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23 September 2021, 03:41 PM | #91 | |
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23 September 2021, 11:07 PM | #92 | |
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I picked up a Barton black leather for mine, but yours looks like a few steps up and I would love to have a deployant clasp like that. |
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24 September 2021, 12:25 AM | #93 |
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That looks great, and the GS champagne dials are so stunning, very different to their silver dials.
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25 September 2021, 02:20 AM | #94 | |
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Here's the post from Joe Kirk of GS USA. It's the fifth question/answer down on the list. https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/f...rvice.4203962/ |
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21 September 2022, 05:47 AM | #95 |
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I've owned 4 Grand Seiko's :
Grand Seiko 'Limited Edition' SBGR311 Grand Seiko "Snowflake' SBGA211 Grand Seiko 'Limited Edition' GMT SBGN001 Grand Seiko 'Heritage Collection' SBGV229 I currently own none. Grand Seiko's have incredible dials...but then, so does many Seiko's, even Seiko 5's. Their bracelets are subpar, a Seiko trademark and if one was to compare them to any modern Rolex bracelet, the Grand Seiko bracelets are junk. I like their movement's, especially their HAQ Caliber 9F models, I never did buy into the whole watch having a ''soul'' and one must shun all quartz. Grand Seiko like Seiko grow their own quartz crystals, keeping everything in-house and their 9F models are crazy accurate. Another strong point is the Zaratsu polishing but having had the models I've had I can honestly say that they are no better than other higher end brands that I compared them to. My opinion is that while Grand Seiko makes a nice watch they are years away from having the quality feel that a Rolex has when handled and worn. |
21 September 2022, 08:47 PM | #96 | |
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21 September 2022, 09:38 PM | #97 | |
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21 September 2022, 09:46 PM | #98 | |
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21 September 2022, 09:58 PM | #99 |
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Yes, my comments were just based off of the models that I've owned and again just my opinion. Also I should point out that I didn't part ways with my Grand Seiko's due to a perceived lack of quality or that I didn't like them. I sold off the bulk of my original collection and they went along with my Rolex's. I've every intension of one day owning another as they are a fine watch and what they do well...they do very well.
On a side note : I've heard that the bracelets on the Seiko Prospex LX models are extremly well made and comfortable to wear. |
23 September 2022, 09:48 AM | #100 |
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its very much a thing amongst the younger or more image conscious wearers where it is all about the name on the dial.
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23 September 2022, 12:48 PM | #101 |
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23 September 2022, 03:45 PM | #102 |
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I own two Grand Seiko watches - the SBGA407 (skyflake) and the SBGJ259 (green bamboo). My current Rolex collection consists of a SkyDweller (326933), DayDate (118238), and Explorer II (16570). I've previously owned multiple other Rolex watches.
Rolex feels sturdier and heftier than Grand Seiko. As I like a "beefier" watch, I do enjoy wearing my Rolex watches more than my Grand Seikos. But, when I wear my Grand Seikos, I can sometimes get lost staring at the dials, hands, and indices. I actually take photos of my GS in different lighting and conditions to see how different the dials look on them under different conditions. As others have said, the depth, detail, and finishing are far above anything with my Rolex. You referenced specifically a Rolex OP. Given the choice between most any GS and an OP, I'd inevitably choose the GS all day. And, as you mentioned, you can actually buy a GS. You can go into a Grand Seiko boutique, and be treated as a valued customer while a Rolex boutique will basically sneer at you and tell you to get lost. GS has a rightful place in most any collection. I have no regrets on mine. |
23 September 2022, 06:36 PM | #103 | |
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23 September 2022, 08:20 PM | #104 |
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I own both a GS Omiwatari and a Daytona. Sometimes I will wear the Daytona and then switch to the GS later on that day. I do not feel like I am changing to a cheaper watch even though the Daytona cost about 5k more at retail. The Omiwatari is a perfect stainless dress watch that checks all the boxes for an enthusiast collector. The movement is only present in one other GS model and that watch cost 50k. The dial is stunning, the blue second hand mesmerizing, and case is thin and glows in the light due to the polishing. I love my Rolex, the dial, the bracelet, the prestige of owning an icon, but I feel the GS I ended up buying perfectly encompasses my love for Japanese engineering and attention to detail.
