Alba is Seiko's low-end brand, just as Adec is the low-end cousin of Citizen. Both were quite popular in the '70s and '80s as they were priced 40–50% cheaper than their parent brands for similar models.
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Is it worth to pay for a Grand Seiko
- Thread starter Froggy
- Start date
Alba is Seiko's low-end brand, just as Adec is the low-end cousin of Citizen. Both were quite popular in the '70s and '80s as they were priced 40–50% cheaper than their parent brands for similar models.
Ebel costs at least 10 times more than Alba.
Anyone heard of Orient.....apparently it's another jap brand. I see this brand at those mum and pops watch shops
popular with their mechanical watches since its beginning in 50s. I think Seiko bought them over a few years ago.
Discovered this amazing video showing the fine finishing of a GS
[video=youtube;7QYE0A7bk-o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QYE0A7bk-o[/video]
and I quote from http://gearpatrol.com/2014/09/30/building-the-perfect-watch/
"You may be surprised to see a Japanese brand among the European Masters, but nobody builds cases as well as Grand Seiko, the high-end marque of the ubiquitous watch company. Drawing on a knife-making tradition that dates back to the samurai swords of centuries past, the Grand Seiko 44GS case is a study in understated perfection, all razor-sharp angles, perfect brushwork, polishing and tight tolerances."
[video=youtube;7QYE0A7bk-o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QYE0A7bk-o[/video]
and I quote from http://gearpatrol.com/2014/09/30/building-the-perfect-watch/
"You may be surprised to see a Japanese brand among the European Masters, but nobody builds cases as well as Grand Seiko, the high-end marque of the ubiquitous watch company. Drawing on a knife-making tradition that dates back to the samurai swords of centuries past, the Grand Seiko 44GS case is a study in understated perfection, all razor-sharp angles, perfect brushwork, polishing and tight tolerances."
Aready that's why going for something uncommon. Also I'm mesmerized by the GS movement, technology and fine craftsmanship. All parts in GS are not sourced all made inhouse and that's something very uncommon.
I am sure Rolex / Omega has the perfect watch for you.
The Seiko watch company is amazing. I have been looking out for an automatic watch with perpetual calendar recently.
IWC sells one for 40k +..
Seiko's cost less than 1k at City Chain.
I was fucking blown away!! Pity it's not a bigger faced watch or else it's perfect :(
IWC sells one for 40k +..
Seiko's cost less than 1k at City Chain.
I was fucking blown away!! Pity it's not a bigger faced watch or else it's perfect :(
Hence the price tag I suppose. All parts in Rolex and Omega are made in-house too.
I think you need to get a GS, you are obviously in awe of it. I know the feeling, cannot tahan until must get one
They have quite a nice selection.http://www.thongsia.com.sg/products/grand-seiko/index.php
Not only for me, but for anyone who wishes to own them.
Seiko's case, dial and hands/markers finishing is notches above Rolex and other mid-end Swiss makes like Breitling, Omega, IWC and even Jaeger LeCoultre.
Some connoisseurs have put the polishing, brush finish and bevelling of the GS case on a par with Patek Philippe. The famed zaratsu 'samurai blade' high polish alternately appears black or shining white depending on incident light angle.
As for the indices (polish and placement accuracy) and hands, no Swiss make comes close. I've seen Rolexes with slightly off markers and blemishes on the hands. The GS dials (especially white 'snowflake', green 'sunburst') too are masterpieces; more exquisite dials are only seen by Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin and A. Lange & Sohne.
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Rolex makes everything in-house, but not Omega, which buys ETA ebauches and modifies them extensively. The co-axial calibre 2500 is based on the ETA 2892, while the high-end 8500 is still manufactured by ETA (Swatch-owned now) but assembled in-house.
Seiko makes everything in-house, including the bracelets and sapphire crystals. Even the cheap hardy 7s26 calibre found in your SKX divers and Seiko 5 autos are entirely made in-house in their Japan factory.
I think you need to get a GS, you are obviously in awe of it. I know the feeling, cannot tahan until must get one
http://www.thongsia.com.sg/products/grand-seiko/index.php
Yes cannot tahan especially past two weeks traveling and cannot go to boutique in Siam Paragon. Also weekend holiday in Pattaya, leaving hotel later and hopefully have time to go see them.
I have narrowed down to 4 beautiful pieces and reserved them for viewing :
Leather Spring Drive SBGH013
Leather Hi-Beat 36000 SBGA093
Stainless GMT Hi-Beat 360000 SBGJ001
Stainless Spring Drive SGBA125
Was doing quite a lot of reading about the movement and realised that the Spring Drive is very different from the other GS like the Hi-Beat which is 100% mechanical. Also ready about people arguing about whether Spring Drive is a quartz watch or mechanical, fun reading all those quarrels.
Also read that Seiko produce their own crystals and GS get to pick them first then the rest of the makes. Very interesting indeed.
Yes cannot tahan especially past two weeks traveling and cannot go to boutique in Siam Paragon. Also weekend holiday in Pattaya, leaving hotel later and hopefully have time to go see them.
I have narrowed down to 4 beautiful pieces and reserved them for viewing :
Leather Spring Drive SBGH013
Leather Hi-Beat 36000 SBGA093
Stainless GMT Hi-Beat 360000 SBGJ001
Stainless Spring Drive SGBA125
I'm sure that these are great watches but I would never consider any of them because they don't display the day. Nowadays many of the watches sold only have a date but not the day.
Sometimes I lose track of what day & date. So for me it is an important consideration.
use your smartphone for time of day precision. it's the most accurate as it relies on precision time protocol synchronization on the network with constant augmentation and calibration by gps or glonass and or a grandmaster (atomic) clock that has either a rubidium or cesium source. those sources are down to within 10ns in clocking or time-stamping precision.
I'd say where the previous Seiko Kinetic movt was 20% mechanical/80% electrical quartz (it simply uses wrist movt to charge a Li battery which then powers the quartz oscillator and hands), the Spring Drive is a different animal altogether. A large part of it is mechanical – the auto-winding system, the mainspring barrel that stores power, the gear train that moves the hands. The only electrical/quartz part is in the escapement which converts the stored mechanical energy to electrical energy and uses it to power the glide wheel (that moves the hands) and the quartz circuit.
So I'd say Spring Drive is 70% mechanical/30% electrical-quartz.
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