Reply With QuoteOnly you can decide what works for you but, IMO, the crown and pushers just look too big and the dial is too cluttered which detracts from the beauty of the snowflake finish.
I have owned five GS over the past years and loved all of them, but sold them on for different reasons. I just sold my last two and are now looking for the 'one', a watch that epitomises everything I love about the brand. I have been thinking about a 41mm heritage model but stumbled across the Grand Seiko SBGC247, a limited edition (aren't they all) of 700, dubbed the chronograph snowflake.
On the face of it this looks like my ideal GS. I have owned a black dial chronograph which I sold last year so I know I love the case and pushers (in person they are perfect in size and to use) but with an interesting dial and some blued hand action, it looks stunning. The only slight niggle is that its Titanium and I would prefer SS.
As often is the case with this hobby I would be buying blind. Has any TZ'er seen or even owns one of these?
Only you can decide what works for you but, IMO, the crown and pushers just look too big and the dial is too cluttered which detracts from the beauty of the snowflake finish.
Do you have good eyesight? Based on my experience with chronos I think I would struggle to read this dial, and my eyesight is OKish.
I agree. Silver hands on a silver dial is never the greatest of combinations IMHO. I'm showing my age!Originally Posted by Tatters
I did own an SBGC003. It was so well built and I loved the big pushers.
Last edited by j111dja; 28th July 2022 at 21:37.
Agree about the cluttered dial. I love some of the Grand Seiko designs but the minimalist simplicity is key to that for me.
Thanks for the opinions, they go to confirm my impression that GS Chronographs are quite polarising. The large pushers are one of the best features of these watches and are mechanical perfection and exquisite to use. Legibility will be fine I feel, the brushed hands contrast ok with the dial and it will be similar to the SBGC201 in this regard.
The dial is cluttered but that is what I like about it, Chronographs and complex looking watches attract me, dunno why, it goes back to my childhood I think.
I guess it was a longshot that an owner would be on TZ but maybe someone will come along :)
Pushers are way too large in my opinion. And if this one's bracelet is like other GS bracelets, the lack of on the fly adjustment is below par at the price point.
Everything else looks fantastic.
David
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
There is a lot going on in that dial, I'd be worried re legibility but those pushers are something else.
You had a great GS dive watch just sold on SC, would be a shame to have let that go for this.
IMHO the ideal 'the one' GS candidate for me would be the Lake Suwa that's currently on SC
Lion mane dial in white, not a Snowflake
Like everything about it bar the large pushers but you seem to like those so no problem there!
As already noted, silver-on-silver is hard to read if you're of an age where presbyopia starts to manifest, but the killer for me is the lack of lume - I do want a chance of reading watches in low light, with this, there is none.
Love the dial, but I can't get on with GS Chronos, the pushers are gigantic.
This may contradict the valid points about legibility but I think the two right hand side sub dial would be better if textured like the left one. Also, losing the power gauge may help make it less cluttered. I have a snowflake and I don’t see the dial texture as being he same on this model, maybe it’s just me though.
I like it. It's different from the usual GS you see. It would be too busy to be 'the one' watch for me. Then again I'm not into chronograph much. But this is about you although I think you've answered your own question. You say it's titanium and you want SS. That one aspect is not going to make it 'the one'.
I really appreciate all the responses, when buying blind it is always useful to have your own biases tested. There are a few NIB for sale by Japanese sellers whom i am in touch with, but I will resist the temptation a little longer until I am sure its the one.
A fantastic watch that I owned for four years and which the new owner will love I am sure. Sold it because it never gets worn over my SD43 or PO2500 which is my most worn watch.
Ihave certainly mulled over the Suwa and if it was 42mm I would have already bought it, Ryan. At 40mm it's unlikely to stay no matter how brilliant the dial is.
On anything but a GS I would agree with you Earl, but lume on a GS spoils the immaculate hands and markers for me. There is no doubt visibility would not be as good as many watches but I think it would be acceptable to me aided by the dial having a matt finish. If it were shiny then the hands would get lost.
Agreed, it is not really a snowflake dial, that was me getting sucked into the web BS.
I can't help but wonder what special LE GS may do next but when it comes to their Chronographs I cannot think of one that would appeal more than this. They do some Chronos with bezels which I am not as keen on and also have a couple of different pusher designs which also spoil it so perhaps, just maybe, this is peak GS Chrono to my eyes.
Nice dial but those pushers not great
I prefer as is - as well as improving legibility differentiates time and chrono functions.
I lean to SS because I like the weight, and I would prefer the brighter metal, but until I read that this model was Titanium I had not realised it from photos & videos. So it's probably not a big deal, just a preference.
Just found this on the Tube, the dial work is amazing and what attracts me to GS, and this watch.
On paper a titanium, spring drive, GMT chronograph with one of GS signature dial finishes ticks pretty much every box.
However, I can't get excited about it in the flesh.
Personally, when it comes to GS dials, less is definitely more.
I own a snowflake, and for me the beauty of it is the smooth sweep of the second hand around the dial. There's something calming about it that's hard to explain.
You're not going to get that effect with a chrono, unless you leave it running I suppose. Even then I think the clutter would spoil it for me.
I love some of the models but that's a no from me. The dial is too busy with all that crap writing all over it. Why put GMT and GS in such big font and spring drive could be smaller. Dont see the point of that stunning dial trashed.
Right about the pushers as well make it look like a 3000m diver
2 mins on my phone and it's better already. The GS under the 12 bar would finish it off. Less is more.
Sent from my SM-G998B using Tapatalk
The pushers may be practical but who actually uses a chronograph? In real life, a countdown timer is far more useful, and gets used multiple times a day via Siri on the iPhone. A stopwatch function, very rarely.