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23 September 2022, 08:39 PM | #105 |
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I think GS bracelets get a bad wrap- I find them very comfortable once you get it properly sized / adjusted- and this is the hardest part and usually takes me a few tries before finding perfect fit . Would be a touch easier if their were micro adjustments and these are really my only gripes w the GS bracelet. Otherwise it’s solid, looks nice and is as comfortable on my wrist as most of my Rolex and my steel PP.
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23 September 2022, 08:56 PM | #106 |
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Nice pix all.
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25 September 2022, 12:58 PM | #107 | |
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I too find the GS bracelet very comfortable. Sizing in the correct manner is key. I also very much appreciate the small clasp. I despise a large clasp. Especially from the big R as well as the "O". Once fitted, I have no complaints what so ever.
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In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln __________________________________________________ Rolex 226570, Explorer II Club |
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1 October 2022, 02:24 AM | #108 | |
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It's fair to say that few GS buyers expect it to raise their status outside the sub-forum of a watch website but painting Rolex owners with such a broad brush is some pretty weak sauce. Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk |
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1 October 2022, 11:52 AM | #109 |
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In our watch club, it is very obvious when a new member joins to tell if there a true watch enthusiast of part of the herd or flexer. Longtime members such as myself appreciate many different watches for many different reasons. We share our passion with other members who do likewise. I don't care for every watch made by any single brand or by price point.
But when the new guy starts the conversation by announcing "it's a rolex" and just can't recognize any other brand as quality equal to or better than his, He usually finds his self alone. There are a few watches that I really enjoy from many brands. There all marvelous in there own right. That's what it's all about for me. I have found that I truly enjoy quite a few from GS. I own many and enjoy them all for different reasons. Strangely no 2 are the same. All have different cases, shapes and sizes. At present I am contemplating a Panerai. I have owned a few. But this one intrest me. We shall see if it makes the cut. But one thing above all. I love the passion in a true enthusiast. One who can look past a name and enjoy a piece for its own terms.
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In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln __________________________________________________ Rolex 226570, Explorer II Club |
1 October 2022, 01:05 PM | #110 |
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Both brands have plenty of over-hypers and baseless haters. All I can say is everyone needs to see a watch in person to really know. My level of disappointment after finally seeing a Sky-Dweller in person was only eclipsed by my disappointment in seeing an Omiwatari. And on that latter day I first saw a JLC Master Control, which I previously had no interest in, but shortly thereafter purchased.
We all like different things. Trying to convince somebody else to adopt your watch preference is like trying to tell them what their favorite food should be. |
1 October 2022, 04:22 PM | #111 |
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I think the line between enthusiasm and religious conviction is narrow.
Therefore it isn't worth arguing with those who want to find their faith and their self-confidence in their watches. |
1 October 2022, 11:30 PM | #112 | |
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Some very good points. In our local watch club, as new members attend events, it is apparent who has been in the hobby for a while and who is typically new. Strong statements and opinions tend to flow from the least informed, educated and experienced. But I remember back to when I got involved in the hobby in the early 90's and I was that guy. It took a lot of life experience and watch experience before I started to understand that there are many great brands and someone's personal preference is just that. Grand Seiko is a fabulous brand and for many reasons you can have a discussion about why they are better than some others. You can also have a discussion about how great other brands are at what they do. One brand does not have to be diminished to point to the other brand. Just some thoughts. |
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2 October 2022, 08:44 AM | #113 |
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True, very true.
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In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. - Abraham Lincoln __________________________________________________ Rolex 226570, Explorer II Club |
2 October 2022, 02:40 PM | #114 |
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In my experience they’re both very good watches at their typical price points.
