Reply With QuoteHeres mine
It has only ever been a maximum 1second out since I have owned it (nearly a year) before resetting and currently spot on after a few months
Wears very well for its size and very comfortable on the bracelet
Recently I've found myself looking at Grand Seiko Quartz models, particularly the SBGX061, and admiring the case/hand finishing and the 9F movement.
I have never really considered spending this much on a Quartz watch before, I certainly have nothing against Quartz, it's just my one or two 'good' watches have always been mechanical as the movements fascinate me. However the GS Quartz (imho) seem different somehow. Maybe it's the fact I fancy trying a GS and the quartz models are the only ones in my budget, but I also like the idea of +\- 10spy claimed accuracy, the relatively low maintenance and the superb polishing on the case and hands. Also it seems quite a lot of watch for the used market price.
I would just like some owners experience of these watches. What's the finish like in 'the flesh'? is the claimed accuracy achievable? Does the 37mm case seem small on the wrist? (subjective I know!).
Any photos would be appreciated and I really don't want this thread to be a comparison of brands!
Thank you.
Heres mine
It has only ever been a maximum 1second out since I have owned it (nearly a year) before resetting and currently spot on after a few months
Wears very well for its size and very comfortable on the bracelet
As an owner of a sbgx061 the finish is excellent, the accuracy the same although I haven't monitored it as such and the size is perfect for what it is. I've got slim wrists and wear watches from 35-43mm and whilst it always feels smaller than the larger watches, within minutes it feels great. It's my modern Explorer equivalent but better ;)
Last edited by deepreddave; 16th March 2016 at 21:25.
I only spent a short while manhandling one but I was very impressed. It was the black dial 37mm one, and I felt it was a very presenceful 37mm, and that the thickness was just right for the width. I couldn't get over the quality of the polish of the bracelet, running my fingers over it, it felt like pebbles from a riverbed. The dial was truly black, almost impossible to focus on, so that the indices and hands gleamed gloriously.
Did I mention I was impressed?
It has arguably the finest quartz movement ever made. Does a sealed movement with no service needed for 50 years sound good to you?Originally Posted by Mr Tetley
The finish is excellent.
The accuracy is achievable.
You will have to try one on to see what it looks like on your wrist.
If you can get a better watch for the price, tell me about it.
I like the SBGX091
Like a previous poster I have only handled one for a few minutes on a couple of occasions but I was very, very impressed. I own an Omega AT and I felt the build quality of the GS seemed similar but the finish of the GS was better. At the time I felt that my 38mm AT had this style of watch covered in my collection but that's passed and I can definitely see me owning one at some point.
Here's my SBGX065.
Only had it a month or so but it's completely usurped all my other watches in that time. Too early to tell about acccuracy but so far it's spot on. I have 7" wrists and I find it extremely comfortable and the 37mm width means it not a door frame magnet.
The quality of the dial, indices and hands it extremely good, probably the best I've ever had anyhow. The extremely highly polished hand and indice edges catch the light wonderfully and is strangely hypnotic and rather satisfying (I'm sad I know!). Oh and the second hand hits the markers perfectly.
Being honest I was initially a bit underwhelmed when I first saw the watch. It seemed a little small and I did wonder if I'd done the right thing. However once I begun to notice the quality and wear the watch all those little niggles melted away.
Cheers,
Gary
Last edited by Omegary; 16th March 2016 at 21:51.
That blue is absolutely mesmerising.
I felt exactly the same way when i unwrapped mine, its a grower
I have the 'self dater' SBGV011. The sunburst dial, razor sharp hands and zaratsu polished case are all killer and the accuracy is amazing. It's great to have as a 'grab n'go' and I use it to set my mechanicals by. The 37mm size is perfect too. Really, what's not to like?
Thanks.
Initially I was on the look out for a SBGX063 which has a champagne coloured dial. But then my SBGX065 appeared on the sales corner and I just knew I had to have it. I've always been a sucker for blue dials and it certainly doesn't disappoint!
Cheers,
Gary
I have the 063 with its champagne / eggshell dial and I honestly think the finishing is better than any other watch I've owned including the likes of Rolex, Omega, breitling et al. The dial and hands are flawless. Given the history of seiko with quartz and the quality of the 9f movement it seems a perfect fit (I would normally much prefer mechanicals) - it's a bit of a contrast with Swiss stuff where by and large a quartz model will contain a pretty generic movement and will often seem a poor relation. Accuracy for mine is pretty much spot on the 10 sec/year and when you think you can pick these up second hand for about £1000 there isn't much in the way of competition.
Tim
IMO , the Grand Seiko is superb value for money . The GS's on this thread are stunning looking watches .
Thanks for all the input. I've yet to see a bad photo of one of these watches. Why has it taken me so long to appreciate them!?
Thanks again.
Here's my SBGX063, I've posted two different 'photos as the perspective can vary - I've a 7.25" wrist.
It's my second Grand Seiko, I also have an SBGA003, and I agree with every single positive that others have already raised. Cracking watch.
I'm very pleased with my watches the SBGV011 and the SBGX038.
I never really bother to check performance as they always seem spot on...
On the wrist the only thing I have to complain about is the leather strap length. Could have been a few more centimeters.
Size of 37.5 mm for the SBGV011 and 36 mm for the SBGX038.
SBGV011.
SBGX038.
You'll never go wrong with a used GS quartz piece.
I wonnder if you have anything from Seiko themselves to confirm that?
AFAIK they talk only of theoretically not needing any additional lubrication for up to 50 years, which is quite different to not needing a service.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
I received mine yesterday! It's not brand new, but in excellent condition (thanks Wooster of this forum!). The feel of quality is excellent, the bracelet is very smooth and the finish on the case amazing. I also like the fact that the GS quartz watches are the top of the line quartz watches for Seiko, where as many other brands (like Omega) the quartz are the bottom of the line watches. I feel the GS has been made with this in mind.
At 37mm it's definitely not large and I'd say it's on par with a DJ, maybe it even feels a little bit smaller due to being so slim. Can't say anything about accuracy yet as I've only had it for a day. ;)
Nice pics but what looks like Leather trousers had me wondering!
SBGX038.
You'll never go wrong with a used GS quartz piece.
Or gloves
A couple of shots of two former residents of my box
and one that remains...
Really starting to fall for these so going to have to get myself a SARB
On a slim (6.5") wrist, it's hard to find a better sized watch - slightly more contemporary than smaller vintage sizes, but it sits very well. I doubt any watches are more comfortable either. This model is a bit more discrete with the mirror polishing than some others, and that's probably a good thing, as GS can be almost too shiny to my eye. I've tried all three and the black dial is the stand out for me - very much a matter of personal taste, but I prefer the Rolex and Omega take on champagne dials, they feel a bit more golden and less yellowy in indoor tungsten lighting or mixed lighting conditions, while the blue is on the bright side for me. You can't really go wrong with black though. To call it the perfect watch would invite an argument, but it is certainly at least a perfect watch, if you're at home with the Seiko brand and quartz. No question it's a great movement, and after a while it will leave you wondering why all your other watches are so inaccurate.
It still has to go in for battery replacement every three years, and I guess most quartz movements run for decades without a service.
That said, it's IMHO still the finest made quartz movement available :).
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
A prominent forum life, this watch is having...
Here's its first owner, 'avusblue' -
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f304/ba...nt-702162.html
I liked the watch from the first time I read his post and downloaded his wrist-shot. Some time later, I bought one from Wooster and later learned that he had bought it from avusblue. I posted about it here -
http://forums.watchuseek.com/f21/gra...ke-954891.html.
After selling to Wooster, avusblue had regretted his decision and bought another.
Wooster half-regretted selling it too, so when I decided to move it on it went back to Wooster. Wooster has sold it again and it's now in Finland. So, the one that impressed Der Amf is the one now in the hands of china.
It's a supremely understated watch. That's a big part of its appeal but it also means that you can come to take it for granted. It may be no coincidence that two owners have sold it and replaced it, one with the same example.