So the main point of them is to look good, and for looking good not much beats a svelte vintage Daytona, or even pre-Daytona. I feel GS are missing a trick by not making a compact chrono and a compact diver. Those sides of their range leave me cold and there’s a huge opportunity they are missing, to make other ranges that get people really excited. Even Rolex can’t quite make chronos (and arguably divers) that look as nice as their vintage ones, it’s an open goal for GS.
Last night I watched the movie: everything everywhere all at once. GS strategy to watch releases reminds me of this. If you can think of a GS permutation, you can almost guarantee GS will release it at some point, and this snowflake Chrono is the perfect example. Personally, I prefer the regular snowflake, and that would be even better if they remove everything else on the dial aside from hour minute and seconds to go for that serene look.
There's still a seconds sub-dial, but agree it won't be quite the same as a central seconds hand (stares at MM600 for 48th time today...).
After watching a few videos I reckon the titanium duller colder look although as you say still looks brighter than usual Ti, really compliments the dial well. When looking at this watch on wrists and not zoomed in pics it does not look as busy. Just having the gold medallion on the rotor to say its been adjusted by a 'GS master' (probably while sitting cross legged on top of one of the hotaka mountains during a planetary conjunction) would do it for me.
Last edited by sprite1275; 30th July 2022 at 11:18.
There are some really good points being made that count against this watch and which I agree with to some degree, but I still want one!
Agree with you Sprite that the dial does look fantastic in wrist photos, it's easy to get fixated on the details when viewing larger pics on a computer. One of the cool features of my SD43 is the red text and in photos, it really makes the watch, but on the wrist, you don't notice it anywhere near as much.
I will continue chatting to three dealers in Japan who are offering a NIB 247 for ~Ł7k, and try to resist temptation until I am 100% on the purchase.
I found some real world pics, looks fantastic.
Last edited by mondie; 30th July 2022 at 16:32.
Personally the pushers totally ruin this one for me.
If you like it go for it but I think it would be a pig to resell for anything like what you paid for it so worth bearing in mind if you aren't 100% sure.
Also for price try Champagne James as he has contacts in Japan and was able to get me 27% off the last GS I bought via him
Good old stamped clasp for a watch worth thousands. Peak Grand Seiko
Yes, there is that Ryan, but that's part of the jeopardy with GS!
Thanks for the tip on James, I will PM him now.
I am still besotted by this watch and think I will commit to buying one this week. There aren't many around nor is there a whole lot on the net about them yet, despite trawling YT a few times, this clip popped up today comparing the 247 against the 003, a watch I owned for a few years. I think it s the final nail in my resolve.
This.
It's a barely readable mish-mash of silver, pale creams, whites and more silver.
Better is the black dialled version, although even that doesn't have the clarity I'd expect of a tool watch at that price.
Last edited by Filterlab; 14th August 2022 at 20:21.
Does it make espresso?This.
It's a barely readable mish-mash of silver, pale creams, whites and more silver.
Better is the black dialled version, although even that doesn't have the clarity I'd expect of a tool watch at that price.
The pushers are a catastrophe.
The sub-dials are a mess.
There are so many better chronographs at this price point, I am curious what is the appeal here?
The pushers are comical. I have to agree with what others say about the dial also, it's a mess
The pushers are what lets pretty much every GS chrono down, IMO. I actually do like the dial setup on this one, with the chrono subdials neatly on one side, running seconds on the other. Could have done without the power reserve though.
I have owned five GS ... but sold them on for different reasons
...a limited edition (aren't they all
...its Titanium and I would prefer SS.
... I would be buying blind..."But apart from that what have the Romans ever done for us...?""...pig to resell... ...poor legibility... ...no lume... ...giant pushers... ...stamped clasp... ...so many better chronographs at this price point..."
I sorta feel like you need to listen to yourself here - there's an important difference between "besotted" and "infatuated" when you're looking for the proverbial Keeper...
Stock pics always look pants and make the pushers look worse than what they are compared to YT vids.
The black dial looks no where near as nice as the snowflake. Yes legablity will be better but lighter dials always look better IMO.
Last edited by sprite1275; 16th August 2022 at 23:21.
World's first T W Steel homage....
Despite the TZ roasting this thread has received, I am still trying to buy one of these
It's not proving to be easy. There are only a couple on the market and dealing with Japanese sellers who don't actually have stock is tiring. Champagne James may be able to get me one but he is away for a few weeks. Nothing used anywhere. Buying a GS shouldn't be this hard.
That summed up my opinion nicely, thanks. GS makes Chronos with several different and smaller pusher designs but they are nowhere as appealing, the pushers help make the watch for me.
Beautiful, the problem is to see the chrono. With the age that happen…
Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app
No idea, and I won't bother finding out either.
Sinn and Damasko are absolutely miles ahead at this price level, and half of it, and a quarter of it frankly.
LOL!
Yeah, it is mad mate.
That is absolutely gorgeous! Pretty much a perfect watch as far as I'm concerned.
Not sure the dial texture will please in the long term.
Also, one needs to really like titanium.
I had both the sbga029 and sbga231 at the same time and didn't appreciate titanium at the end.
It's light but too dark and dull.
I really like the SD Chronograph and have chosen the SBGC201.
Its dial is stunning.
It is pretty clear. You don’t get it and that’s quite all right!
Please define “”Better””.
And while at it, can you name ONE Spring Driven, 100% in house, column wheel/ vertical clutch chronograph from another manufacture?
Last edited by Lostintime; 4th September 2022 at 00:54.
Posting Permissions
