4 reasons that speak against the purchase of a Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko is a brand that is especially suitable for beginners, but maybe it is not the right brand for you....
To avoid making a mistake when buying a watch, always inform yourself about the pros and cons of a watch brand. In this part, I will give you reasons against buying a Grand Seiko.
Of course, there are also numerous reasons to consider a Grand Seiko, you can find the article on this topic under this link. We have intentionally written two separate blog posts so that you can form your opinion without our influence.
So, let's answer your question about why you shouldn't buy a Grand Seiko.
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"Swiss Made" is not to be found at Grand Seiko.
When you think of luxury watches, Swiss Made is the name of the game. Whether Audemars Piguet, Rolex or Jaeger le Coultre, the top watch brands are all from Switzerland.
Unfortunately, it is a fact that for many Grand Seiko as a brand simply does not yet belong to the absolute top watch manufacturers.
You wonder who this is important for? - For those who finally buy your hard earned watch after saving for a long time, it's the people who don't buy a new watch every month.
So if you want to buy a really fancy watch once in your life, we would hardly recommend a Grand Seiko. In that case, you need something more ostentatious, like a Rolex, or a Swiss alternative to Rolex.
Where Grand Seiko scores with the quality of their watches, they lack prestige. Even though they have built up an incredible amount of prestige in recent years, Grand Seiko simply cannot compete with the Swiss watchmakers.
If you are a watch freak, then this argument will be meaningless to you, as you are much more interested in the watch and its technology, than the brand.
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Hardly any potential for value enhancement
With the low prestige comes a second disadvantage. Although there are certainly some watches that have the potential to increase in value, we can hardly expect the average Grand Seiko to increase in value.
To assess the potential for value appreciation, we have already written two articles. One analyzes the value appreciation potential of the Grand Seiko brand, while the other presents a system for assessing value appreciation of watches in general.
There is one main problem with Grand Seiko, the watches and the brand itself are simply not in enough demand. With such low demand, it's really only the limited edition models that have any chance at all to appreciate.
With most watches from Grand Seiko, you can not expect a positive performance. If you are lucky, then it keeps its value just below the list price.
Of course, it doesn't matter to you if you want to keep your watch and never sell it anyway.
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Boring Design
Was manche als Minimalistisch, würde ein anderer Bestimmt als Langweilig bezeichnen.
With Grand Seiko, the case shape itself is basically very simple. The bezel is polished smooth in almost all cases, and the case usually has no decorations besides some small details. The minimalist/boring design also continues with the bracelet.
The only aspect where one cannot accuse Grand Seiko of being boring is in their dials. Even though there are some standard dials, most of them are particularly extravagant.
Whether you like the combination of the simple case and the special dials, you can decide for yourself.
Generally, the design is always a matter of taste. However, Grand Seiko's cases are certainly not particularly bold and revolutionary.
The design of these watches can also be viewed from a completely different perspective. Check out "Reasons to Buy a Grand Seiko" for this perspective.
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Use of quartz technology
The development of the quartz movement by Seiko in the 1980s, has led to the Swiss watch manufacturer quartz crisis. Only with hardship and effort could the watch industry survive this difficult period. A time in which Seiko flooded the market with cheap quartz watches and thus made the expensive mechanical watches obsolete.
Only through specialization in the luxury segment and the associated mechanical movements was the watch industry able to recover and flourish again.
For this very reason, quartz watches are frowned upon in almost all luxury watch brands.
Grand Seiko is an exception, besides the Springdrive which partly uses the technology of the quartz watch, you can also buy "normal" quartz watches at Grand Seiko.
If you want to buy a luxury watch, then not so that it shows the time accurately, but for the fact that you hold a piece of craftsmanship in your hand.
Perhaps it is also this low price segment of quartz watches that prevents the Grand Seiko brand from gaining prestige and exclusivity.
How do you feel about quartz watches? Are they a betrayal of haute horlogerie and therefore a no-go?
Is your watchknowledge up to date?
Here is our list of must-know watches!
Bet you'll find a watch on it that you've never seen before.
Conclusion
When buying a watch, there are always reasons for it and reasons against it. How these reasons are weighted among themselves, is always to be considered individually.
For this very reason, we have listed the pros and cons of Grand Seiko in two separate blog posts. Be sure to also check out the counterpoint to this article, "5 Reasons to Choose a Grand Seiko," and form your own personal opinion.
In the end, you should never be influenced by other people's opinions.
A watch is bought for itself and not for the watch industry that condemns this and that...
Source cover photo: Grand Seiko
About the author
Maio Rosatzin
My passion began with a Breitling Premier B01. Since then, I've been sharing my fascination for watchmaking here on my blog. Let's dive into this fascinating world together!
