SBGY029 New Strap Opinions

[IGY]

Dear Forum friends,

Below is my Grand Seiko Karesansui.



The watch itself is fantastic: slim, lightweight, interesting how it catches the light and throws off light beams and creates shadow. What I am not enjoying is the strap, or more accurately the strap and deployant clasp.

1) The deployant clasp add a lot of bulk and thickness to the wrist and is at odds with the thinness of the case.

2) This thickness is exacerbated by an overly long strap - at least for my 16.5cm circumference wrist. So the tongue hangs out like a puppy dog. A puppy that isn't being cute, but instead has just vomited ingested grass up onto the living room rug.

Good news is that the clasp is easily replaced with a conventional pin buckle. And likewise I can get an aftermarket strap.

So here is my question. Not really asking which manufacturer, but more ideas on what material and colour choice will look good with this Karesansui / Zen Garden watch dial. This version is the creamy dial from the UK special edition. (My understanding is that both US editions of this watch and EU editions have a more grey tint to the Karesansui pattern.) Stick with brown? Maybe try Ostrich leather perhaps? Or shark? Or croc?

Any good ideas gratefully received.

[JoseR]

Very nice and clean looking watch.

[IGY]

Originally Posted by JoseR

Very nice and clean looking watch.

Thank you.

Here is an update: I ended up going for a similar colour. In fact a bit darker brown in semi matt alligator from Jean Rousseau. It is off the awful, over engineered and thick Grand Seiko deployant clasp and onto a simple and thin Grand Seiko pin and buckle.

It has transformed the comfort of the watch. It has gone from a watch that was used maybe one a month to one that can stay on my wrist for weeks at a time.

[taura]

Very nice! I had the SBGY003 and didn’t like the strap. Replaced it with a black ostrich strap with grey stitching (Hirsch Massai), which to me was a perfect combination. It also has a matt surface.

[JoseR]

That watch would look good in many straps. Glad it worked out for you. Enjoy.

[njlam]

PM me if you want to sell the deployant buckle/strap.

[mongrelnomoad]

Are you in London? If so just take the watch to John Rousseau in Piccadilly Arcade. They have all of the strap options and you can even choose the specific scales for your strap.