pick up!! Gorgeous. And welcome to club zaratsu :-)
I’m loving the Zaratsu polishing on this case! Phenomenal case polishing- especially for the price range! I’m definitely gonna have to get a few more of these GS’s!!
I’m loving the Zaratsu polishing on this case! Phenomenal case polishing- especially for the price range! I’m definitely gonna have to get a few more of these GS’s!!
I have 2 and am already trying to decide on my third 😁
Welcome to the cult, I have a GS, one of three on my wrist today. Cup of Kool-Aide in hand.
Beautiful GS! I have the sports model SBGE275G myself. 🍻
Beautiful GS! I have the sports model SBGE275G myself. 🍻
That GMT has such a nice dial!! im captivated by their brilliance. Absolutely stunning timepiece!
Thank you sir. I think both pieces are nice in its own ways. 🍻