Last month, I realized two things. First was that taxes was going to be very kind to me this year. Tied in to that, second was that perhaps it was time to finish my core-three watch collection. I didn't have a piece that I felt was more formal-oriented, so with that in mind and a fair budget in hand, I set out to obtain something for evening outs. Recently, I became familiar with Grand Seiko. Having owned a Seiko solar chronometer for close to ten years, I was vaguely aware of what used to be the upper end of that company, but had no idea that they had become their own entity, nor WHY that had come to be. After due research, I realized that they were (IMHO) a tour de force in the horological world, and that I had to have one!!! Grand Seiko SBGX263 With an Omega FOIS covering the manual wind option and a Rolex OP36 exemplifying the automatic one, I decided the way to round out my Big Three was to go (gasp!!!) quartz. And that third piece would be the SBGX263. Are You Kidding Us??? I know, I know - QUARTZ??? Have you lost your bloody mind? Let me explain before you toss me and my 263 to the sharks... and then hold a lottery over who gets the other two watches in my collection. haha I'm a bit of an odd duck in WHAT I want in my watches, especially the Big Three. Both my FOIS and OP36 represent (to me) the very core qualities of what makes Omegas and Rolexes great. The FOIS pays tribute to the CK2998, the predecessor to the highly historic and very capable Speedmaster Pro. The OP36, on the other hand, is as close to the original Oyster Perpetual, arguable the backbone of every Rolex out there save the Cellini. And since one was a manual wind and the other an automatic, it seemed natural to seek out a quartz. BUT when it came to this quartz, I wanted the very pinnacle of that technology; what better company to seek it out from than that very one that made the Quartz Crisis as *ahem* horrible as it was? There are two kinds of quartz watches out there. You have the every day garden variety that meets the standards - cheap, accurate enough (by quartz standards), easily produced, and CHEAP. And then you have the GS 9F family of movements. The one in the SBGX263 is specifically the 9F62A If all quartz movements were like THIS, there might not be so much fuss over em. It's incredible stuff when you first learn of it. The 9F62A is fully sealed 9-jewel movement that doesn't need to be serviced (aside from battery change) for 50 years by some estimates and is finely finished like many mechanical movements out there. It also sports a twin impulse motor that is capable of driving the heavy dauphine hands, something that regular quartz movements cannot. And then there's the minute spiral spring that serves as an "anti-backlash" mechanism - there's no wiggle in the second hand as it clicks around the dial, each time settling right spot-on each minute/second marker. In the highly unlikely event that there's a significant deviation, the timing can be regulated, much like a mechanical movement. And since this movement has a date function, it's worth mentioning that when the date changes, it does so in 1/2000th of a second! All this in a movement with an accuracy of.......... +/-10 a year! Yes, that was plus/minus ten seconds a year, folks. In a year, the 9F62 has an accuracy that some mechanical watches out there might exceed in a single day. And when compared to regular quartz movements, Grand Seiko's makes their +/-1 sec per day rather laughable. Note - the 9F62 is the ENTRY level Grand Seiko quartz, there's ones out there that have a +/-5 sec per year!!! Many say that quartz watches lack a soul, but to me, the heart of the SBGX263 seems a bit incorrect. It's a movement that it's creator obviously poured his/her heart and SOUL into creating. It's the very best example of those little electronic engines that many a watch lover disdains, lovingly crafted in a way that echo the painstaking attention to detail that you find in the mechanical world. So in this specific movement, yes, I see a soul. Other Things To Prove Now that half of the equation is out of the way, let's tend to the other half. Fit and finish wise, I find the SBGX263 to be absolutely outstanding! Lovely! Absolutely LOVELY!!! Using a technique called Zaratsu Polishing, highly skilled technicians craft the various components to a mirror like finish BY HAND! No, that's not a typo. The 37mm diameter case of the 263 practically glows from all polishing that is somehow done to where the symmetry is retained. The hands and indices receive similar treatment, resulting in components that radiate any light source that strikes them. Razor sharp, you might imagine that the person's that created them might have had a sword making ancestor. On the champagne dial of the SBGX263, they don't quite pop out like they do on the black-dialed SBGX261. Nonetheless, legibility is excellent. The exception is in darker lighting conditions; with no lume, you'll be seeking some sort of illumination if you wish to tell the time at night. I NEED A LOUPE! Check out the striations on the indices!!! Rather illuminating is the champagne dial. One of three such dials on the 37mm quartz model, it is the only one that has a sunburst pattern on it, so you get a little light show as you angle your timepiece around. Somewhat reminiscent of my white dial OP36, the champagne dial plays with colors depending on the lighting around you. Sometimes, it's definitely a champagne dial, other times it's silver, and there are times that it's in between. It's a fun dial to be sure, exuding a bit of warmth from a stainless steel watch, and giving it a touch of sophistication. Tolerances are tight. I wouldn't quite say that part-to-part fit is Rolex-like, but it's pretty damn close. The Oyster Link style bracelet mates well to the 19mm lugs with nary a wiggle where the solid end links meet the case. The same cannot be said between links as the Japanese like a little more bracelet flex than some of the other watch companies, but it's not irritating in the slightest. Finally, the fold-over clasp, equipped with twin triggers, is secure and, more importantly, fairly in line with the bracelet links in terms of thickness. Secure and slim! If only all fold over clasps were like this! The last part was important to me. It's a very streamlined appearance overall, which compliments the watch's 10mm thickness. I can't say the same of the OP36. Yes, the Oyster Clasp is a great clasp, but I always found it rather bulky looking. With the slim clasp of the GS, it seems to contribute to comfortable and well fitting nature of the piece. It's been a while since a bracelet was a Goldilock-situation for me. Just right!!! Seriously, this watch seems to be tailor made for me. the 44mm lug-to-lug length seems to drape perfectly over the 6 1/8" wrist. Adding to the aesthetics of this GS on my wrist is that smaller sized bracelet. I know for some out there, 19mm might be a deal-breaker, but I think that -1mm adds to the well proportioned bracelet-to-case aura. I will admit that there's a bit of luck in it fitting so darn well; the SBGX263 does not having any form of micro adjustment, perhaps the biggest (if not only) complaint I have of the model. Final Thoughts IF one could fathom the concept that a $2000 quartz watch is "ok", then I highly recommend that that person check out the SBGX263 or its white dial/black dial siblings. They're the best examples of traditional analog quartz watches that I know of, and there's no arguing about the quality fit and finishing. Things to come - I personally think this watch will look EXCELLENT on a leather croc strap
Not crazy at all. I’ve been eying the 9F myself. That movement is so pretty I’d prefer a sapphire case back. Nice review. I need to get to a boutique or well stocked AD to handle some of these watches.
So was in NYC for vacation with family and I had my mind set on getting an Omega Speedmaster. Well long story short I purchased a Grand Seiko SBGM 235. I heard good things about Grand Seiko but after seeing it in person and talking to the Grand Seiko rep I put down the speedmaster that i was so so close in purchasing and picked the Grand Seiko. Its being shipped back home will post picks when I get it.
I also have an OP36 and a FOIS and discovered this thread as i am just about to pull the trigger on SBGX261 so almost the same 3
An excellent review of a fine watch. I have one sbga375g already, and if I keep reading reviews like this, I might find a way to get another Grand Seiko...
Nice review. the 9F movement will definitely change ones opinion on quartz. Did you go with the leather strap or the bracelet? The bracelet is about the only thing that needs improvement. I wish Seiko would do better here.