I have one and this is a great "budget" spring drive. Having lume is a plus on this watch! I have mine on a leather band with white stitching. It's a great combination. For me the watch head looks way out of proportion with the factory steel bracelet. It's a large dial. A strap is much better on most Grand Seikos anyway. Enjoy the watch!
The reason the Seiko disappeared from the dial in 2017 was nothing to do with people not liking it it was due to the fact GS became a completely separate company from seiko that year.
Oh wow - thank you for the info. I think the branding is relevant to the separation though - this relationship between Seiko and Grand Seiko reminds me of the relationship between Toyota and Lexus. No way they were going to sell Toyotas to Mercedes buyers... Thank you for watching and commenting! 🙂
I'm wearing my Grand Seiko today and watching your video. I know it seems a little shallow on my part but, when I was looking for a Grand Seiko, I wanted that GS name on the dial and of course had to be a spring drive. I found one on eBay, a Japanese seller with SBGA 285 for sale. It's a matte black dial but I didn't want to pay premium price for a birch or snowflake dials. The watch was in mint condition even though it was described as good on their site. I've purchased several items from Japanese sellers with positive results. Enjoy your Grand Seiko.
It's not shallow at all - I actually think I love the brand enough to buy more and I will want one with the modern livery and logo. Which one did you get?
Yup - standard VAT. Bought it on the Thursday, delivered via DHL on the Monday. I was contacted on the Friday (day after the purchase) by DHL to sort out the VAT before it arrived in the country and it just swept through. No problems.
On Chrono24, eBay etc. dealer have to pay hefty fees if they sold the watch from there, do you recommend contacting the dealer directly and requesting a discount on the fees by directly purchasing from them?
Well I actually got some saving because I found it first on eBay but had the sense to check the same seller out on Chrono24. It was listed at about £1500 on eBay because it was listed in USD $ and that's how the conversion was - but when I checked Chrono 24 it was listed in £ for what I paid. I personally didn't want to go outside of a third party, because you do pay a fee, but you get some additional security. You absolutely can go direct to the seller - but how much you'd save versus that peace of mind? That's up to you to decide if it's worth it... (thank you for watching and commenting!!)
You're may be absolutely delighted, but I would not follow your path. I want Box, Papers, all links, very good condition, and no compromise on the model and features. I'll pay for that, because it will come back to me when I want to sell it. Even if I don't sell it, I want my son to have all the links in case he needs them - good luck finding one in 30 years. I also have to say, if I wanted a Seiko quartz watch (sorry, it is a quartz watch) with a crappy bracelet, I would at least want one of their beautiful dials. Black doesn't tick any aesthetic boxes. Sorry if I'm blunt, I don't believe in walking on eggshells. That said, you seemed to have gotten a lot of watch for your money.
@@jackominty3633 hey we all have views and I'm grateful for yours! I think eventually I will get the brand new experience with the dial - but we all need something to look forward to 😁
Seller is called 'Closer' and I would recommend - but be careful I understand they have been impersonated by scammers in the past. So do your homework and make sure you're not dealing with a front. That happens sometimes. Chrono24 are good at helping to avoid that (and I'm not getting any commission or incentive from them to say so) - thanks for watching and commenting!
You have got a fantastic watch for a phenomenal price! Top marks Sir!
Thank you! Thank you for watching and commenting too
I have one and this is a great "budget" spring drive. Having lume is a plus on this watch! I have mine on a leather band with white stitching. It's a great combination. For me the watch head looks way out of proportion with the factory steel bracelet. It's a large dial. A strap is much better on most Grand Seikos anyway. Enjoy the watch!
Sounds awesome. I'm definitely thinking about getting a croc leather strap to go along with it too! Thank you for watching and commenting!
The reason the Seiko disappeared from the dial in 2017 was nothing to do with people not liking it it was due to the fact GS became a completely separate company from seiko that year.
Oh wow - thank you for the info. I think the branding is relevant to the separation though - this relationship between Seiko and Grand Seiko reminds me of the relationship between Toyota and Lexus. No way they were going to sell Toyotas to Mercedes buyers... Thank you for watching and commenting! 🙂
CONGRATS on the GREAT new Grand Seiko!
@@20thcenturyboy85 thank you my friend
I'm wearing my Grand Seiko today and watching your video. I know it seems a little shallow on my part but, when I was looking for a Grand Seiko, I wanted that GS name on the dial and of course had to be a spring drive. I found one on eBay, a Japanese seller with SBGA 285 for sale. It's a matte black dial but I didn't want to pay premium price for a birch or snowflake dials. The watch was in mint condition even though it was described as good on their site. I've purchased several items from Japanese sellers with positive results. Enjoy your Grand Seiko.
It's not shallow at all - I actually think I love the brand enough to buy more and I will want one with the modern livery and logo. Which one did you get?
@@OrdinaryWatchGuy It's an SBGA 285. A discontinued 39mm diameter. It's been replace with I think SBGA 467, a 40mm.
Well played. Can’t afford a GS but just ordered the SARX115 which is going to make a great everyday watch.
That is a lovely watch. Seiko are so damn good.
Have a like! So import duty was just the standard VAT, no issues?
Yup - standard VAT. Bought it on the Thursday, delivered via DHL on the Monday. I was contacted on the Friday (day after the purchase) by DHL to sort out the VAT before it arrived in the country and it just swept through. No problems.
Cheers!
On Chrono24, eBay etc. dealer have to pay hefty fees if they sold the watch from there, do you recommend contacting the dealer directly and requesting a discount on the fees by directly purchasing from them?
Well I actually got some saving because I found it first on eBay but had the sense to check the same seller out on Chrono24. It was listed at about £1500 on eBay because it was listed in USD $ and that's how the conversion was - but when I checked Chrono 24 it was listed in £ for what I paid. I personally didn't want to go outside of a third party, because you do pay a fee, but you get some additional security. You absolutely can go direct to the seller - but how much you'd save versus that peace of mind? That's up to you to decide if it's worth it... (thank you for watching and commenting!!)
You're may be absolutely delighted, but I would not follow your path. I want Box, Papers, all links, very good condition, and no compromise on the model and features. I'll pay for that, because it will come back to me when I want to sell it. Even if I don't sell it, I want my son to have all the links in case he needs them - good luck finding one in 30 years. I also have to say, if I wanted a Seiko quartz watch (sorry, it is a quartz watch) with a crappy bracelet, I would at least want one of their beautiful dials. Black doesn't tick any aesthetic boxes. Sorry if I'm blunt, I don't believe in walking on eggshells. That said, you seemed to have gotten a lot of watch for your money.
@@jackominty3633 hey we all have views and I'm grateful for yours! I think eventually I will get the brand new experience with the dial - but we all need something to look forward to 😁
which seller?
Seller is called 'Closer' and I would recommend - but be careful I understand they have been impersonated by scammers in the past. So do your homework and make sure you're not dealing with a front. That happens sometimes. Chrono24 are good at helping to avoid that (and I'm not getting any commission or incentive from them to say so) - thanks for watching and commenting!