Next up in watches that I’ve been aware of, but haven’t taken a close look at? The Grand Seiko line from (obviously) Seiko. For those not familiar with the line, here’s a quick lesson for you:
- Seiko started the line in 1960’s, with a view to understatement, simplicity, and perfection in the details
- A Lion is the symbol of the watch (and is on the caseback), showcasing that they believe it to be the “king of the watch jungle”
- Hands and markers are specifically shaped and polished to reflect any small amount of light, to enhance readability
- The watches are designed for easy maintenance, as well as replacement of any part to ensure longevity
Now that we have that out of the way, we can take a look at the watch that grabbed my eye.
I began by looking through their mechanical line, and for some reason the SBGM021 model drew me in. Now, this surprised me, as I’m normally not drawn to the GMT complication. With this watch, though, it just adds another layer of design interest.
If you picked up this watch, you’d also be gaining the following items along with your purchase:
- 9S66 automatic mechanical movement (hand-wind capable)
- 40mm stainless steel case
- Sapphire crystals front and back (AR coating up front)
- ~20m water resistance
- 55 hour power reserve
Now, that last bullet really grabbed my attention – I’m more accustomed to seeing 40 hour power reserves. With the 55, you’d probably be safe to leave the watch off of your wrist for a few days before it needed attention (that is, if you could pry it off of your wrist in the first place). Now, for one last datapoint on this watch – the price. From what I found, it looks like this goes for around $4400.
That’s just my best guess, though. For the GSs that are sold outside of Japan, they only go through authorized dealers. And for those that are online, they don’t publish the pricing – they’d prefer you give them a call. Regardless, the Grand Seiko line is definitely taking you into “big boy” watch territory.