I haven't (yet!) regretted selling it. I bought it as a better SARB rather than a Rolex substitute, but it's now a Datejust that now does the smallish, understated thing for me. As china says, its slimness means that it wears 'lighter' than a Datejust.
-
I was about to order the black dial "basic version" (SBGX063?) when a Self-Dater came up on SC. I'd never really been attracted to the silver dial, believing the hands would disappear and make it illegible. But for my upcoming wedding it seemed just the job. I wanted a watch to wear relatively infrequently and therefore couldn't justify a JLC or other classy dress watch that would barely get wound. And when it comes to Quartz there was no option in my view but to get a GS Quartz (I'd tried an Omega AT Quartz previously but the way the second hand moved cheapened it). The way the second hand moves so precisely, with a barely discernible tick, combined with the hand-finishing and history of Quartz innovation from the brand just works for me.
When it arrived I thought it a bit small at 37.2mm, but it's just perfect. I have it on today even though I'm dressed-down working from home. And it attracts more glances than any other watch I've owned when I'm out and about. Yes it says Seiko in much greater prominence than Grand Seiko. And to the uninitiated it's not an expensive watch. But to own one is to appreciate it. Quite possibly the best quality watch I've owned. And considering it wasn't a major investment it'd take something calamitous for me to have to sell it, which I may not have been able to say so certainly with a £5k+ dress watch.
Love it. Worn now on a Nomos Shell Cordovan which makes it a bit less dressy than the croc-strap and yes, the standard straps are short! Makes me quite likely to be another GS in the future to add to this one :-)
Ant
Excuse my ignorance, but what is a self dater?
Someone who lies about the little things will lie about the big things too.
It was the name given to the first GS with a date feature, back in '64 — of which this model emulates, with a modern slant.
Last edited by PJ S; 17th March 2016 at 12:36.
In 1964, the Self Dater was the first Grand Seiko to feature a date window and (I believe) the first to feature a sun-burst dial finish that is now so synonymous with the brand. I'm pretty sure I read that the case design was the first to benefit from the Zaratsu blade hand-polishing technique that is still used on its models today. The limited edition model was announced at Baselworld in 2014 to celebrate the 50th anniversary. It's the case design combined with the quality of quartz movement and manufacture that won me over rather than any particular historical significance and its limited run, which are a bonus.
Of course I'm sure there are others out there with more knowledge than me as I'm relatively new to the brand :-)
Ant
I've had mine for 18 months or so and absolutely love it (still). I was slightly worried at the time that somehow the fact that it is quartz might create some subliminal, long lasting dissatisfaction, but the movement is so special that there is no sense at all that compromises were involved in any decision to purchase in the first place (even though there were in my case - I couldn't afford the spring drive version). Anyway, you can read a bit more about mine and some additional background info on the history of the Self-Dater model here.
Martin
Totally agree with all of the comments above...after a Sub ND, Explorer 1 and 2 I bought In SBGX061 and realised what all the fuss was about..did think it was perhaps a bit too formal for me and jumped at the chance of an SBGX083 that was a favourite on the forum...for me thats the end of the line...there's no other watch high end watch I yearn for....the rest of my collection are nice to haves and have a place (G shocks etc) but just fluff compared to the GS
@reggie747 , Wow , stunning pictures are you a photographer ? You must like your Grand Seiko 's ?
I like them and I wouldn't hesitate to own one but AFAIK Seiko have never made that claim, if I can be shown they have then I'll be happy to be proved wrong.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Haha, I did a small search to find where the watch has come from and found Wooster's posts on purchasing and selling, but did not find the original owner. The papers indeed state it's originally been sold in the US.A prominent forum life, this watch is having...
This one fits me perfectly and I like it a lot, but I've been in this game too long to announce this a "keeper". ;)
Glad to have helped.
I have had mine about 7 months, it is as accurate as claimed, I have a six and three quarter inch wrist (flat rather than round) and find that it sits really nicely, fit and finish is superb.
I think I have the same model, in fact I'm wearing it now; it came straight from Japan, ordered by a friend who got bored an sold it to me.
Lovely watches; I am a mechanical-watch guy, but the quartz GS has really impressed me. Perhaps quartz, high-end quartz I should say, is due a come-back? How about it Rolex and Omega. And imagine what a quartz from IWC would look like.
Oh well we had a good run....
Bit puzzled by the suggestion of thread drift. I own a quartz GS and said how much I liked it, and described where it came from. A single sentence suggesting that it would be nice if other manufacturers made such watches is hardly a hanging offense.
Indeed, as the subject is the GS quartz, the influence of these special Seiko watches on the rest of the industry is part of the story. As indeed is the design of the faces, the hands, the quality of finish..... The GS quartz doesn't exist in a vacuum, you can compare it even within the full range of GS watches, mechanical, spring drive, hi beat and the quartz.
As an example, why do Seiko copy-across so many of the design features to other ranges? Just look at how similar the Quartz watches look to the mechanical ones. If you were sitting at a table, could you be sure which type of mechanism was in the Gs worn by the guy opposite? Do Seiko want these watches seen as all part of the same design?
And that's not thread drift, it is, I would suggest, part of the natural evolution of a thread. The GS range is fascinating, and it will throw up many different issues in any debate.
Last edited by paskinner; 17th March 2016 at 19:08.
GS Quartz is such a great value for money. Especially if bought in Japan.
Not sure about current GBP - JPY rate, but surely a bargain when yen was weaker.
No they didn't make that claim, as you said it was about not needing lubrication for fifty years for the parts in the airtight container.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Seiko UK recommend full service to be carried out at battery change intervals. £230 last time I asked. Cant remember if price includes new battery as well.
They didn't mentioned that to me when they did a battery change for a 9F powered GS at the beginning of the year. Surely giving a quartz a full service every three years would be madness. I've had quartz that have been going strong since the mid 70s, and as far as the 9F is concerned, they've been around for 20 years and I've never found any mention online of one being serviced!
From the Grand Seiko quartz manual downloaded from the Seiko website:
Periodic inspection and adjustment by disassembly and cleaning (overhaul) is recommended approximately once every 3 to 4 years in order to maintain optimal performance of the watch for a long time. According to use conditions, the oil retaining condition of your watch mechanical parts may deteriorate, abrasion of the parts may occur due to contamination of oil, which may ultimately lead the watch to stop. As the parts such as the gasket may deteriorate, water-resistant performance may be impaired due to intrusion of perspiration and moisture. Please contact the retailer from whom the watch was purchased for inspection and adjustment by disassembly and cleaning (overhaul). For replacement of parts, please specify “SEIKO GENUINE PARTS”. When asking for inspection and adjustment by disassembly and cleaning (overhaul), make sure that the gasket and push pin are also replaced with new ones.
○ When your watch is inspected and adjusted by disassembly and cleaning (overhauled), the movement of your watch may be replaced.
The "service" involves cleaning, new seals, new battery and a polish if wanted/needed. If you don't want new seals, polish and cleaning you can simply change the battery yourself. It costs next to nothing.
The movement is sealed and should not need any intervention for at least 50 years.
As far as I know mine got new seals as part of the battery change, but polishing would have been a significant extra cost - or at least a proper refinishing would be. They offered to send it to Japan for about £400! There was never any mention of this £230 service and polish. Either way, I don't think I'd be bothering with it after three years.
Seals are indeed included in £60 battery change. I agree the service they insist on is not really compulsory.
I should mention that whilst the bracelet is fabulous it does lack any micro adjustment with sizing limited to the combination of full and half links. Whilst the half links are slightly larger than half to provide greater adjustment scope I find the bracelet is either a tad too loose or too tight given my wrist size changes slightly during the day. For this reason, and this reason alone, it's not the perfect package. I've bought a Croc strap to negate the issue but I'd rather the bracelet was the ratchet type.
Last edited by deepreddave; 19th March 2016 at 09:21.
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