5 reasons why you should buy a Grand Seiko.
When it comes to spending money on a watch, you should think carefully about which watch you invest in. The overwhelming variety of watches combined with the incredibly wide price range results in countless options for every purchase.
In addition to the price range, you need to decide on a type of watch as well as a brand.
At the very least, we can help you decide on the brand, because today we're wondering if you should buy a watch from Grand Seiko.
But beware: this question requires a two-parter. We have decided not to directly compare the pros and cons. We want you to weigh the aspects yourself and decide for or against a Grand Seiko watch regardless of our opinion.
Here you find the opposite side: 4 reasons not to buy a Grand Seiko.
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.
The characteristic design
A main criterion when buying a watch should always be the design. Definitely choose a watch that matches your preferences in terms of design. Unlike the movement, you always have the design in mind, so it should be one of the main criteria.
Grand Seiko watches are known for their simple and minimalist design: a design that is so simple in its basic form that it has no details that could disturb you. But is a design that does not disturb at the same time beautiful?
Personally, we believe that Grand Seiko watches are beautifully designed. Although the design of the cases and bracelets may not be for everyone, it is one thing for sure: distinctive. It is precisely for this simple and distinctive design that the brand is appreciated worldwide.
Grand Seiko stays true to its elegant line and thus sets itself apart from the rest.
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.
It would be unfair to characterize Grand Seiko's design as merely "simple." It is the combination of the simple case and the extravagant dials that Grand Seiko is known for. More on that later.
We think that the design is a point that makes Grand Seiko unique: the first reason to buy a Grand Seiko watch.
Excellent movements
Since its beginnings, Grand Seiko has been known for the quality of its movements.
As a subsidiary of Seiko, Grand Seiko already had a wealth of expertise and started at a high level from the beginning. But Grand Seiko has never been satisfied with producing movements that were just good. In the early years, Grand Seiko began developing its own movements. Soon after, Grand Seiko participated in competitions where the accuracy of movements was compared.
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.
Naturally, these competitions were dominated by Swiss watch manufacturers. The surprise was all the greater when Grand Seiko unceremoniously won some of these competitions and displaced the Swiss watches.
At the Concours de Genève (a Geneva watch competition) in 1968, Grand Seiko took all the places from 4 to 10. The places 1 to 3 were occupied by quartz movements. So Grand Seiko had instantly presented the 6 best mechanical movements, thereby devastatingly beating the Swiss competition, after which the annual competitions were suddenly canceled.
Even today, Grand Seiko continues to improve its mechanical movements with unbroken enthusiasm. A good example of the further development of mechanical movements is the 9SA5, a high-beat movement with a dual-impulse escapement. You can find a detailed blog article about the 9SA5 here. In it, we also go into more detail on high-beat movements in general.
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.
When dealing with movements from the Grand Seiko brand, in addition to the mechanical movements and the quartz movements, there is another type of movement that we need to talk about.
We are talking, of course, about the legendary Springdrive movement.
The Springdrive movement is a movement that combines the technology of a quartz movement with that of a mechanical movement.
In other words, it is a movement that runs forever because of the mechanical winding, but with the help of a quartz crystal has an accuracy of 15 seconds per month.
If you're interested in this movement, be sure to read our detailed article on how the Spring Drive movement works.
By the way, the Springdrive movement is a movement that you can only find at Grand Seiko and is an excellent movement for watch enthusiasts as well as for beginners.
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.
Crazy dials
As we have already indicated under the point "Design", Grand Seiko is especially known for its fancy dials.
Grand Seiko dials are mostly inspired by nature. Especially the texture as well as the matching color is unique.
We believe that no watch brand produces more beautiful dials than Grand Seiko.
The easiest way to see for yourself is to look at a few examples:
The "Snowflake" dial is probably one of the most famous dials by Grand Seiko. It was inspired by a winter landscape in Shiojiri, Japan: snow-white and crossed by fine lines, it doesn't look particularly spectacular from a distance, but it appears even more beautiful up close under the anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
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.
The Snowflake is probably the most famous watch from Grand Seiko in general.
If the Snowflake design is too boring for you, Grand Seiko has a lot more in store ...
For example, this light blue dial you'll find in a GMT watch from Grand Seiko's Elegance collection. The texture and color of this masterpiece are said to be reminiscent of the surface of a lake that is gently stirred up by the wind.
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.
We find the depth effect that results from such a dial particularly fascinating.
If you'd like to know more about this watch, check out our post about Grand Seiko's elegant GMT watches.
Another example from the Elegance collection is the SBGE271. Its dial is meant to evoke a clear and cool autumn night.
Grand Seiko aptly describes this dial with the following words:
"The days are getting shorter and the morning air fresher. The second hand moves silently like the moon in the night sky. Autumn has reached its peak."
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.
Value for money
Even though it's hard to speak of good value for money in luxury watches in general, we would make an exception for Grand Seiko.
The pure price-performance ratio is of course never decisive for luxury watches; however, it is also not insignificant what you get for your money.
Of course, even a watch that costs a fraction of a Grand Seiko can tell time, and thus always offers more "watch for the money". However, if we look at the quality of the movements as well as the general quality of Grand Seiko watches, they are relatively inexpensive especially compared to luxury watches from Switzerland, their main competition.
For example, certain models with a quartz movement are already available for under 3,000 euros. Most models range between 5,000 and 7,000 euros, which is ideal for entry-level watches.
We would like to pay special attention to the Snowflake. At 6,700 euros, it's by no means cheap, but with its high-quality Springdrive movement, an anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass, and a case and bracelet made of high-quality titanium, it's an exceptional watch.
Grand Seiko fits the description "a lot of quality for a decent price".
You can find an analysis of the potential for appreciation in our article about the value development of Grand Seiko watches.
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.
Available but still rare
The beauty of these watches is their availability. Since Grand Seiko is in charge of distribution, you could walk into a Grand Seiko store today and buy a watch.
No waiting list or overpriced prices like you find with Rolex, for example; simply a market-driven offer. Of course, this only applies to the "standard" models. For limited or rare watches, you can expect waiting times here as well.
Although Grand Seiko watches have enjoyed a strong resurgence in recent years, the gems from the Far East are still a bit of a rarity in Western countries. Displaced by watches from Switzerland, they continue to move on the periphery of most buyers' radars.
Maybe just a small reason to buy a Grand Seiko, but honestly, who wants a watch that every watch lover already owns?
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
To the question "Should I buy a Grand Seiko?" we personally can only answer "Yes!".
How you weigh the above reasons in favor of these watches from Japan with the reasons against a Grand Seiko is, of course, up to you.
The fact is that you certainly won't make a mistake should you decide to purchase one of these watches.
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!
