Reply With QuoteLooks ok but a lot of money and I will never own a GS with that truncated hour hand, which they seem to be using more regularly.
Given GS has released 38 new models already this year and I was just about to post about another, I thought it might be useful to consolidate them in one thread going forward to avoid inflicting GS fatigue on the rest of the forum.
Anyway, just seen a post about another new Evolution 9 'Birch' - this time in a titanium case. The SLGH017 Night Birch. UK RRP is £9,000, which follows the usual GS pricing structure of a slight premium for titanium over steel I think?
I quite like it, although I'd need to see one in the metal.
http://www.scottishwatches.co.uk/202...7-night-birch/
Last edited by gcleminson; 1st July 2022 at 14:10.
Looks ok but a lot of money and I will never own a GS with that truncated hour hand, which they seem to be using more regularly.
Nice-looking, and I love a titanium watch.
The review mentions my biggest issue with a lot of GS watches (and many other brands), in having a 22mm bracelet at the lugs, and no taper down to the clasp.
It ruins all the proportions. So many potentially great watches are written off for me as a result.
From the descriptions, this one included.
It also seems like a LOT of money (and I am rather a big GS fan, have had half a dozen and one as my daily wear at the moment)
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I don't know where this has come from? I'm currently wearing a Lake Suwa, which is the same Evolution 9 case and bracelet. The bracelet definitely tapers!Originally Posted by notenoughwrists
Three new Thailand-only LE's.
SBGH303
SBGY021
SBGY025
Paging Ryan, paging Ryan...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG6i1bWJumc
I'm back on the 22nd and my wife and son are out there now so let me know I'd be happy to help.
Thanks Ryan, I meant more for you though - thought you might have been tempted by one of these.
That green looks stunning
the bracelet is an issue to me as well as it looks cheap relative to its price and it is just too dark to see the birch, could anyone turn on the light?
Last edited by seikomatic; 5th August 2022 at 04:12.
SBGW291 and SBGW293: 44GS shape in 36.5mm size
https://www.fratellowatches.com/new-...1-and-sgbw293/
Those new 36.5mm 44GS models look great but the prices are certainly creeping up! They make the older SBGA375 and 373 models look like a bargain in comparison. The SBGA375 has a 44GS case, spring drive movement and a bracelet for £4700. The new models are £4460 for a manual wind movement with no display back on a strap. Also the hands on these new releases aren't as well finished as the older style razor sharp handset (SBGA375 has capped seconds hand too). I'm a Grand Seiko fan and I'm concerned that I might be priced out of the market soon!
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Last edited by Rocket Man; 7th August 2022 at 08:36.
Really like that brown strap
SBGW291 and SBGW293: 44GS shape in 36.5mm size
https://www.fratellowatches.com/new-...1-and-sgbw293/
Really like that brown dial,
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New quartz GMT's available from September.
https://grandseikogs9club.com/chroni...gn027-sbgn029/
https://www.seikoboutique.co.uk/prod...z-gmt-sbgn027/
https://www.seikoboutique.co.uk/prod...z-gmt-sbgn029/
Not sure why they decided to move the crown to 4, maybe to make it look more sporty?
New bracelet and clasp with micro adjustment. Slightly less elegant case.
I think I prefer the previous versions.
Last edited by Rocket Man; 21st August 2022 at 12:17.
Crown at 4, surely. :-)
Crown at 4 is something of a Seiko thing, isn't it. It happens on a lot of their models, from Seiko 5s upwards.
Oops, yes corrected.
- - - Updated - - -
This makes the case for the new releases being a great 2 watch collection:
https://timeandtidewatches.com/did-g...ch-collection/
It’s probably to keep in line with all the new seikos, most seem to be crown at 4 now. Guess they are selling well. I picked previous version up other week purposely instead of this. But il deffo go try it on an compare
Would be good to see a side by side comparison.
Surprised that GS didn't take the opportunity to put the prices up!
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Looking forward to seeing those in the metal. Is the micro adjust clasp referring to just standard sizing adjustment holes (a big upgrade) or on-the-fly adjustability (a huge upgrade)?
I believe it's the former, unfortunately!
