What's it worth, mister?

[Foxy100]

My Grand Seiko SBGH001 is one of my favourite watches and I wear it a fair bit. Three times I've had friends comment on it (usually because like a saddo WIS I've been taking a wrist shot) and I've asked each what they think it's worth. I hand them the watch, they give it a disparaging look and two said £200 and one said £300. List price is £5,500. Like I've said many times, Grand Seiko is the ultimate in stealth watches! I asked all three what they would have thought had it had 'ROLEX' on the dial but none was willing to guess. Sure, I knew about brand recognition and what I assumed was the value of the name 'Seiko' to non-WIS but £200 or £300 for such a high quality watch? It really is about the name.

[ben4watches]

Sadly to the normal man on the street Seiko are just a cheap watch brand and their values your colleagues guesstimates on price/value would be the norm.

For me this is a real plus as the amount of people that give disparaging looks at my Rolex and ask the inevitable question “is it real” really get my goat.

To wear a watch of such high quality and draw no attention suits me just fine, if on the rare occasion somebody recognises the watch for what it is, rest assured that a decent watch conversation will follow.

[wileeeeeey]

Keep an eye on grand Seiko. They are being told by big stores in the UK they want to stock them but won't while they're in Argos and H Samuel for £100. Seiko's other brands will carry the £100 mantel and Seiko will start moving up to 500 or 600 for their regular watches. Even the SARB and SARX will end and become part of the Pressage for decent money. Matter of time.

[Foxy100]

I forgot to say the one who suggested £300 said so because 'you're a watch nerd so it must be a special one'.

I used to wear my Omega Marine Chronometer as my stealth watch, under the assumption no one would ever mug me for it. Sadly it went to help fund the GS. I became used to wearing it whenever I went to London or on holiday. I now have an X33 Skywalker for holidays (and every other day of the year) but it's not quite the same, no sense of occasion!

[wileeeeeey]

There was someone either on here or TRF who said they were only ever mugged of a watch once and it was a Daytona in Islington but they wear either a platinum or gold GS worth 5x the price of the Daytona and no one has looked twice.

[RAJEN]

I am not surprised. The average person doesn’t know the difference between Seiko and GS. And, they would not appreciate the difference between the two on a casual look. Which does make GS a great choice for someone who wants to ‘fly under the radar’.

[beechcustom]

I was very close to going for that GS 9f on SC. Thankfully now ohpf. I have to say I do respect anyone who buys a GS as they do so 100% for themselves rather than the benefit of others. I'd like to think that I bought my Rolex for the same reason but the brand is so well known I can't say with absolute sincerity that the brand recognition didn't have a part in the purchase, subconsciously or otherwise.

[nunya]

I am not surprised. The average person doesn’t know the difference between Seiko and GS. And, they would not appreciate the difference between the two on a casual look. Which does make GS a great choice for someone who wants to ‘fly under the radar’.

I am surprised if any "normal" person actually gives a SH!T

[nunya]

Sadly to the normal man on the street Seiko are just a cheap watch brand and their values your colleagues guesstimates on price/value would be the norm.

For me this is a real plus as the amount of people that give disparaging looks at my Rolex and ask the inevitable question “is it real” really get my goat.

To wear a watch of such high quality and draw no attention suits me just fine, if on the rare occasion somebody recognises the watch for what it is, rest assured that a decent watch conversation will follow.

I bet this rarely happens as most people do not care. And to the ones that give you "the look" that's a reflection on them more than you. Grow a thicker skin!

[RAJEN]

I am surprised if any "normal" person actually gives a SH!T

Many don’t, some do. I know people like to say that the average person doesn’t give a dam about what is on someone elses’s Wrist but it is an exaggeration. Plenty of people notice even if they don’t comment. They may not realise what they are looking at but they often notice. Unless one is hanging around extremely self absorbed people or extremely ‘dull’ people with no curiosity or awareness. Nor do they always assume your Rolex is fake. If they do, it is more often a ‘you’ problem than about the average person assuming that all Rolexes are fake. But again it depends on what kind of people are around you, whether it be friends, colleagues or strangers on the street. We need to give more credit to the ‘normal’ or the ‘average’ person.

[LRB255]

I was very close to going for that GS 9f on SC. Thankfully now ohpf. I have to say I do respect anyone who buys a GS as they do so 100% for themselves rather than the benefit of others. I'd like to think that I bought my Rolex for the same reason but the brand is so well known I can't say with absolute sincerity that the brand recognition didn't have a part in the purchase, subconsciously or otherwise.

So very true and likewise was my thoughts when I purchased my seadweller

[Itsguy]

I forgot to say the one who suggested £300 said so because 'you're a watch nerd so it must be a special one'.

I wonder what they'd say about one with the new branding? It might push the estimate up by a couple of hundred!

[lostp]

It’s great being stealthy when you want to wear a nice watch and not show it off... wearing it for yourself rather than for others.

And then other times the watch is just male jewellery and you want people to notice