Grand Seiko Owners and Admirers

[dapellegrini]

I don't own one, but think I might at some point.  I'm still educating myself on these and curious to see what you guys own, and what you admire?  I plan on going down to the local AD soon to see what they have in stock and get a little in-person time with these.  A few years back I spent some time with a "skyflake" and it was very nice, but just not for me...

Currently, I am smitten by the "Whirlpool dial" from 2018, think I prefer the "Heritage" case, and if I could only have one, I think it would have to be a Spring Drive, maybe the new 9R2A - all that for a reasonable price...

Here's an example using the new 9R2A movement with the power reserve indicator on the back: 
www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/slga007g



And here's a photo of the Whirlpool dial:



The hi-beat movement is pretty spectacular too...  And the Quartz 9F looks like a hell of a watch for the money as well: twobrokewatchsnobs.com/grand-seiko-quartz-review-my-grail-the-sbgv233/

[Fergus]

Yes, SBGA211 'Snowflake' here. The SD movement and dial finish drew me to this model. 

The power reserve on the dial is Marmite...which I also like.

I am currently considering a SBGP Quartz (44GS) but it is in short supply new and S/H.

On this morning,




The majority of GSaholics are over on WUS.

[tritto]

I don't own a modern GS, but I'd like one of the hand winding SBGW line.
I do have a 60s 6146-8000.

[inboost]

I think my struggle point that keeps me from even looking is that I like to work on what I own. This is why I don't own 'nice' things like these kinds of watches. I would be too afraid to take it apart. I would also be afraid to wear this level of watch for fear of marking it up. I love patina on a watch that should have it, but a scratch or ding on something brand new is heartbreaking and I just don't want to invite that. All of the watches I have recently worked on are showing signs of use and it makes me happy, and that's the way I like it.

Now, with that said, please someone give me a broken spring drive movement like that 9R2A, the service manual, and a means to get parts for it (wild pipe dreams of course). Then I'll fix it and next figure out a way to jam it into a vintage case / dial and really enjoy it. I love hot rodding old stuff too far gone to save with modern guts to bring it back to life again!

Fergus - I'm a Vegemite man myself. I'd pick the PR indicator on the back if given the choice but happy to have it anywhere as long as it actually works. Not like the PR meter cd_god had on one of his that never seemed to move.

dapellegrini I admire your taste in the dial choice, it is something to behold for sure! Yet the less complicated elegance of @donjs snowflake also calls to me. I love 'fire blued' steel so those hands / screws we see on these models get a big thumbs up from me too. 

[dapellegrini]

inboost - I can relate to the first scratch on something nice problem.  With my first "nice" car, it felt like part of my soul died when my wife accidentally door dinged it.  

Over time I have warmed to the idea of sometimes being the person that puts patina on a nice thing for someone else down the road.  Nowadays when this happens I find myself humming the Rod Stewart song - The First Cut is the Deepest for several days as a sort of mantra.  I don't even like Rod Stewart!  The way I try and look at it is - now I know it's mine and could pick it out of a crowd.  And frankly now I need more scratches to kind of even it out - so need to use it more!

I would have a similar dilemma with a zaratsu polished GS - I am sure the first scratch would be another heart break, and several days humming Rod Stewart again.

Fergus - beautiful watch.  I am also curious to see the Snowflake next to the newer White Birch dial.  From what I have read the later is a bit more silver toned when not in direct sunlight.

tritto - also beautiful watch.  Is the whole SBGW  line re-editions of original Grand Seikos?

There was another version of the Whirlpool dial, but without the hi-beat movement, and in a brown finish, which I also really like. 

[inboost]

dapellegrini - We're on the same page here for sure. How funny you talk about evening out the worn look of a watch!  I think perhaps that is what I prize in the vintage watches I like. They have an even and honest look to them and I welcome it with no intention of trying to hide it. A new watch with a single scratch would be a full on mission to disappear the defect without devaluing the watch if it were mine. That is often a very stressful motive as the fit and finish is defined by machinery and tooling I don't have and improvisation is always hit or miss.

I really like the brown dial GS you've shown, and this is to my character. I prefer the odd one to the norm most of the time. I will some day pick up a salmon colored dial mechanical watch as I find these striking as well. I believe leffemonster has one that I like seeing in the WRUW threads from time to time.

[dapellegrini]

Also, I am not sure if I love or hate the blunted hour hand on these new Evolution 9 models: