This week, it’s all about Grand Seiko, including in our Editors’ Picks. Our selections cover everything this Japanese brand has to offer: quartz and mechanical movements, new and vintage models, and standard and limited editions. Enjoy!
Great Watches for Under $5,000
Grand Seiko GMT SBGN009
The watch we’ve chosen for this segment is very special: It’s a quartz Grand Seiko! Some peope think non-mechanical watches are inferior to automatic and manual timepieces. This is not true at all, especially when looking at this brand. The Grand Seiko SBGN009 features the caliber 9F86, the company’s first quartz caliber with a GMT complication. With a battery life of around 3 years, you won’t have to worry about making adjustments anytime soon. The watch itself is an exceptional piece. First of all, the deep blue dial with gold accents is not only aesthetically pleasing but also offers optimal readability. Furthermore, the SBGN009 is a limited edition that celebrates 50 years since the release of the world’s first quartz watch: the Seiko Quartz Astron. In addition to the useful date display, this Grand Seiko is equipped with a practical GMT function, a must-have for frequent travelers.
Enthusiast’s Corner: Rare and Exceptional Timepieces
Grand Seiko SBGK009
The Grand Seiko SBGK009 is the kind of timepiece every watch fan would love to own. Why? Well, it combines the best of vintage design with modern standards. This dress watch measures a perfect 39 mm in diameter, and its retro stainless steel case is only 11.6 mm thick. There’s a power reserve indicator at 3 and a small seconds at 9 o’clock, lending the dial a sense of balance. The Grand Seiko SBGK009 has no numerals on the dial, just clean, elegant lines. The only inscription comes in the form of the brand name. Inside, the SBGK009 features the new Grand Seiko caliber 9S63 movement. This manual movement has a 72-hour power reserve, 33 jewels, and a balance frequency of 28,800 alternations per hour (A/h). You can view this extraordinarily precise caliber at work through the display case back. The Grand Seiko SBGK009 is an elegant timepiece for any occasion from Japan’s finest brand.
Iconic Timepieces: Great Value for Money
Seiko Grand Seiko 5646-7010
This Seiko may not be new, but it is 100% Grand Seiko. Back in the day, Grand Seiko was only a model line within the larger Seiko brand. However, even then, the attention to detail was outstanding. Quality calibers were built into beautifully designed cases. The Seiko Grand Seiko 5646-7010 is the perfect representative of those times. Made in the 1970s, the 5646 has a comfortable 36.5-mm case, beautiful narrow hands, and a day-date function at the 3 o’clock position. Furthermore, it would go on to house some of Seiko’s most legendary calibers, including the 5641A (no date), 5645A (date), and 5646A (day-date). This particular model uses a Hi-Beat automatic movement that ticks at 28,800 A/h. Despite its relatively short production run (1970-1974), plenty of 5646 Grand Seikos were made, with the 5646-7010 being one of the most common models. However, this does nothing to detract from this watch’s desirability. The Seiko Grand Seiko 5646-7010 is an iconic vintage timepiece in a long line of legendary Seiko watches.
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Which Grand Seiko models is the Chrono24 community wearing?
