Is the build quality of grand seiko greater than rolex?

[jlc123]

This says a lot about GS. The members on a Rolex forum have come to the consensus that GS is of better build quality than Rolex.

[MiamiLawyer]

I would love to see one in the flesh!

[esm]

Originally Posted by Art 1

From a guy who owns 90 PP's.

Again - personal opinion/statement. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Would love a GS and we all know a GS isn't a PP at the end of the day.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by esm

Again - personal opinion/statement. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Would love a GS and we all know a GS isn't a PP at the end of the day.

Only difference is the name on the dial.

[alanc]

Originally Posted by padi56

Afraid any stigma with Seiko and the Seiko grand is only in that persons head.

+1. Quality is quality.

[alanc]

Originally Posted by padi56

Afraid today vintage GS are very difficult to find and getting rarer than hens teeth, I missed one in Singapore about ten years ago a big mistake on my part.

Well, Padi, I suspect I may have a different definition of vintage than you - like, say, 2007!

[Art 1]

Originally Posted by esm

Again - personal opinion/statement. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Would love a GS and we all know a GS isn't a PP at the end of the day.

OK, well it's the opinion of a guy who knows the Stern family, has been invited and been to the PP factory to handle watches and attends Basel each year. His opinion is very valuable to me.

[Mickey®]

I was once a Seiko addict...LOL

[Brenngun]

Originally Posted by Rags

Seiko is a great watch company but rolex markets better..

Originally Posted by rr-nyc

I disagree. It's not so much marketing that puts Rolex ahead of Seiko in the high end market. Seiko did it to themselves.

You can't make a $75 watch and an $7500 watch under the same name. Thats why Toyota created Lexus and Nissan created Infinity.

Renato, your comment actually supports Chuck's assertion. His point was Rolex is better at marketing than Seiko. Your comment is they didn't understand how they should bring the GS line to market i.e. under a new banner like Toyota/Lexus which ultimately makes them worse at marketing than Rolex.

[gwozhog]

No offense to the OP but who cares its a Seiko. It's like buying a 70k Hyundai Equis. You might as well buy a Mercedes instead a save yourself the embarrassment of explaining to your friends that you dropped 70k on a Hyunda or rolex money on a Seiko.

[Mickey®]

Originally Posted by gwozhog

No offense to the OP but who cares its a Seiko. It's like buying a 70k Hyundai Equis. You might as well buy a Mercedes instead a save yourself the embarrassment of explaining to your friends that you dropped 70k on a Hyunda or rolex money on a Seiko.

This. IMHO

[Frogman4me]

Originally Posted by padi56

Afraid today vintage GS are very difficult to find and getting rarer than hens teeth, I missed one in Singapore about ten years ago a big mistake on my part.

This is the only vintage model I owned. It's high beat 36000 and 10 beats per second was awesome to watch :)

[Hooper]

Originally Posted by Frogman4me

This is the only vintage model I owned. It's high beat 36000 and 10 beats per second was awesome to watch :)

Beauty

[avusblue]

Originally Posted by gslaskin

Absolutely the GS is better. Don't believe me? Get one of both and look at them under a loupe. No comparison.

This is 100% correct. I have owned multiples of both brands (Rolex and GS), and I currently own one of each. Both brands produce enduring, classic watches of integrity and refined design. Both are to be respected for their in-house manufacture capability. But guys, remember: the original question was not "which brand is more prestigious to the general public?" It was "which brand has greater build quality?". And having owned and handled both, I have consistently observed that the quality and artistry of GS finishing and workmanship is simply superior to Rolex's factory-built machining. To the scoffers amongst us, I suggest you take a look at each under a loupe and become a believer. The hand-made dial, hands, and markers of the GS are just incredibly miraculous works of art. Anyone who says otherwise has not given a GS a close inspection. And the Spring Drive movement has simply reinvented how to execute a mechanical timepiece . . . no one else in the world has come anywhere close to this innovation. It is a work of art that reflects the best of classic mechanical horology -- while delivering superlative accuracy performance that's unequalled by any old-fashioned "pure" mechanical.

What GS does not have is a brand that's widely acknowledged by the masses as "prestigious." Rolex obviously does have that. Nothing wrong with Rolex -- they obviously sell a lot of watches and over the decades they have developed the most widely recognized prestige brand in the world. And Rolex has a deeper AD network and after-sale service network that is also an advantage.

If you want your friends and neighbors to know you are a man of deep means, show them your Rolex. But once again, the original question was whether the GS has build quality greater than Rolex. I believe the answer to that question is a definite "yes". And to the educated, mature, WIS -- a collector who has been around the block and really knows his stuff -- I believe the Grand Seiko watches are deserving of higher respect, for that very reason.

