Seiko 4R36A movement

[madmax21]

Just wanted to ask you guys out there what the difference is between the Grand Seiko automatic movement and say the 4R36A movements Seiko makes for their mid range watches. I picked up a 4R36A and wouldn't mind picking up a grand sequel down the road and I'm curious how much better they really are

[PJ S]

The 4R is an old nag, ready for being turned into glue, in comparison to the thoroughbred 9S that’s in a Grand Seiko.
The only common trait is the use of Seiko’s proprietary SPRON material for the mainspring, but even then it’s 510 vs 610 – so not exactly a shared component.

The 4R is a basic 6R, itself derived from the 7S – as typically seen in the Seiko 5s (although some now use the 4R36) - which lacks handwinding and seconds hacking.
The 6R would be the venerable ETA 2824 equivalent.
A 9S movement is certified to maintain accuracy to better than -3/+5 secs per day – outperforming COSC movements.

If you want to learn more, start researching and reading up on them – it’s the best way to learn and appreciate the brand, or any brand for that matter.