Quote:
Originally Posted by Syed117
OP, Grand seikos are amazing if you can get past the name seiko on the dial.
I don't personally like many of their designs, but there are a few that I love. From ones I've handled at the boutique here in NY and from the countless pictures and comparisons you will find online, they are finished objectively better than a Rolex. Especially the dials and hands.
I don't know what the process is now, but you used to have to send them to Japan for service. That's a potential deal breaker for many.
Plus let's be serious. It takes an extremely secure person to spend thousands of dollars on a seiko instead of any number of Swiss brands.
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There really isn’t a name to get past, since everyone knows Seiko watches are reliable and dependable – Grand Seiko is only a model range, in much the same way as Speedmaster, Aqua Terra, and Planet Ocean are to Omega.
As for servicing in Japan – yes, some types still have to return there, mainly the Spring Drives, but you’ve got to bear in mind that officially, Seiko has only been selling the GSes to select international markets for the past 5 years.
At present, watchmakers from those regions are being trained on how service them, but even so, there’s no difference whatsoever in having the watch serviced in the US/UK/etc and it taking 3-4 weeks, or going back to Japan and returned within the same timeframe.
Chances are that done locally, it’ll be slightly quicker, but that’s all – so the whole Japan servicing thing is making a mountain out of a molehill.
In respect of the buyer needing to be secure in their own mind – that’s a very poor way to persuade anyone to buy something that’s every bit as good as what the Swiss/Germans produce at similar or higher price points.
For some, especially in certain places/countries, a Grand Seiko will go unnoticed and not draw any unwarranted attention from undesirables.
The only time it’ll be an issue is if you’re trying to impress your peer group/work colleagues/etc – but then for many, vanity is something we leave behind when we mature into adults……although I think there’s a right too many who hadn’t got that memo by their 30th birthday!