Why customers love Grand Seiko?

In my quest for the ultimate watch, one that would tick all my boxes, I set out to buy this beautiful GS. I'd never spent such a fortune on a watch before. I was speechless at the exquisite workmanship, whether on the case, the indexes, the hands, or the caseback... A year later, I still take it off my wrist to play with the light. Its dial changes from deep black to a slightly sunburst blue; it's almost frustrating that it isn't a little more so. Insanely legible day and night, with very powerful and high-quality Lum on the hands (including the GMT) and the cardinal points. When worn, it remains present, which is what I like. With its 20 ATM resistance, the minimum for me, its thickness remains reasonable, and the feel on the wrist is, as always, well-designed with GS. What was supposed to become my everyday watch has finally taken the place of the watch I wear when I'm not working. Indeed, my job as a sound technician requires me to handle a lot of equipment, and... at the first knock on the bezel, I rethought my decision, telling myself that it wasn't ultimately reasonable to unnecessarily expose this beautiful watch with such fine finishes to handling that might shock or scratch it a little too often for my liking... I also remain impressed by this in-house caliber (9S66), which is incredibly precise. I'm on average within +1 second/day regardless of the outside temperature, my activity, whether I'm wearing it or not...

This recreated 45GS has quite a character behind its initially polished appearance... A magnificent caliber, wide open on refined caseback edges, and full of power, for 80 hours of power thanks to the double barrel. The robust model doesn't forget a certain poetry with its wagtail that vibrates even in your fingers when they tickle the crown. The 45GS was released in 1968. It was also the year of the Alfa Carabo. A year of rupture in design, between organic lines and angular geometry. The 45GS resolves the paradox, by marrying round with square. Glory to Japanese engineering and aesthetics! I recommend the excellent article by SJX, a fine Singaporean enthusiast.

When you see this timepiece you understand that you are entering an extraordinary universe, a universe of poetry, a story that takes you far from the usual marketing of space, the sea or even the mountains climbed. Here everything is beautiful, the snow blue dial, the Zaratsu polishing, the Springdrive movement, it is a feast for the eyes and the head. This second hand that flies through the indexes at the speed of a galloping samurai without the slightest flinch. We understand that we are in Japanese poetry and magical art. A total success of a beauty characterized

This is the first watch in the luxury segment that I have purchased and it is the one that by far gives me the most beautiful emotion. Everything in this watch is in the details and reflects an indisputable Japanese know-how. The champagne dial presents plays of light that are reflected in the polished zaratsu indexes. Precision is also a must (drift from 0 measured at my watchmaker) with the old generation high beat caliber as well as the shape of the dauphine hands which precisely indicate the time. It is a piece that is little known in the catalog but which has a lot to offer!

This watch means a lot to me! It's a new step in my collection. I wanted a beautiful, well-made watch that would accompany me in many moments and that would mark memories, like the birth of my daughter. This watch is less demonstrative than others in my collection. I could have taken a spring drive or a hi-beat from Grand Seiko, a more worked dial or special metals. But at the end of the equation, this was the most obvious: 37mm, pure and balanced case, impeccable finishes and especially this play of light between the dial and indexes/hands. On the wrist, this watch appears like a retouched photo, as if the contrast had been increased a little too much to be realistic. The zaratsu polishing, the sky dial, almost gray, play with the light, and it is as if the coating of the dial and the 12 mirrors were arguing over which would be most enhanced by the slightest ray of light. Inevitably very discreet, it is a great satisfaction for me to wear a watch that no one calculates, of which I am the only one to fully enjoy the subtlety. It is for me a new discovery of luxury: to take the watch that we like, regardless of the price and the hype. I was ready to take a more technical, advanced watch... but it seemed to me the most accomplished, in a disconcerting simplicity of which Grand Seiko sometimes has the secret.

This quartz GS was my third. After 2 mechanical models (Nomos and Ming), I wanted to treat myself and move upmarket, without any preconceived ideas, I just had to be seduced. I lived in Geneva, so the tests were easy and numerous. Unfortunately, for a 16 cm wrist, I quickly became disillusioned... Even for models of 39 mm and less, the diameter was not excessive, but no watch suited my wrist: Tudor, Zenith, Mont-Blanc, H. Moser, Girard Perregaux, Glashutte Original... It didn't fit. And, for watches of smaller diameter, it lacked presence, or it was too much of a jewel for my taste. At the time, Seiko had just removed the 2 indications to leave only the Grand Seiko brand. I tried a first model, it was a revelation. Sure, the watch was only 37mm, but it fit my wrist perfectly. From then on, I became passionate about the brand. My first Grand Seiko is therefore a quartz watch, it was not my initial wish but I do not regret it at all. For 6 years and a battery change, the drift is less than 5 seconds per year. The titanium bracelet is super comfortable, only small problem, no micro-adjustment. The readability is perfect. For the finishes, it is Grand Seiko. I recently tried a superb Spring Drive model of 44.5mm diameter and 50mm LtL, and well It works very well. Japan 1 - Switzerland 0

