Rolex or Grand Seiko. Part 2

[Cabaiguan]

Originally Posted by Leeemjack

How could anyone pay top marque watch money...for a seiko!! This is madness. It's a Japanese watch for gods sake! I don't care how nicely it's finished, its a seiko at the end of the day. It's like spending 100k on a 'Grand Toyota', you can tell people its as good as a Ferrari till you are blue in the face but they will just laugh at you...

That's just it. A true WIS doesn't care about the "other" people.

[topcat30093]

Congratulations on your GS, it looks great in the photos.

I have appreciated Seiko watches for decades and only last year got two 6139 - 6002 as that was the watch that I first bought myself when I was 13 yrs old. Both are from the 70's and are running as well today as they did when they were new.

The GS, is without doubt one of the best made watches in the world.
And at some stage in the future, I hope to get one.

[autofiend]

RanHong, gorgeous piece. Congrats!

Never ceases to amaze me how the clueless have to comment on the price of a GS when they have no problem forking out major dolares on "prestige".

Mine says hello!

[George Ab]

Congratulations on the GS!

I really missed my GS Spring Drive and was able to pick up a Seiko Spring Drive. I love this watch!!

[Docar]

Compared the Datejust and this Grand Seiko .
Bought this and am comfortable with my decision...
Outstanding watch.

[warren G.]

Huge congrats on the GS. Wear it in good health.

Originally Posted by Leeemjack

so are saville row suits, and made specifically for you from the finest fabrics but they still only cost around a £1000

maybe for the basted....

I'm glad Ken banned this clown.

[autofiend]

Originally Posted by Docar

Compared the Datejust and this Grand Seiko .
Bought this and am comfortable with my decision...
Outstanding watch.

Nice watch ;)

[towernick]

When I was in Japan last month I was very tempted to pick up a GS. I should have because I almost never see them used. They really are the true under the radar "nice watch".

[hdrazor251]

Originally Posted by Docar

Compared the Datejust and this Grand Seiko .
Bought this and am comfortable with my decision...
Outstanding watch.

Dang!!!! I REALLY like that.

[gwalker]

Originally Posted by Leeemjack

How could anyone pay top marque watch money...for a seiko!! This is madness. It's a Japanese watch for gods sake! I don't care how nicely it's finished, its a seiko at the end of the day. It's like spending 100k on a 'Grand Toyota', you can tell people its as good as a Ferrari till you are blue in the face but they will just laugh at you...

Why even post. That's a very nice watch with just as good (if not better) movement to a Rolex.

[mike]

Ha! Two good things happened here.

The OP got a fantastic watch and,....another malcontent is gone.

[Ljung]

Contrats on the watch, I have been eyeing GS (especially those with blue steel) but this idea was hold back due to fear of lack of servicing convenience.

Thanks for your sharing on another post, http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=227091

Good to know that slowly GS becomes more easily accessible (hope the same on servicing point available).

[mdtddd2007]

Very nice brand:-)

[ColinB]

Well done for getting a GS. A great watch!

[Highland Ranger]

Beautiful, congrats. I noticed they expanded their AD network this year, used to be only one in Arizona - now there are quite a few more. Really need to see one in person - love the look and the story. And as a mechanical engineer, a mechanical watch with that level of accuracy calls to me.

My understanding is that they are quite well known in Japan with brand recognition surpassing Rolex - if I true I guess it makes sense . . . .

Saw a story somewhere where someone compared the machining on the internal parts between a couple of fine Swiss watches and a GS - Swiss watches showed tool marks, chattering etc. GS was supposedly mirror smooth. If true - again, love it.

Really cool though. Thanks for posting.

[DCgator]

A GS GMT is on my list.

[mltworldwide]

Love the GS. I've owned several myself but never the hi-beat. Congrats

[ray_g]

Grand Seikos are truly special. I love mine, but I too am hearing the call of the hi-beat. Congrats on yours!

[caryyee]

My very first ''nice' watch was a Seiko, about 25 years ago. It was a dual analog / digital quartz. I didn't know anything about mechanical watches back then, and Seiko was the pinnacle of watches to me back then (I'd heard of Rolex and Omega, but the names didn't really mean anything to me). It was my daily wearer for about 10 years, virtually never left my wrist, it was on me 24x7 and never ever skipped a beat or needed any sort of maintenance apart from a new battery every couple of years.

I've huge respect for the bulletproofness of Seiko watches and their quality at their price point.

It's only this year I heard about Grand Seiko's, I've never seen one myself, only pictures and reviews of them. Here in Australia they aren't available for sale as far as I know but as per my signature, they are on my future 'wish' list. I'd be most proud to wear one on my wrist knowing that they are more rare than my Plat Day-Date, at least in Australia lol.

[tophotdog]

Just want to share a pic of my 130th anniversary grand seiko. Apologize for my cams color correction being a bit off. The finishing is spectacular! I changed the black strap to a brown one.

Gonna throw a question out here. Can anyone recommend a place for reasonably priced 18mm leather straps?

