My Grand Seiko Collection

[carl]

Some may consider my small collection rather mundane. There is no diver, no chronograph, no lumed dial, no function other than date on three out of four, no date on the fourth, no arabics or roman numerals, only markers. The dials and cases are what really set each one apart from the others, and three out of the four are Limited Edition models, limited to relatively small numbers.

For my very first time, I actually have a collection - albeit a fairly recently acquired one - in which I have neither intention nor desire to flip any piece. After many years of flipping watches, with total enjoyment in the exercise, I feel satisfied to be settled into this collection. I can also happily venture out at any given time with any one of these watches, without wishing or thinking that I should perhaps have chosen another.

I know myself well enough to not make any rash promises, though. I am not going to say that there will never be one or more that I will not flip, only that I have never been as satisfied with any watch collection I have had.

SBGX059. Had it not been for the watch forums, I would likely never have discovered Grand Seiko. Shortly after I did, I was delighted to know that we have a Grand Seiko AD here in Vancouver, one of very few in Canada. I went to take a look, actually hoping to see a model SBGX061 with a black dial, thinking it might be a good replacement for the 36mm Rolex Explorer which I sold a few years ago. Sort of luckily for me they only had the model with the white dial, which I fell in love with instantly and has become my daily wear watch for work:



SBGV019. I first saw a review of this model last February, a quartz with a sapphire crystal display back and crown guards. Also, a fairly oversized crown for a quartz piece. A Limited Edition piece, which I never dreamed of even seeing in real life. So happened that the day before I went to my AD to look at various watches, they had actually received one. I bought it within a few days. I had been considering at some point getting the champagne dial version of my SBGX059, but this one has the same beautiful dial and many more attributes which make it more interesting to me. And it's a Limited Edition of 600, making it more special:



SBGV011. I had my eyes on this one long after they were sold out. Possibly the most beautiful case I have seen, and one of the most beautiful Grand Seiko models IMO. Again, a model I never dreamt of even seeing, let alone owning. I found it in the pre owned section of Timeless Luxury Watches. Until I was browsing that evening, I didn't even realize that Timeless had a pre owned section. This is the first watch I have ever bought without first seeing it in real life. Absolutely no regrets:



SBGR097. This is the second watch I have ever bought without seeing it first in real life. I actually traded two of my other Grand Seiko models for it. Very unusual for me, as it is 42mm and I normally go for smaller watches, no larger than 40mm. Now I wouldn't have this watch any other way. The most beautiful blue dial I have seen, and I really wanted a watch with no date. The surprise is that it is the most comfortable of all my four Grand Seiko watches. And the only non-quartz model. It is the introduction to the 9S61 Automatic no date movement. Limited to 500 pieces. A fairly dressy watch, it surprisingly has a screwed down crown:



I find each one of these pieces interesting and even exciting in it's own way. Each one unique, unlike any other I have seen or owned. I anticipate that this small collection will sustain my interest and enthusiasm for a long time. Thanks for looking at this tribute to my Grand Seiko collection.

Cheers,
Carl

[iceman]

What a great collection you've got there Carl

[Baco Noir]

Can you post a shot with all 4 in a row so I can really get a sense for the case differences? I can see that now that you mention it in the individual shots, but a line up would allow more direct comparison.

They are all really nice looking pieces. I think my two favorites are the SBGR097 and the SBGV011.

Also, do you know if there is any code to decipher the model numbers GS uses to indicate size, auto vs manual vs quartz, dial color, etc?

[CHIP]

Baco Noir

GSes made after the modern re-launch have 4 letters then 4 numbers. All Seiko branded watches start with "S", and something tells me this stands for "Seiko" so that's the first letter out of the way.

The next letter refers to the gender of the anticipated wearer. "B" for blokes and "T" for the ladies size.

The next letter is always "G". I assume this is for "Grand" but that's a guess. The 3rd letter traditionally denotes a lineup or collection of designs in other Seiko codes.

The final letter denotes the calibre inside the watch....

A = Spring drive, date: 9R65 or 9R15.
B = Spring drive chronograph, date:, 9R84
C = Spring drive chronograph, GMT, date: 9R86, 9R96
D = Spring drive manual wind 8 days, 9R01 (upcoming)
E = Spring drive GMT, date: 9R66
F = Quartz, date: 8J56 (discontinued)
G = Quartz, date: 8N65 (discontinued)
H = Hi-beat automatic, date: 9S85, 9S85 Special
J = Hi-beat automatic, GMT, date: 9S86, 9S86 Special
L = Automatic, PR, date: 9S67 discontinued
M = Automatic, GMT, date: 9S66, (9S56 discontinued)
R = Automatic, (date, 9S65, (9S55 discontinued)), no-date 9S64, (9S54 discontinued))
S = Quartz, no-date: 9581 (discontinued)
T = Quartz, date, day: 9F83
V = Quartz, date (larger calendar): 9F82
W = Mechanical hand-wind, no-date: 9S64 (9S54 discontinued)
X = Quartz: (date, 9F62) (no-date, 9F61)

[Baco Noir]

That's a half ass explanation - you didn't say what the numbers designate! LOL

Seriously, I knew there had to be a method to the madness. Thanks Chip.

[CHIP]

Seikos have the date of manufacture written into the serial number which is engraved on the back of the watch also the movement-model numbers are also engraved onto the case back. The first number represents the year and the second number (or letter) represents the month (1-9 for Jan.-Sept. and O,N and D for October, November and December).For example if the serial number was 864825 and you knew the watch was made sometime in the 1970's it would indicate it to be made in June 1978. You have to know the age of the watch to the nearest decade so sometimes it can be a little bit difficult. Usually the case style or the introduction dates of the movement can help to narrow this down though.

General rule for manufacture month/year is to look at 1st digit of serial # to say what year within decade. Then look at 2nd digit/letter to tell month. For month, 1-9 are Jan thru Sep, with 'O' for Oct, 'N' for Nov, and 'D' for Dec.

[rw16610]

That's certainly a collection to be proud of, Carl. You've come such a long way on the watch journey to arrive here. Before this nothing truly did it for you but I'm understanding why these do more each day. The watches suit your needs perfectly and look stunning.

[carl]

Hope this helps, Roger. Although it's not as revealing as I hoped. The case sizes are, from left to right:

SBGV011 37.2mm, SBGX059 37mm, SBGR097 42mm, SBGV019 38mm



The SBGR097 fits just great. The lugs are quite short on it, kind of like the Rolex Sea Dweller 4000 in that sense. It is actually the most comfortable of all four watches, I guess because of the case area. All the quartz models have a 19mm lug, and the SBGR097 has 21mm.

[Baco Noir]

It does carl. There is a huge difference in lug thickness and the chamfers, in addition to case sizes and dials. I did not realize the cases were so different between the 4. Thanks for taking that shot for me Carl.

[carl]

Oct 18, 2016 21:28:43 GMT -6 Baco Noir said:

It does carl . There is a huge difference in lug thickness and the chamfers, in addition to case sizes and dials. I did not realize the cases were so different between the 4. Thanks for taking that shot for me Carl.

So glad you can appreciate the differences. This side view of the SBGR097 will give you an even better idea of why, although it has great wrist presence, it would be comfortable on many wrist sizes, the downward curve of the lug ends being so pronounced:



In spite of it's apparent simplicity, this is definitely one of the most intriguing and unique watches I have owned.

[BRIAN]

What a great collection. I should've visited GS boutique in Vancouver.

[charlie3755]

Fabulous collection Carl.. Congratulations!