Horological Meandering

I'm curious about these two, since some of the watches seem to have a similar "look".  There are a number of Grand Seikos that look like the Datejust.  Any comments?  Is one movement better than the other?  Case/bracelet quality?  Thanks for the education.

Steve

Rolex and Grand Seiko.

There are so many places to start; and so many places we could end up.

On the surface you can say both are:

- well made
- have traditional and conservative styling
- never seem to change very much
- will outlast you and whoever gets it next
- don't seem to share or communicate their thinking
- highly vertically integrated in production of their watches
- prices are high for what seems to be "just a watch"
- neither seems to chase complications
- neither really has jumped onto the BIG WATCH g


You can also say that in contrast,
- Rolex makes darn near 2,000 watches a day, while Grand Seiko makes perhaps that many in a year
- Rolex is no doubt the best known brand of Swiss watch, and Seiko is probably the best known of the Japanese brands (but Grand Seikos are relatively UN-known)
- I believe virtually all Rolexes are automatic movements (self-winding) and other than a few (25,000 OysterQuartz) none are quartz
- GS makes plenty of automatics, manual winds, and quartz models

On your wrist
- both are solid, hefty watches and more often than not, supplied on bracelets
- neither will wow the neighbors with its styling (except perhaps that Leopard-Skin Daytona)

I've only had about a half-dozen Rolexes, though I have worked on a dozen or so more of them.
I think in total I've had about 20 Grand Seikos now.

Either is an excellent choice. Rolex is a can't lose proposition. GS is more likely to require an explanation as to why you bought it.
So if you like taking your watch off and handing it around, a GS is a good choice



click here , for a GS History Lesson, courtesy of SJX.

This watch is still running like a champion - despite heavy use!

firstly let me ask no Rolex devotees to take offence as everyone is welcome to an opinion albeit good or bad.

i have never owned a Rolex, but am fully aware that they have excellent movements and very well built cases. i have seen and handled quite a few.

i have owned about 6 Grand Seiko's and still own 3. the GS movements are also excellent, the cases are superbly built and finish and quality of dials and hands etc is above that of Rolex(just my opinion). they are also far more exclusive and are likely to be owned by people who understand watches. the same can be said of Rolex, but if you've got some money to spend on a posh watch and know nothing you go for the no brainer, the Rolex. that as i see it is the major problem with Rolex. they have a bad bling gangster, pimp,lottery winner rap in UK especially, because they are bought by people who want to brag about their wealth(one guy on another forum said, and i quote 'the only reason people dont buy a Rolex is that they cant afford one'. obviously i became the spitfire of the watchworld and shot him out of the sky   )

this doesnt help the collectors who buy them for their quality like everyone reading this does. that is the main reason that i've never purchased one. where i live people would just think i was showing off or it was fake. that NEVER happens with a grand Seiko. the second reason is that at the moment none of their models float my boat enough. all the diamonds and bling available IMO actually lowers their reputation for quality and ups their reputation for sales at any cost.

i think all in all they are probably of similar quality with GS concentrating a bit more on fine finish and exclusivity and Rolex more on marketing. i would buy a GS over a Rolex every time.

Graham 

In Seattle, no one even notices your watch, except to notice that you are crazy enough to wear one at all, when a cell phone is a perfectly good timekeeper!    I happen to like the timelessness of rolex, and will probably like the same about the GS.  Thank you.

I have owned and currently own Rolex, but have never spent time with Grand Seiko.  I saw one once locally for a few minutes.  The pictures "look similar" to me.  I have no problem owning a Rolex, but am thinking about a Grand Seiko for a change.  This is the input I needed.  Again, thank you.  I'm going to try one. 

Rolex was my first stop in "fine-watches" back in the early 90's.
I purchased a SS Daytona. It was a nice watch. I was in my mid-20's.

Well approx. 200 watches later, this is my latest purchase:

This is steel, not the Ti version.
44mm Spring Drive

give GS a try!


Cheers-

. . . same here, donzi22 - a GS is on my radar alongside Rolex and Omega for my next acquisition . . . cordially, Art

for the master himself so I'll take the easy way and chicken out!