After watching a very comprehensive report on the spring drive movement that definitely convinced me that this movement is indeed a mechanical movement above all, I started to analyze the different models and see which one could suit me best. At the same time I was looking for a green watch. By cross-referencing the 2 criteria (spring drive + green dial) I arrived at this SBGE257 model. In the process I went to an AD Grand Seiko (Bijouterie Médard in Versailles) where I had the chance to try it. After 2 days of thinking about it I went back to buy it. For 8 months it is the watch that I wear the most, it is superb from all angles. The dial is matte most of the time and becomes sunray in strong light. The precision of the springdrive is obviously unbeatable (I noticed a drift of 1 to 2s per month). The zaratsu polishing of the hands and indexes is incredible. This is one of the watches that raises the most questions when I wear it, especially with its second hand with a perfectly fluid movement that slides endlessly. As you will have understood, I highly recommend this model. With my Rolex Explorer II, it has become my favorite daily. The only downside: the screws on the bracelet links are really very small and difficult to handle (the bracelet should be adjusted by your watchmaker).

After the (very) conclusive experiences of 2 quartz models of GS, I was looking for a mechanical watch, or one equipped with the Spring Drive movement, so I was primarily looking at the omiwatari SD model and this SBGW 231 with manual winding. Both have a stripped-down dial and no date window. I was able to compare them: if the dial of the omiwatari with the hand that slides on the snow is superb, on my wrist, there was no comparison... Despite its larger LtL, the SBGW 231 fitted perfectly on my wrist thanks to its delicate lugs. I won't dwell on the manufacturing quality specific to GS but on the obviousness that emerges from this watch: as soon as the bracelet was closed, I said to myself: "... , class in Las Vegas" A very simple dial but in a subtle cream, no indication other than Grand Seiko with the GS overhanging, indexes and hands without fuss but which play with the light like I had never seen, a domed sapphire crystal just the right amount... I changed the bracelet right away because I don't like black bracelets, and to contrast with this perfect minimalism, I think it needed a little fantasy and texture on the bracelet side. Note that GS changed the reference to adapt its steel bracelets. There you go, now I'm looking for a Spring Drive model, but I think I've found it...

Having wanted to acquire a Grand Seiko for some time for the values that the brand evokes, my trip to Japan was a perfect excuse to take action. Bought second-hand (with a few dents, removing a little apprehension about wearing it for fear of scratching it) the first day, it also allowed me to assimilate a lot of memories to this watch. This represents in my eyes my greatest pride in the watchmaking field, and the humility that the brand exudes plays a big part in that.

Grand Seiko's quest for excellence takes on its full meaning with this magnificent Snowflake. The characteristics of the watch appear gradually, making it difficult to establish a hierarchy as the whole is so close to perfection. At first contact, the piece surprises with its lightness. The resulting comfort is very appreciable and, going beyond the idea that weight is necessarily synonymous with quality, you quickly get used to it. The dimensions of the case are perfect and the alternation of polished and brushed surfaces offers a magnificently successful ensemble. The Zaratsu polishing delivers incredible perfection. Despite the absence of micro adjustment, the bracelet is easily adjustable by playing with the links of different sizes that can be removed without difficulty. Too tight? Reverse a short link and a wide one. Too loose? Replace a small link with a large one. The dive into the dial is a sumptuous journey between reliefs, light and reflections. The sapphire crystal is instantly crossed, invisible. The polishing of the indexes and hands is dazzling, it allows instant reading of the time even in very low light conditions. Thus the slightest movement of the wrist catches the light and the eye in a dazzling alternation of reflections. Finally, the dial is of a rare purity, between frozen snow and parchment paper, it reveals a relaxing and admirably executed landscape, poetically swept by a sober blued seconds hand whose fluidity of movement is hypnotic. On the battery side, the Spring Drive movement brilliantly reveals its skillfully mastered aesthetic. The treatment of the parts that compose it is as rigorously executed as the rest of the watch. Echoing the fluidity of the seconds hand, the continuous rotation of the regulator wheel seems imperturbable.