Anthony Kable on plus9time does an amazing job of collating all the releases and usually does a half year round-up post but there's also this https://www.plus9time.com/gsdb in case anyone is interested in delving deeper.
Very useful!
Thank you for linking to that.
Hmm, not a fan - I really don’t like that case shape - the case:bracelet interface doesn’t look right at all.
And as for the date window …
Hrm, interesting. I've been tempted with a 9F GMT for a while, but I think I fractionally prefer the small splash of colour with the existing SBGN003's red GMT hand and logo vs the monochrome approach of the new SBGN027.
I see they've bumped the water resistance to 200M, but there's no need to move the crown to achieve that, but then there's already a mix of 3 o'clock and 4 o'clock crowns in the range. (Edit: the original article says 100M, but Seiko's own pages say 20-bar aka 200M)
Nice to see a watch coming in _cheaper_ than the outgoing/equivalent model especially at the moment.
Nice watch but shame it doesn't house a spring drive moment with the same dimensions.
Contrary to some comments I really like the monochrome 9F GMT. A date at 4 is usually a crime, but in this case it works due to the crown moving too, for a distinctly Seiko style. Along with the white GMT hand it’s just enough to give it its own character, feeling less derivative of the Explorer II. I’ve always found that the 16570 Explorer II looks really striking when the red GMT hand disappears behind the minute hand, and this has some of that bold look. You could question the readability, but it’s worth it for the style points. In fact, I’d be extremely tempted to pick one up if I didn’t already have the 16570, it’s one of the best bang for buck GS out there.
New GS Hi-Beat, non-limited release (SLGH013). Nice, but these are getting expensive
https://monochrome-watches.com/grand...ands-on-price/
Great dial as always. It's a shame GS is pushing Rolex price territory, making decisions to purchase more difficult overtime..
And as they do, surely they’ll make proper market penetration in the UK all the more difficult?
GS has passed Rolex price territory for some time now. That watch is £8000. The equivalent Rolex is an all steel DJ 41 that comes in at £6600.
My thoughts exactly. The black dial 16570 Explorer II is probably my favourite sports Rolex, but having sold it many years ago I can't justify getting another at current prices. Been drawn to the 9F GMT for a while. A steel bezel really works for me. This monochrome version looks really clean and, like you said, really its own thing. I'd have preferred a matching date wheel though.
The Snowflake is starting to look like a bargain now at £5500!
How long before they hike the price up I wonder?
Last edited by Rocket Man; 8th September 2022 at 11:39.
Looks like the date wheel is unframed too, which cheapens the look for me.
that's a stunning looking watch.
the price is high but no higher than the SLGH005 that was released last year with what appears to be a similar spec.
That dial is a thing of absolute beauty
Really a beautiful dial!
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To be fair, the GS has a proper hi beat movement (vs 28800 for the DJ) and a longer power reserve (80 vs 70 hours). I don't know if that justifies the difference in price, but it could explain some of it. And of course it has a unique dial. I guess GS know what people are willing to pay for their watches and there are enough people willing to pay 8K+.
I'm contemplating a shuffle of my collection to add a quartz GS, and have a couple of questions. Rather than start a new thread, I hope people don't mind me asking them here, where the experience is. :)
I've always had a soft spot for the Spring Drive, especially the older SBGA003 but after thinking on it I prefer the "purity" of a straightforward quartz movement, and we all know about their accuracy, quality and reliability. The fact that some of the newer quartz models, such as the SBGP011, are 40mm and have the new 9F85 with jumping hour hand, make them more attractive than their smaller predecessors. So my questions:
Do GS quartz second hands hit the markers? To my mind, paying at least £2K for a luxury quartz watch that doesn't achieve that level of accomplishment is not acceptable.
Does the lack of on-the-fly bracelet adjustability seriously hamper your wearing your GS? I like to wear my watches fairly loose but having a quick means of expansion is always useful.
Does a DIY battery change void the warranty? Would you send your quartz in to Seiko UK for a battery change or DIY?
The service period stated in the manual is 3-4 years for an inspection. Could that be safely doubled, this is a quartz after all?
