Longevity of GS

[chunk2020]

Hi guys,

Has anyone here had their grand seikos for more than say 10 years?

Taking nothing away from them. Have tried them on and like them, good looking, well made etc. really any premium piece will outlast us if looked after properly

Yea there are issues on older supply as was JDM mainly I understand. And the current prices and availability in some other brands has encouraged collectors to widen their peripheral vision and check out offerings from brands other than what they are used to. Also with insta now and certain collectors (eg. Watchdxb for grand seiko new and vintage or Roni for various nice old stuff and a lot of cartier) .. it’s easier to see what would have been private collections before.

But did anyone have GS before this rally? Were they a thing before the much championed snowflake fell onto our screens?

Have they accelerated much more quickly with the new popularity and hence blasting out all the editions. Not complaining about choice.. but there seems to be a lot of them to my amateur eye.

I guess my question is.. what will we think about GS in 10-15years and looking back to now?

Pls note
I’m not talking about money/value or anything like that.
Also we all know seiko isn’t going anywhere as they’re so huge.

Will GS up market themselves again? Will they sit alongside omega/Rolex still in the future.

Your thoughts wouod be appreciated.

Thank you for your time if you got this far in my rambly message


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[Old Expat Beast]

Well Seiko has ben around longer than Rolex, and Grand Seiko has been around since 1960 (with a break from mid 70s till 1988, when it was Grand Quartz), so not going away soon. Although the brand has only been available outside Japan since 2010, it's made a good name for itself in 12 years, and I expect it will continue to gain followers, especially if it continues to offer plenty of choice and superlative quality and finishing.

[asiparks]

Old Expat Beast will be along with his early jewels, but outside of Japan I think they were relatively unknown until the Snowflake started garnering so much attention.

I think some grey dealers are trying to bump up the prices and create FOMO on some of the more limited editions, which I hope doesn't spread.
There are a lot of options. I don't mind, I like choice and my buying decision is simply " does it look gorgeous/can I rustle up the funds to buy it".

Will they sit alongside Rolex or Omega ? brand cachet wise ? Probably not. Perhaps maybe. Invery broad, generalized terms of quality, craftsmanship, uniqueness (with GS most made models dwarfed in numbers by those two), I'd rank GS above.
There are particular Rolex and Omega models I like more than any GS equivalent, and the reverse is also true.

And indeed he popped in whilst I was typing....

[chunk2020]

Thank you for the responses guys


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[chunk2020]

I’m surprised how much in my head I’d be all over them if they upped their clasp game ! I’m teetering… will report back


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[Chester01]

Considering thay make watches at like what the 9-15k mark with finishing on par with PP and show real innovation with their movements, I think they will be around for a little while.

[thegrandseikoguy]

Grand Seikos are built to last for decades.

I have had dozens upon dozens of vintage pieces serviced by my watchmaker, and he has brought every single one of them back to original spec.

If he can do that 60+ years after they were made, there is no reason to assume someone else won’t be able to do it 60 years hence.

With regards to the modern era, I have multiple examples of the first SBGS series launched in 1988. They run ok, but it is a fact of nature that quartz crystals age, and it’s not realistic to expect these to continue to run to +/-10spy. Possibly they could be regulated back into spec, but that would possibly require a trip back to the mothership.

[Kinnakeet]

Last month I purchased a snowflake. Yesterday I noticed the watch was several hours fast and the seconds hand was spinning extremely fast. I took a video and sent it to the AD and was told to bring it in and they would replace the watch.

Not long before that i purchased a cherry blossom. The very next day it stopped working. The same AD of course replaced but had some difficulty locating another.

I have several others that are running just fine. But out of the very many high end watches that my family owns these are the only problems we have ever had. Both GS’s.

GS is still my favourite brand. But I’m starting to wonder.

[duquephart]

Originally Posted by Kinnakeet

Last month I purchased a snowflake. Yesterday I noticed the watch was several hours fast and the seconds hand was spinning extremely fast. I took a video and sent it to the AD and was told to bring it in and they would replace the watch.

Not long before that i purchased a cherry blossom. The very next day it stopped working. The same AD of course replaced but had some difficulty locating another.

I have several others that are running just fine. But out of the very many high end watches that my family owns these are the only problems we have ever had. Both GS’s.

GS is still my favourite brand. But I’m starting to wonder.

Got to be a really weird set of circumstances. If GS wasn't rock solid you'd have never heard of it.

[Kinnakeet]

Originally Posted by duquephart

Got to be a really weird set of circumstances. If GS wasn't rock solid you'd have never heard of it.

It’s a large AD, the salesman who I have dealt with for many years claims that’s the only 2 problems they have had.

[train-time]

Originally Posted by Kinnakeet

Last month I purchased a snowflake. Yesterday I noticed the watch was several hours fast and the seconds hand was spinning extremely fast. I took a video and sent it to the AD and was told to bring it in and they would replace the watch.

Not long before that i purchased a cherry blossom. The very next day it stopped working. The same AD of course replaced but had some difficulty locating another.

I have several others that are running just fine. But out of the very many high end watches that my family owns these are the only problems we have ever had. Both GS’s.

GS is still my favourite brand. But I’m starting to wonder.

Interesting, I was looking at buying a new SBGE257 Spring Drive for my collection and now I am reconsidering. I think I will stick with Rolex, Omega and perhaps a Breitling for now. $6,200 is a fair amount to take a chance on. Thanks for the candid feedback Michelle.

[duquephart]

Originally Posted by train-time

Interesting, I was looking at buying a new SBGE257 Spring Drive for my collection and now I am reconsidering. I think I will stick with Rolex, Omega and perhaps a Breitling for now. $6,200 is a fair amount to take a chance on. Thanks for the candid feedback Michelle.

You are always taking a chance. It's called "life".

[Locust]

I own 9. I have had zero problems with any of them.

[Kinnakeet]

Originally Posted by Locust

I own 9. I have had zero problems with any of them.

Same, and have had 2 fail right away. I think it’s just been bad luck. What keeps me going is that the AD has given me new watches and not put me through warranty. But I have purchased quite a bit from him. If I was put through warranty that would be the end of that AD relationship.