Is it worth to pay for a Grand Seiko

[Froggy]

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.

Watch forums I read Spring Drive is 94% mechanical

 

[yellowarse]

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.

No question about precision when it comes to the smartphone or even atomic-synchronized watches (not avail in S'pore).

But there's something organically, viscerally, primordially satisfying about keeping time simply by the movement of your hands using mechanical tools – your body is the sole source of power, no external solar or battery source needed, no electricity generated, no motor used.

And a good mechanical watch today keeps time to day to within 5 seconds a day, good enough for most. Do you need to live life to a precision of 10 ns a day? Is it even possible, given that most human-scale events occur on a scale of minutes and hours at the very most precise (no one specifies a meeting at 8.01 & 53 seconds am!)?

From a functional point of view, if your life depended on your watch – climbing Mt Everest, exploring the Antarctic, exploring Guilin caves, would you want a device where the battery could suddenly die on you, or the solar cell stop functioning because there's no sun, or the atomic synchronization fail because of an unavailable signal?

 

[yellowarse]

Watch forums I read Spring Drive is 94% mechanical

% depends on the weightage you give to the timekeeping element - the 'heartbeat' of the watch – and the escapement. So it's subjective, really.

 

[Froggy]

http://www.thongsia.com.sg/products/grand-seiko/index.php

Thanks for the link. Thong Sia has a hold on the GS market in Singapore and also sells through two City Chain branches in Vivo and Jurong. They give a standard paltry discount of only 10%.

List price in Singapore is about 20% higher than list price in Japan. So it's worth buying in Japan.

Over here in Thailand the standard discount is 20% so it's quite on par with Japan however if know how to bargain and also wait for watch fair can easily get 30% or more. So buying in Thailand surprisingly is cheaper than anywhere for GS.

 

[BerndLeno]

I prefer Eastern Watch.

 

[glockman]

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.

Thanks for the info. If I am not mistaken, the Swatch group owns Omega and ETA (and other brands too). So can consider in-house.

 

[glockman]

Thanks for the link. Thong Sia has a hold on the GS market in Singapore and also sells through two City Chain branches in Vivo and Jurong. They give a standard paltry discount of only 10%.

List price in Singapore is about 20% higher than list price in Japan. So it's worth buying in Japan.

Over here in Thailand the standard discount is 20% so it's quite on par with Japan however if know how to bargain and also wait for watch fair can easily get 30% or more. So buying in Thailand surprisingly is cheaper than anywhere for GS.

Thanks for your thread on the GS. I can now see what the excitement is all about! They are masterpieces. The four watches you have narrowed down, all are equally nice. Though I like the ones with the blue hand slightly more.

 

[yellowarse]

My bad the above SBGA125 is a Titanium Spring Drive

The SBGA001 has a more beautiful 'snowflake' dial, also in a titanium case:

Grand Seiko SBGA011

 

[Rogue Trader]

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 :

Like uncle Johnny333 my problem is I need Day diaplay. In that case, perpetual calendar would be highly desired

 

[NanoSpeed]

The SBGA001 has a more beautiful 'snowflake' dial, also in a titanium case:

Grand Seiko SBGA011

This design very "song" and Ah Pek looking.

Froggy is a jet setter and globetrotter, should consider a Seiko Astron. Need not have to reset the watch when caught in a different timezone.

 

[NanoSpeed]

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 :(

Wow...since you mentioned it, I must go have a look. I have a small wrist and a boy size dial will fit just nice.

The only problem with Seiko is the stainless steel looks cheapo at times. Cannot even match Tissot.

 

[sleaguepunter]

all rich men, so knowledgeable on atas watches.

uncle frog, I dunno this shop got sell grand Seiko or not but I do know they sell a wide range of Seiko.

tai wee watch trading pte ltd at the verge. tel : 62991690, look for steven(the boss) tell him the model u looking for and ask him price. payment by cash should have discount. his old man shop is/was at stall above tekka market.

 

[Rogue Trader]

Wow...since you mentioned it, I must go have a look. I have a small wrist and a boy size dial will fit just nice.

The only problem with Seiko is the stainless steel looks cheapo at times. Cannot even match Tissot.

I remember they have a black faced one.

But aiyah damn sayang... Seiko's design can be improved... the technology is superb but I prefer trendier designs.

 

[Froggy]

all rich men, so knowledgeable on atas watches.

uncle frog, I dunno this shop got sell grand Seiko or not but I do know they sell a wide range of Seiko.

tai wee watch trading pte ltd at the verge. tel : 62991690, look for steven(the boss) tell him the model u looking for and ask him price. payment by cash should have discount. his old man shop is/was at stall above tekka market.

Thank you for the information. Just got back to Bangkok from Pattaya will go take a look this afternoon in Siam.

 

[mojito]

Is it bad manners to gift an older chinky man a watch?

 

[Rogue Trader]

Is it bad manners to gift an older chinky man a watch?

Only clocks or bells. Watches are ok.

 

[NanoSpeed]

Only clocks or bells. Watches are ok.

Hong Kong Int'l Airport has a nice Omega Constellation Clock.

I think old folk wouldn't mind if you gave them one as gift.

 

[Froggy]

Grand Seiko in Paragon

 

[johnny333]

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.

Seiko has the Astron GPS range of watches. It will use GPS satellites technology to adjust to the time anywhere in the world.

[video=youtube;8eoWoF9GGQw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eoWoF9GGQw[/video]

 

[Froggy]

Thais retailers are often very nice, just threw me a surprised last week called me and told me their boss want to appreciate my purchase and give me a watch box. He delivered to me today it was beyond my expectation as its a GS box and I think cannot buy it outside.





Its retailers like this who make customers feel important and want to patronize more.