[RanHong]

Originally Posted by caryyee

My very first ''nice' watch was a Seiko, about 25 years ago. It was a dual analog / digital quartz. I didn't know anything about mechanical watches back then, and Seiko was the pinnacle of watches to me back then (I'd heard of Rolex and Omega, but the names didn't really mean anything to me). It was my daily wearer for about 10 years, virtually never left my wrist, it was on me 24x7 and never ever skipped a beat or needed any sort of maintenance apart from a new battery every couple of years.

I've huge respect for the bulletproofness of Seiko watches and their quality at their price point.

It's only this year I heard about Grand Seiko's, I've never seen one myself, only pictures and reviews of them. Here in Australia they aren't available for sale as far as I know but as per my signature, they are on my future 'wish' list. I'd be most proud to wear one on my wrist knowing that they are more rare than my Plat Day-Date, at least in Australia lol.

Selera's On Swanson st now carry grand seikos, they have a small collection in their showcase.

[caryyee]

Originally Posted by RanHong

Selera's On Swanson st now carry grand seikos, they have a small collection in their showcase.

Seriously???? I just checked on the map, Salera's is only a few hundred meters from where I work! Ok, am off to check them out at lunchtime, thank you for the heads up!!!!

[RanHong]

Originally Posted by caryyee

Seriously???? I just checked on the map, Salera's is only a few hundred meters from where I work! Ok, am off to check them out at lunchtime, thank you for the heads up!!!!

Lol have fun!! Make sure you Check out the hi-beats and the snowflake.

[caryyee]

I've just wandered down to Salera's, a few hundred meters from work, who would have thought there would be an AD for Grand Seiko's so close to me???

They only had a small selection in stock, including a GMT, and chronograph and a normal date model. I checked out the black dialed SS date model SBGH005 and the white dialed titanium white dialed power reserve Spring Drive model SBGA0011. Wow, this is the first time I've seen a Grand Seiko in person, and they are definitely a work of art. Extremely beautiful and elegant, I could happily wear one of those on my wrist. Super incognito, no one at all would know that they almost cost as much DateJust! RRP is exactly $8k, competitive with the Japanese price I was told by the salesperson. I asked re a discount, they said they could move a little bit on price, but not much as the price is on par with the Japanese price. In terms of servicing, they said there was an authorsied service center in Sydney.

My impressions? Definitely gorgeous, definitely extremely well made, definitely a watch I'd love to wear, but hmmmm, at AUD$8k , I could spend slightly less than $2k more (at Australian RRP) and get a Sub which would be almost money in the back should I wish to sell at a later stage. For that AUD$8k, I could also buy a Planet Ocean or a Speedy moonwatch with $2-3k spare change left over. Hmmmm ....

Apologies for the low quality pics, from my iPhone 4 ...

[bhall41]

Congratulations! Fantastic hi-beat model, and I love the blued seconds hand. Classic and beautiful. Until very recently I owned a SBGR 051 - I can attest to the fact that the workmanship and finish are top notch. I was sad to let mine go.

Just noticed that a couple of the other posters, including the OP, are from Melbourne: greetings guys!

[Scotto]

Hi all, I'm new here and coming to this thread late. Before I comment I should point out that I only wish I had a nice top of the line mechanical watch, until then I'll wear what I got, make comments, take corrections to said comments, ask questions, and learn and grow.
as for the GS SBGH013 Congradulations, THAT is a great watch! I have no idea about the Lexus LFA.
As for Top of the line Seiko verses Rolex, someone please correct me if I'm wrong but Rolex doesn't even make their own movements, they buy them from ETA (mostly) which sells the same movements to other watch makers/assemblers.
I do not want to bash Rolex or Swiss made movements but it seems to me that those are the ones that people buy to get brand recognition oohs and ahs.
Seiko suffers from too many people being familiar with too many seikos looking like they were bought out of one of those bubble gum machines that dispenses toys in plastic egg cases. Seriously, what is up with those old diving watches?
Let's not forget that many years ago, off the shelf production Seikos were winning awards away from handbuilt swiss works of art. The GS SBGH013 is just such a watch.

[incontrol]

Sorry I am late to this thread! Congrats on a great watch! Mine says hello!

[caryyee]

Originally Posted by bhall41

Congratulations! Fantastic hi-beat model, and I love the blued seconds hand. Classic and beautiful. Until very recently I owned a SBGR 051 - I can attest to the fact that the workmanship and finish are top notch. I was sad to let mine go.

Just noticed that a couple of the other posters, including the OP, are from Melbourne: greetings guys!

Hello fellow Melbournian!!!

May I ask why you had to let your Grand Seiko go?? I may have bought it myself, it's kinda hard for me to cough up AU$8k on a brand new Seiko, and Salera's here in Melb aren't really prepared to discount at all.

[Highland Ranger]

Originally Posted by Scotto

As for Top of the line Seiko verses Rolex, someone please correct me if I'm wrong but Rolex doesn't even make their own movements, they buy them from ETA (mostly) which sells the same movements to other watch makers/assemblers.

The Tudor line uses eta movements. The Rolex branded watches use in house movements not eta.

[lorsban]

These days, more people are starting to "get" what the GS line is about. This is evidenced by the higher resale prices they're getting as compared to the likes of Omega and even Rolex. The GS'es being sold in the marketplace in the local site I frequent, get sold at good prices Very quickly.

I definitely wouldn't mind having one myself. Best value quality timepieces you can get these days.