Rolex does some things better, as does GS. I will say I think Rolex offers a better overall package. Their designs and quality are solid, thoughtful and effective, their warranty and access to quality service are top notch. GS on the other hand does have a few glaring faults. Namely bracelets and clasps that are not up to par, cases that are thicker than is appropriate, and their non spring drive movements are not as consistently accurate as Rolex. Add to these, problematic service. I suspect they’ll improve on these areas in time. My takeaway is, the hard core enthusiasts, aka fan boys, are equally obnoxious in *both* brands. And, it’s ironic, but in a strange way, GS fans are just as snobby in their own way as the over the top Rolex fans. They sort of became the thing they hate. :) In the same way Rolex fans, incorrectly believe Rolex is the pinnacle of horology, GS fans likewise inflate and overstate how good GS is. They’re both great. But GS does not “wipe the floor with Patek”, and neither does Rolex for that matter. There’s room and a market clearly, for both. |
11 October 2022, 12:47 AM | #115 | |
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Rolex v Grand Seiko?
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I had the same experience when I saw the Omiwatari in person for the first time. It was really underwhelming. I’ve slimmed down my GS to just one LE diver SBGA071. Typical excellent finishing as expected on any GS. Used to own a SBGC221 & SBGJ239 but sold them to make way for a sky-dweller. The Rolex sky-dweller is my favourite watch. It’s the most functionally useful wrist watch in my collection (annual calendar / second time zone / 100m WR so no fear of entering a pool or shower). Perfect for idiots like myself who can never remember dates. Helps that they didn’t integrate additional crowns / pushers to set the calendar. Love the JLC MC series, particularly the MC calendar. But the recessed pin pusher was a deal breaker for me. It makes me nervous because of how it feels like an invitation for water ingress. The next grail watch would be a Ulysse Nardin perpetual manufacture (GMT + perpetual calendar that can be set backward and forward). There’s definitely space in any collection for both brands. The value proposition of GS though, has diminished substantially since the new series 9 launch. MSRP makes it really hard to stomach. I’d only go pre-owned or look at the Seiko prospex LX / Tudor range now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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11 October 2022, 02:13 AM | #116 |
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I think everyone likes to bash the "newcomer," and by that I mean the brand that tries to make its way into the old boy, Swiss, tier network. All the while, people ignore the obvious flaws in the established models because of the "name."
Objectively, GS makes watches "on par" with Rolex. They only fail in their bracelets...which is a flaw, there are no two ways about it. But it's also an area that they can easily, easily fix, and I have to believe they are working on a solution. But, I do not expect the GS bashing to continue. It's just the nature of the game. I hear the same nit-picking about Czapek, another upstart. But watch "collecting" is a long-term play. I can't predict where this market will go and for which brand, but I do know things change quickly....public perception, desirability, status....I'm sure if GS refines it's approach, and just by virtue of time, there may be less nitpicking of GS at least to the point of being on par with the Rolex's and JLC's of the world. |
11 October 2022, 01:22 PM | #117 | |
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I guess what I'm saying is "Seiko makes a hell of a watch for $200, imagine what they can do for $6000" sounded a lot more compelling than "I'm paying $6000 for a watch made by the same company who can't get a bezel aligned on a $1000 watch, whose movements seem less reliable than the previous generation, and whose bracelets rattle like a dog collar?" Granted, one of those jabs might apply to Rolex too |
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22 October 2022, 06:04 AM | #118 |
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The last year, I have gravitated towards GS. I like Rolex, but to be honest there is something truly special about GS. Have added two more GS' since this summer when this photo was taken.
The GS fit and finish is sublime. |
22 October 2022, 08:37 AM | #119 |
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And some nice ones at that! I like Rolex as well, but not as much as GS. The more I wear and look at them I continue to be extremely impressed. I have actually tried to find a defect, there just not there time after time. I purchased 3 so far this year and planning on at least 3 more. Want to pick up some LE's before there gone.
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23 October 2022, 07:10 AM | #120 | |
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