Are Seiko UK able to handle all servicing issues, including zaratsu polishing, should I buy one and scratch it up?
If you have had and then moved on a quartz GS, would you mind saying why? I ask because my last HAQ was an SBCM023 which, ignoring the fact that I found it too small, had a perpetual calendar which meant ZERO interaction with the watch. Dare I say, I found it a little boring. Has that happened with you and your quartz GS?
Thanks very much for any advice you can offer.
David
David - no, they do not hit the markers as you should expect for the price, it is luck of the draw. I owned a 60th-anniversary quartz that did not hit the markers, GS agreed to take it back and when returned, it was only slightly better, but not what I expected for the price and quality of the rest of the watch. You may have to evaluate each watch you look to buy on its merits
The lack of micro-adjust doesn't bother me and would sway my decision on any watch. In my experience, this feature is given too much prominence.
Disappointing that they don't always hit the markers.
All my 70s/80s Grand Quartzes hit the markers perfectly.
Last edited by markrlondon; 5th October 2022 at 04:10.
Thanks Mondie, it's as I suspected and as you and Mark say, very disappointing, especially for their top tier brand. If it's hit and miss, it means buying in store to check whether the one you're looking at is okay or not.
I'm not sure why it happens. I have an Arnie 2, a Citizen Ray Mears 2 and an anadigi G-Shock all of which manage it, and yet I sold my SNB015 Tuna because it was miles off.
Thanks also for your comments about the bracelet. It's a lesser issue than the hand placement.
David
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations
I've never had an issue with the bracelet. It's a pain in the backside to get it right the first time, but once you do it's perfect. I've never actually used a micro-adjust more than once on any other watch though.
I believe they have to go back to Japan for zaratsu polishing though.
Thank you Lusty, that's also going to be a factor when it comes to my MM300, when I eventually scratch it.
Cheers.
My tuppenceworth on the points above
If others' watches don't hit the markers then the answer must be 'no' and it's a case of the individual watch, but mine hit spot on, no issues.
The micro-adjust, I guess yes and no. I often think it would be nice to have, but when I do wear a watch that has it, I find myself fiddling with it too much. When I've not had it on a watch I've never missed it. My GS quartz comes with a bracelet, but I much prefer it on a strap anyway.
Absolutely not got boring. In fact I love that I can just pick it up and go. With every other watch I need to fiddle (winding, set time, set date etc), and it's nice to have a watch to just pick up and know it's good to go.
All that said, I still love spring drive - the glide of the second hand is something different / unique. The benefit of quartz is purity of it as you say, but also no hassle, plus thickness is very good depending upon model.
I find it surprising to find out that the hands don't always hit the markers with a 9F movement and I'm wondering if those examples were just faulty. It's kinda the whole point of the 9F.
https://watchesbysjx.com/2013/05/exp...tz-exists.html
Thank you Senninha,
I have been looking at a number of YouTube videos and photos (too often tbh) and taking into account parallax errors, some seem very good, and some seem off a bit, I've not seen one really afr off. It is encouraging to hear that perfect ones do exist! :)
Yes, Spring Drive is very special and I've looked longingly at them for many years. Given my current funding options, they are not affordable at the moment, and yes I do like a slim watch, although don't let my MM300 hear that.
There is a recent-ish thread here on TZ-UK where someone queried the situation with Seiko and if I remember correctly the answer was that some variance was allowed within their QC rules.
So the truth is that they should be pretty good but, if they are a little bit off, it won't necessarily be a warranty fix.
You gents know your grand seiko's well, can someone help me please? Is there a difference between the slga015 and the 015g? I've seen the two numbers and the two names 'Kuroshio Current/black stream' and 'ushio tide'. Haven't determined a difference though and trying to work out, is there a difference or is it same watch but different numbers/names for JDM/rest of the world, or something else? Ta
I thought it was the JDM thing myself, but I recently sold the Godzilla, which on the hangtag is SBGA405G, but most people listing it omit the G at the end. The watch was bought from the London boutique so maybe the additional letter implies rest of the world.
An expert will be along soon
agree with this, the dial looks a purer version of the 16570 and more of its 'own thing'. very tempting
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