I've never owned a Rolex personally. I've psychologically classified them as my "Dad's" watch (I know this is some variant of an Oedipal complex) so I've avoided adding one.  Plus it took my dad almost 50 years before he acquired his first Rolex and I didn't want to anyway diminish his pride.  My dad works with his hands, the punishment his datejust must have gone through over the past 15 years is amazing.  His bracelet is still in one piece (there is so much stretch in it), I can hardly read the time through the scratched acrylic crystal, and it has never been serviced. If I had to grade it it would be 5-10% yet it is running +35 seconds a day.  So I look forward to adding a Rolex to my collection one day...My Dad's!

Recently I purchased a modern GS (SbGW001) on a bracelet because I was looking for a dress watch I could wear daily to the office without the bling of precious metal.  It was the best purchasing decision I've made.  Sized small compared to current trends, this watch is so well proportioned on my 7.5 inch wrist that I wonder how did this big watch craze ever get started.. There are so many tiny details to admire.  The hour, minute, and seconds hands are all slightly bent to adjust for paralux, the reflective cuts on the indicies, the ivory dial, and blued seconds hand makes me smile when I look at the watch.  + 4 seconds on the wrist during the first week of wear.  Now four months later, I can honestly say it stays on my wrists during the 3 days I work in the office. 

I'd purchase a GS again and again.

Best, Mike

This message has been edited by mkt33 on 2009-01-27 19:33:13

I can't really comment on the relative merits of Grand Seiko versus Rolex since I've never really handled or owned a Rolex.

However, I do have 3 Grand Seikos (SBGW001, SBGE001, SBGR037) - and they are wonderful.  Even the "concept" of 'Grand Seiko' interests me - it is possible to spend almost any amount you like on a Seiko watch.  The finishing of the GSs I own are excellent.  As you can see I have a manual, auto and SpringDrive: all perform very well, and the SpringDrive is a conversation starter which you wouldn't get (in the same way!) with a Rolex.  Yes, a conversation would probably start wearing a Rolex but it probably wouldn't relate to the motion of the second hand

I love wearing the GSs (yes, sometimes 2 at a time) - people are amazed that Seiko watches reach such high levels of craft - they never knew.  So you can wear a watch that feels great, is wonderfully made, that completely puzzles other people. Great

GS watches tend to be slightly more shiny, thanks to the multitude of polished and facetted surfaces. However, Rolex dial quality is also excellent and better than a lot of other watches in the same price range.

The latest Rolex sports bracelet found on the GMT Master II and gold Submariners edges out the GS bracelet in terms of build quality.

GS case finish is better than Rolex in terms of detailing, though Rolex polishes its case sides and top very well, unfortunately Rolex leaves the back poorly brushed.

GS is much more discreet, people who do notice it dismiss it as a fancy looking Seiko. People who notice your Rolex will secretly wonder if it's real.

In terms of mechanics they are more or less on par. Both are great timekeepers and fairly industrial in their finish. Rolex probably has more components that are considered hallmarks of fine watchmaking like freesprung Breguet overcoil, adjustable weight balance; I am unsure what the exact technical specs of the various GS movements are since there is zero info on them in English.

- SJX

and I have learnt a great deal from it.  Thank you everyone.

Looking from different prespective, personally, I have never owned a GS but have chances to closely examine a few of them and I especially like 1of the GMT model; I must say the finishing is top notch and better than the Rolex DateJust (one of the most classic model).  It is only a year of two ago that GS are sold through authorized dealers here in Hong Kong, thus servicing the watch before would be a bit tricky as one has to personally send the watch back to Seiko in Japan it takes quite a bit of time to get it back.  I know sending the watcn in personally for service is a common practice in other parts of the world, but in a place like Hong Kong, where almost all the well known Swiss brands have service centres in HK (although they may still send the watches back to Switzerland for complicated services, but at least one doesn't have to do it by himself / herself); that may have put GS into a certain disadvantages to the general public. 

On the other hand, Rolex services here in HK are very good, at least from what I have experienced.  Last time I brought in my SeaDweller for service (1st time in 8 years), and it cost me USD257 and exactly 2 weeks (here in HK, when you bring in the watch, they have technician open your watch and look at it straight away for any major issues, if not, you will have it back in exactly 2 weeks) to get my watch back in like new conditions.  I must say this is excellent compare to many other Swiss brands, and I must say it is also one of the reason that among my watches, 50% of them are Rolexes.

However, given the change in me from wearing sports Rolex to a DateJust (and loving it); I am seeing a GS coming in a not so distant future.