Grand Seiko SBGJ019
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7 Best Grand Seiko Watches To Lust For

I think it’s quite clear if you have been following this blog that I’m a great Seiko fan. Grand Seiko to me is on a different level competing with the best out there like Rolex and Omega. Announced at Baselworld 2017, Grand Seiko will be an entirely separate brand from Seiko going forward. With this, hopefully we can expect more great things to come from them. Grand Seiko is a really underrated brand but that’s also what I like about them. Only watch nerds will truly appreciate the fine craftsmanship that the Japanese put into their work. Here’s my list of what I think are some of the best Grand Seiko watches out there that I personally would like to own and maybe even be one of my grail watches.

 

Grand Seiko Baselworld 2018 SBGH267

Grand Seiko Calibre 9S 20th Anniversary ref. SBGH267

Unveiled at Baselworld 2018, this piece marks the 20th anniversary of its Calibre 9S movement which is the main movement used in the entire Grand Seiko mechanical collection. The 9S85 movement in this piece has a power reserve of 55 hours and runs at 36,000 vph giving it an accuracy of +5/-3 seconds per day. The sporty 39.5mm case is Zaratsu polished and is rated to 100 meters water resistance. Other case dimensions worth taking note are the 13.3mm thickness, odd 19mm lug width and lug to lug distance measures 47.4mm. The most interesting thing to me is that deep blue dial with a spiral engraving mixed with the Grand Seiko logo.

 

Grand Seiko SBGA129 AJHH Limited Edition

Grand Seiko SBGA129 AJHH Limited Edition

We can’t have a list like this without including one with the infamous snowflake dial. Limited to only 369 watches, it commemorates the 10th year anniversary of AJHH (Association Japon de la Haute Horlogerie). Powered by the Caliber 9R65 automatic spring drive movement, it has an accuracy of ±1 second per day and an impressive 72 hours power reserve. It measures 39mm in diameter and 12.5mm in thickness with a water resistance of 100 meters. That beautiful dial comes with a nice pop of red and the bigger sized crown makes it a much more masculine and sporty watch.

 

Grand Seiko SBGR095

Grand Seiko SBGR095

For the 55th anniversary in 2015, this is a reissue of the first ever self-winding/automatic Grand Seiko introduced in 1967. The case measures at 37.6mm in diameter and 12.9mm in thickness. Keeping with the original design from ’67 the crown is at 4 o’clock. It uses an automatic 9S65 movement that has a three day power reserve and is rated to -3 to +5 seconds a day. This is a limited edition of 600 pieces and looks stunning with the case polished using zaratsu technique which is their famed mirror polishing similarly used for Japanese swords.

 

Grand Seiko SBGX091 SBGX093

Grand Seiko SBGX091/SBGX093

Not everyone would agree with me on this as it’s a quartz watch. At a more entry level Grand Seiko price point, the stunning sporty no-date dial and it’s masculine case makes this a worthy watch to consider. The case measures at 38.8mm in diameter, 10.7mm in thickness and 46.6mm lug to lug. It also has a screw-down crown that gives it a 100 meter water resistance. It’s equipped with an anti-magnetic quartz caliber 9F61 movement which is accurate to only 10 seconds per year. It comes in a choice of black dial(SBGX093) or the white silver dial(SBGX091). This model has been replaced by the newer SBGX293 and SBGX291 as Grand Seiko starts to differentiate itself from the Seiko brand by moving the Grand Seiko logo to the top. For this particular one, I prefer the older model though.

 

Grand Seiko SBGV009

Image credit: YouTube

Grand Seiko SBGV009

Another quartz watch, this is actually a 50th anniversary limited edition of 1200 pieces to commemorate the very first Grand Seiko introduced in 1964. The case measures 37.2mm in diameter and 10.2mm in thickness including the curved high sapphire crystal. The case is beautifully polished with wide straight lugs and is equipped with an in-house caliber 9F82 quartz movement. It is similar in functionality as the 9F61/9F62 movement except it has a slightly larger movement to fit the increased size of its case. The 9F series quartz movements are also known to have a service interval of 50 years.

 

Grand Seiko SBGJ019

Image credit: YouTube

Grand Seiko SBGJ019

This 2016 model is a beautiful GMT watch which I saw in person at a local Seiko outlet. It has a gorgeous textured dial with a mixture of brushed and polished accents. The case measures 39.5mm in diameter, 14mm in thickness and 46.75mm lug to lug. It’s powered by a 9S86 Hi-Beat movement that beats at 36,000 bph. It’s paired with a nice leather strap and if you’re looking for one with a bracelet, the older 2002 model Grand Seiko SBGM009 has rather similar looks.

 

Grand Seiko SBGJ003

Grand Seiko SBGJ003

This is another GMT model that looks a bit more masculine and sportier if the SBGJ019 is too dressy for your liking. The steel case is 40mm in diameter, 46.2mm lug to lug and 14mm in thickness. The razor-sharp beveling of the case really brings out the mixture of excellent mirror polished and brushed finishing. This is also powered by a similar 9S86 movement that has a power reserve of 55 hours and accurate to +5 to -3 seconds per day. I believe this model has also been replaced by the newer SBGJ203 where the Grand Seiko (GS) logo is at the top.

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