Grand Seiko - Most Underwhelmed

[bedlam]

What I took from that is the writer owns the Rolex but not the other two, and the Rolex won.

Nice pics though, and three very nice watches.

Yes, he was less than balanced. And went a very long way to make the claim that the Rollie being more utilitarian and spare than the others made it more amazing.

His comment on GS timekeeping was interesting given he didn't comment on the timekeeping of the other two in comparison.

[Foxy100]

Just written a long reply and then accidentally deleted it! I was the person who bought that GS. Long story short Seiko UK were a total pain to deal with. Initially they said there was evidence it had been opened in the past and when (with help from the seller and a previous owner) I was able to prove they had opened it for regulation under warranty they got really defensive about how much pride they take in their work and how there was no way they could have been a contributing factor. In the end I coughed up for the work but the best bit is when I received it back from their meticulous craftsmen it was full of dust and had to go off again!

I'm fairly sure it was a manufacturing defect and that's fine in itself but the attitude of the UK service centre was pretty confrontational. I still like GS, the way the light plays on some of the dial and handsets it's the best I've ever seen in any watch but I'm not sure the quality is all it's sometimes made out to be. I've owned 3, the entry level quartz was flawless, this one had issues when I bought it so I'm not counting that but I also had a sbgr095 that had to go back for a smudge on the minute hand. I'd like to try spring drive at some point but I think the quartz models are where the best value and quality lie.

That's terrible customer service. They really need to sort out their PR.

[stelmo01]

That's terrible customer service. They really need to sort out their PR.

I completely agree. If they are offering a premium product to the regular Seiko range then the service needs to reflect that. I recall the original thread and my thoughts were that it looked like a production fault, which isn’t the end of the world, but by not dealing with the issue reasonably it didn’t reflect well on Seiko UK.


Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

[gbn13]

Yes, he was less than balanced. And went a very long way to make the claim that the Rollie being more utilitarian and spare than the others made it more amazing.

His comment on GS timekeeping was interesting given he didn't comment on the timekeeping of the other two in comparison.

Each of the three reviews were written by different members of the Hodinkee team. It wasn’t a “this one is better than the other two” article. Each reviewer talked about the merits of the watch they reviewed.

[bedlam]

Each of the three reviews were written by different members of the Hodinkee team. It wasn’t a “this one is better than the other two” article. Each reviewer talked about the merits of the watch they reviewed.

Quite right, I had missed that. Kind of reduces the benefit of the comparison.

[Foxy100]

I completely agree. If they are offering a premium product to the regular Seiko range then the service needs to reflect that. I recall the original thread and my thoughts were that it looked like a production fault, which isn’t the end of the world, but by not dealing with the issue reasonably it didn’t reflect well on Seiko UK.

I thought that too when it first all came up. For a premium brand GS aren't doing themselves any favours. What would it have taken to give the owner the benefit of the doubt and replace the dial FOC?

[mindforge]

Nice photos. I made the exact same comparison when I was choosing and bought that model of GS (with the old logo). It just looked so much better finished, I preferred the under radar nature of the brand (although that is changing now with it being advertised weekly in the FT and on the tube) and of course it cost far less.

[JGJG]

Just written a long reply and then accidentally deleted it! I was the person who bought that GS. Long story short Seiko UK were a total pain to deal with. Initially they said there was evidence it had been opened in the past and when (with help from the seller and a previous owner) I was able to prove they had opened it for regulation under warranty they got really defensive about how much pride they take in their work and how there was no way they could have been a contributing factor. In the end I coughed up for the work but the best bit is when I received it back from their meticulous craftsmen it was full of dust and had to go off again!

I'm fairly sure it was a manufacturing defect and that's fine in itself but the attitude of the UK service centre was pretty confrontational. I still like GS, the way the light plays on some of the dial and handsets it's the best I've ever seen in any watch but I'm not sure the quality is all it's sometimes made out to be. I've owned 3, the entry level quartz was flawless, this one had issues when I bought it so I'm not counting that but I also had a sbgr095 that had to go back for a smudge on the minute hand. I'd like to try spring drive at some point but I think the quartz models are where the best value and quality lie.

That’s not a good thing to hear about a challenger brand that’s trying to compete on quality. Whilst I would stand by my comments about the amazing SBGX009, it will certainly give me some pause for thought, even as I’m currently looking for a manual winding GS...


@paddy1911 - as I understand it, your dissatisfaction was with the UK service centre. Did you ever take this up with Seiko HQ?

[paddy1911]

No, I got so frustrated with banging my head against the wall with them I gave up. I knew the lie of the land before purchase though as the previous owner had also tried to engage in dialogue with them.

After having to send it back to get several large flecks of dust removed I sent their customer service manager a polite email outlining the problems I'd had and how I didn't feel they were representing their product in a good light. I got a generic 'sorry to hear you were disappointed' brush off.

I still like a lot of their offering but I wouldn't be in a rush to deal with Seiko UK again. The other thing to bear in mind, if anyone is looking at second hand watches, is the extortionate cost of polishing. I was quoted £450 for a watch on leather strap. I don't completely buy the zuratsu samuri master spiel, and if Rolex can refinish as part of a service I don't see why GS can't. It's not like the servicing is any cheaper.

When I first got into the brand I'd thought I'd discovered a hidden gem, a world away from the cynical marketing bs of some Swiss manufacturers where quality was first and foremost but to be honest I dont now see them as any different to the other luxury watch brands.