I got two Spring Drive watches about 8-9 years ago. An SPS003 (pre-Ananta chronograph) and the original Snowflake (SBGA011) While I admit the dial is a little cluttered ("SEIKO" at the top, and "GS" and "Grand Seiko" at the bottom) it's an amazing watch. Now if only I could find a SNR023...
You lose 60% off the retail price as soon as you walk out of the store. I would recommend going gray market. Some models might only dip down 30-40% but that is rare. I own the mechanical SBGJ217 & I got a great deal on mine. I would not have bought it from an AD. Not worth it in my opinion. If you are looking for value retention go AP or Rolex. Maybe Grand Seiko will start gaining momentum & prices will rise.
It looks taller than it wears, if that makes sense. My wrists are pretty flat, and aren't as big as they used to be as I've lost more than 50 pounds in the last two years - this watch just fits me really well. I've been wearing it all morning and it's very comfortable. It's amazing how the dial and indices catch the light.
This is inaccurate. Grand Seikos fair no worse or better than other luxury watch brands on the secondary market, such as Omega, Breitling, JLC, etc .... with the glaring exceptions being Rolex and Patek. They're in their own special universe on the secondary market, with some AP models there too. Everyone else, more or less, is in the same boat.
Sure, there are exceptions based on models, but 25-30 percent off of retail is more accurate for the secondary market for Grand Seikos, and there are some LE models that retain their retail value very well. I'm in the market for my first Grand Seiko and I've been watching them closely for the last six months or so.
As for the debate about movement finish ... that would be way down the list of priorities for why to purchase a certain watch. The way the dial and case look on the wrist is THE primary reason guys buy watches, with accuracy and the fit, finish and feel other important criteria. I couldn't care less if internal parts I never see have a beveled edge or not.
Grand Seikos are so beautifully finished (dial, hands, case, and to a certain degree, the movement) and they have such a cool history, that they definitely deserve a look. I'm mostly a vintage Rolex guy, with a couple of others thrown in, but Grand Seikos appeal to me specifically because they are NOT Swiss made. And so much Japanese stuff in general is just cool.
I specifically went for the blue. I saw all three and thought about the black one for a bit, but the blue one just stuck with me from the beginning. I thought about the SBGA237 as well but decided it was just too big, and I wanted a Spring Drive movement.
While the GS movement is excellent, their styling just does not do it for me. Personally, I much prefer the Prospex dive watches with the GS movement (particularly those for the Japanese Domestic Market). M
While the GS movement is excellent, their styling just does not do it for me. Personally, I much prefer the Prospex dive watches with the GS movement (particularly those for the Japanese Domestic Market). M