My $.02 as a man who owns both. Respectfully,

Dave

[Nodelicious]

Originally Posted by avusblue

This is 100% correct. I have owned multiples of both brands (Rolex and GS), and I currently own one of each. Both brands produce enduring, classic watches of integrity and refined design. Both are to be respected for their in-house manufacture capability. But the quality and artistry of GS finishing and workmanship is simply superior to Rolex's factory-built machining. To the scoffers amongst us, I suggest you take a look at each under a loupe and become a believer. The hand-made dial, hands, and markers of the GS are just incredibly miraculous works of art. Anyone who says otherwise has not given a GS a close inspection. And the Spring Drive movement has simply reinvented how to execute a mechanical timepiece . . . no one else in the world has come anywhere close to this innovation. It is a work of art that reflects the best of classic mechanical horology -- while delivering superlative accuracy performance that's unequalled by any old-fashioned "pure" mechanical.

What GS does not have is a brand that's widely acknowledged by the masses as "prestigious." Rolex obviously does have that. Nothing wrong with Rolex -- they obviously sell a lot of watches and over the decades they have developed the most widely recognized prestige brand in the world. And Rolex has a deeper AD network and after-sale service network that is also an advantage.

If you want your friends and neighbors to know you are a man of deep means, show them your Rolex. But to the educated, mature, WIS -- a collector who has been around the block and really knows his stuff -- I believe the Grand Seiko watches are deserving of higher respect. And for very good reason.

My $.02 as a man who owns both. Respectfully,

Dave

Dave, if you had to limit yourself to one watch, to live with for life, and you had to choose between a gs product or a rolex product which would you choose and why?

Cheers.

[avusblue]

Originally Posted by Nodelicious

Dave, if you had to limit yourself to one watch, to live with for life, and you had to choose between a gs product or a rolex product which would you choose and why?

Cheers.

Good question. Well, I've kind of answered that question through the composition of my collection. I've owned over a dozen Rolex watches of all vintages and types. Believe me, I'm a Rolex fan! They definitely have that "special something" that we all undoubtedly like. The Rolex I've hung onto is a classic '84 DateJust that was my fathers. So, I acknowledge that's not really the best benchmark of current Rolex construction quality. But I have owned the modern ceramic-bezeled GMT and the modern style DateJust as well as the classic Sea-Dweller, Subs, OQ's, AKs, and so on. Anyway, the watch that I daily wear currently, and would retain if I were forced to keep only one non-sentimental watch, is the Grand Seiko. It is just that satisfying to own and wear. Its performance is amazing. And, frankly, it is fun to wear a watch of such supreme quality that is so stealthy. No one else, except a true WIS that appreciates the finest, knows what I have in the Grand Seiko. To me, that's the most special attribute of all in a fine wristwatch.

[sierra11b]

I would say yes and I love Rolex. Why?

The quality of the watches are the same imho.

But the GS movement decoration is beautifully executed while the Rolex, despite being a great movement, is dully decorated.

Therefore GS build quality > Rolex

[fmc000]

I can't speak for high-end Rolexes, I mean the Sky-Dweller or the Daytona, as I never saw them in person. But I can assure everyone that you don't even need a Grand Seiko to have better quality then Submariners.

The Seiko Prospex divers, say the MarineMaster 300 or the amazing 600 Spring Drive, are much better quality then the new Sub C IMHO (and in this case I had compared them face to face).

[Docar]

Until two years ago, I hadn't heard of the GS.

At the time, I was in the market for an everyday watch and the Datejust was at the top of my list.

Came across a reference to the Grand Seiko and began to research the brand...

Ended up buying this as my everyday watch...Am glad I did.

[G.J]

What a beauty Docar...!!!

[BH13GMT]

Well this GS v Rolex thread pops up every so often. What I like is the education that comes from these threads, we have members somewhat blinkered by the Rolex brand who eventually do some research and find out how good the GS watches are, some end up owning one. I have been watching GS with interest for many years now. Only recently can you buy them retail in the UK. At the London Gtg in november we all met at Salon Qp watch show. We all decended on the Grand Seiko stand and spent a long time playing with the Diver models. I and many of the guys were very impressed with what we saw. The Diver is an awesome bit of kit and I would have one and when my Rolex boxes are ticked, I will have one. In the same way I would own a VW Pheaton instead of an A8, 7 series or S Class.
The only downside for me was that there isnt yet a service centre in the uk that can service the spring drive movement. The Seiko rep did admit that when I asked him that question.
And if my wife finds the GS in my rotation, I can tell her it was £300

One final point, if you see a GS in the wild, you know you are looking at someone who knows his watches and definately isnt a brash in your face character, more likely a true gentleman.

[kfalk]

I dipped my toes into the GS waters with an entry level SBGX063 quartz and love it. It compares very well, if not better, than any of my Rolex models. Beautiful fit and finish.

