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Lovely Grand Seiko watch at Basel 2019 - slimmer, elegant case

  1. Riviera Paradise Mar 22, 2019

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  2. T4Rdooh Mar 22, 2019

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    reminds me of my SARB065 cocktail time but much nicer haha Cocktail.jpg
     
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  3. Evitzee Mar 22, 2019

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    Grand Seiko is stepping up their game which is their stated goal.
     
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  4. zrleopold Mar 22, 2019

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    I posted about this watch a couple days ago in the open forum. Maybe was the wrong subforum for it. Nonetheless I agree that it is a fantastic looking piece. Fantastic too see that they are striving to slim down the spring drive pieces.
     
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  5. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Mar 22, 2019

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  6. Lbreak Mar 22, 2019

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    they are calling at least half of what they make as limited edition, big nope imo
     
  7. bigsom Mar 22, 2019

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    I think the new case is really beautiful and love the hand wound spring drive with longer pr. I wish there was a steel snowflake combo!
     
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  8. zrleopold Mar 22, 2019

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    How does the domestic Japanese market feel about spring drive? Do they embrace it as a technological advancement to the lever escapement or a complication of a quarts movement?
     
  9. Waxtactic Mar 22, 2019

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    Love’em or hate’em one has to tip their hats to an electromagnetic brake. I’d get one if I didn’t have a chicken wrist, but if they’ve slimming them down maybe I should move from “vintage Seiko” to “modern”.
     
  10. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Mar 22, 2019

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    The Japanese look at things a bit differently. They prize never having to adjust they just want to put it on and never have to touch it. Spring drive and gps are huge drivers in the market. Obviously quality of materials and finish is also important. The Spring drive is a uniquely Japanese way of approaching watchmakeing.
     
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  11. zrleopold Mar 22, 2019

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    Hmm interesting. Thank you for the insight. I've always been a fan of fiddling with watches. For instance I love winding a speedy. I do see the appeal of always being able to simply grab and go and not worry about winding or setting. Having said that, GS dials/case finishing is a constant draw.
     
  12. Foo2rama Keeps his worms in a ball instead of a can. Mar 22, 2019

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    They look at watches a little differently in style also. Hence why some GS models seem a little odd to the western eye.

    Orient is the largest or one of the largest brands in Japan and many of their models seem odd in style to the west. Japan has always struggled being considered 2nd rate to Europe, while they have an amazingly rich history in innovation. The fact that many Seiko watches from the late 60’s early 70’s are still going strong without a service is a testimony to thier abilities and engineering. They also arguably had the first automatic chronograph, depending on how you look at it. It’s just they have always been building to thier sensibilities not western ones. They have a different eye for style and build more for ruggedness and zero user input, not finishing of the movement. This is why you see power reserves a bit more commonly on high end Japanese watches.

    There are some interesting articles out there.

    https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/headwinds-hit-japans-big-three-watch-producers

    Just google around and you can get an idea. Check out Credor for very high end Japanese... odd sub brand for Seiko.
     
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  13. zrleopold Mar 22, 2019

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    Thank you! I have done a ton of reading about Seiko past and present...but I never really understood what was being motivated by the domestic market versus the brands global aspirations. In a way, I admire the fact that they cater to their own market and don't try to pander to appease as many as they can. With that in mind, they seem to have been quite successful accessing international markets recently, and I wonder if this will change how they design their pieces moving forward.
     
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  14. Evitzee Mar 23, 2019

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    I stopped by a relatively high end dealer today (Omega, Lange, IWC, Zenith, Montblanc, Grand Seiko, and others). The owner said Grand Seiko was their big seller, bigger than Omega. It is definitely making inroads in the fine watch market.
     
  15. SeanO Mar 31, 2019

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    I do see that almost all of the talk about the 2019 GS line is the shift in price point. They seem to be doing what Omega did about 5 years ago.

    I’m not sure about 7+ k dollar Seiko divers though. Even the niche Prospex models with the GS ebauche seems like two price points too far.
     
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  16. Riviera Paradise Mar 31, 2019

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    This.

    I can understand the initiative to move the Grand Seiko brand up a notch after being separated from the Seiko mothership, but I honestly have no idea what they are up to releasing US$7K Seiko divers. Another low point for me was the new sports line LE chronograph SBGC231 with a grotesque 44.5 X 16.8 mm case.
     
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  17. zrleopold Mar 31, 2019

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    Seriously though what were they thinking with that case?
     
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