[drainaps]

Originally Posted by fmc000

...... But I can assure everyone that you don't even need a Grand Seiko to have better quality then Submariners.

The Seiko Prospex divers, say the MarineMaster 300 or the amazing 600 Spring Drive, are much better quality then the new Sub C IMHO (and in this case I had compared them face to face).

I would not consider the Grand Seiko and the Prospex divers in the same league, but it is true that even a humble 500 dollars Prospex is a lot of watch for very little money.

I still remember my first Prospex, after I had bought some Submariners. I spent quite some time wondering why I was investing (did I hear wasting?) my money on Rolex.

My Prospex is my regular dive watch and a regular wear. I cannot say it gets more wrist time than any of the Submariners, but it gets its very very fair share.

These threads bring back the guilt syndrome again..... Why do I "invest" my money on Rolex.......

[balboa73]

Originally Posted by gwozhog

No offense to the OP but who cares its a Seiko. It's like buying a 70k Hyundai Equis. You might as well buy a Mercedes instead a save yourself the embarrassment of explaining to your friends that you dropped 70k on a Hyunda or rolex money on a Seiko.

It makes me sad to see people only buy watches because of perceived value

[68camaro]

Originally Posted by gwozhog

No offense to the OP but who cares its a Seiko. It's like buying a 70k Hyundai Equis. You might as well buy a Mercedes instead a save yourself the embarrassment of explaining to your friends that you dropped 70k on a Hyunda or rolex money on a Seiko.

Had this experience last year, I bought wife a BMW 5 series, co-worker bought the Equis at same time. At end of day I just couldn't justify close to $70k for a Hyundai.

Chuck

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by rr-nyc

Yes, Mercedes in the US start at $35k but that is not accessible to a large portion of the population. Toyota have cars starting at $14k which is.

Toyota would not be as successful selling their high end cars under the Toyota badge compared to Lexus

There is another distinct difference and that is that Mercedes Benz was a high end car company that in recent years went down market to attract entry level buyers and, as noted, their least expensive car still is not cheap. Seiko on the other hand, is traditionally a low end watch company that has gone up market. Perhaps had they opened a Swiss facility to build these watches and branded them differently, the perception may be quite different.

[Nodelicious]

I have been following this thread closely and I thought that I would add the following:

The ability to service a Mechanical watch easily around the world is of utmost importance to me. I know that I can service my milgauss very quickly at a reputable authorized shop at any given time. The 3131 movement is well known.

I don't think I would be able to find a shop to service a spring drive here in Toronto, especially one that I trust to do a proper job.

If I decide to buy a grand Seiko I will most likely choose a regular automatic model or perhaps even one of their quartz models. In fact the more I learn about high-end quartz movements the more obvious it is to me that these are movements that when executed on properly should command respect.

Anyway, Back to my main point and that is that service is as important as the product itself.

[alanc]

Originally Posted by BH13GMT

Well this GS v Rolex thread pops up every so often. What I like is the education that comes from these threads, we have members somewhat blinkered by the Rolex brand who eventually do some research and find out how good the GS watches are, some end up owning one. I have been watching GS with interest for many years now. Only recently can you buy them retail in the UK. At the London Gtg in november we all met at Salon Qp watch show. We all decended on the Grand Seiko stand and spent a long time playing with the Diver models. I and many of the guys were very impressed with what we saw. The Diver is an awesome bit of kit and I would have one and when my Rolex boxes are ticked, I will have one. In the same way I would own a VW Pheaton instead of an A8, 7 series or S Class.
The only downside for me was that there isnt yet a service centre in the uk that can service the spring drive movement. The Seiko rep did admit that when I asked him that question.
And if my wife finds the GS in my rotation, I can tell her it was £300

One final point, if you see a GS in the wild, you know you are looking at someone who knows his watches and definately isnt a brash in your face character, more likely a true gentleman.

So, can the non-Spring Drive SEiko models be serviced in the U.K. or the U.S.A?

[Speed]

Originally Posted by Docar

Until two years ago, I hadn't heard of the GS.

At the time, I was in the market for an everyday watch and the Datejust was at the top of my list.

Came across a reference to the Grand Seiko and began to research the brand...

Ended up buying this as my everyday watch...Am glad I did.

I would LOVE to have the smooth as glass movement. I understand the seconds hand is pretty darn mesmerizing. I also like the simple design...the watch is not that unlike a DateJust.

However, what bugs me is the poor choice of of fonts...especially the "GS" and Grand Seiko name. The gothic font clashes with the main SEIKO logo type. I don't know why this choice was made. It's a little thing...but to me, it makes the dial look like an afterthought.

Having said all this...I have no issues re: SEIKO. Love my Monster.

[RanHong]

I own both Rolex and grand seiko, IMHO the fit and finish on the grand seiko is superior. If you appreciate understated style and fine details you will love grand seikos.