Getting To Know Grand Seiko: 10 Things You Should Know - Wrist Advisor (2024)

FAQs

How well does Grand Seiko hold value? ›

Grand Seiko produces luxury watches so they will retain most of their value depending on the watch that you purchase and if you can buy it at a discount. Like most watches though you'll see a depreciation of 5-20% when you try to resell it but that isn't to say that it's the same for all models.

Grand Seiko is a high-end line of luxury watches produced by the renowned Japanese watch manufacturer, Seiko. Known for their exceptional quality, precision, and craftsmanship, Grand Seiko watches have steadily gained international recognition and respect in the luxury watch market.

Frequency of such work depends on the climate and the owner's individual care of the watch, but in general, we recommend having your watch serviced about every three years at an Authorized Seiko Service Center.

The answer to this question is a wholehearted “YES!” If there's one brand that offers great value for money, it's Grand Seiko. Its history, movements, design, and finishing are all pretty much unmatched for the money.

Grand Seiko and Rolex both offer different value propositions to their buyers. Rolex rules when it comes to brand awareness, while Grand Seiko takes the crown in craftsmanship, so the Grand Seiko vs Rolex debate becomes difficult to crown a winner. Having a Rolex watch goes beyond just wearing a luxurious watch.

Grand Seiko watch parts are handmade

There is a certain level of sophistication that comes with creating a product by hand versus using a machine. Seiko watches may be reliable but the company does not put much effort (or money) into designing these watches. And the price point reflects this.

Do not wear the watch while taking a bath or a sauna. Steam, soap or some components of a hot spring may accelerate the deterioration of water resistant performance of the watch.

How Long Will a Seiko 5 Last? A Seiko 5 watch can last anywhere from five years to over 25 years. The wide range is due to a variety of wildcards. For example, dust build-up can eventually cause a break in an old Seiko 5's 7S26B movement.

To use the watch with better accuracy, wind the mainspring every day, at a fixed time. Please keep to this rule as best as possible.

Why are Grand Seiko so good? ›

It is unique to Grand Seiko, partly because no other brand has managed to achieve what they have done. The Spring Drive combines the best of quartz and mechanical into one. It generates energy like every other mechanical watch, but uses a quartz crystal to regulate the timing, creating a high level of precision.

18k yellow gold is used for this case, just as it was on the very first Grand Seiko. Its soft feel and sharply sculpted form show its heritage and the embossed Grand Seiko name is presented in a three-dimensional form that also reflects the original.

Omega has a distinct edge because of its long history and the reputation it has built during that time. The Grand Seiko timepieces are great reflections of superior Japanese watchmaking but lack the cache and luxury brand recognition that Omega enjoys.

Grand Seiko is Japan's best-known luxury watch brand and a true rival to Swiss watchmakers including Rolex, Omega, and Breitling.

Young Steve Jobs were the Seiko 6 43 one, which you can find like under 50 bucks. Arnold Schwarzenegger frequently wore the army, which is a Seiko Dive watch. you can find for a couple hundred dollars. Novak Djokovic wore the Seiko Astron.

With an annual production of 35,000 Grand Seiko watches (close to the likes of Audemars Piguet's total production, for example), most of the watches stay in Asia. The pre-owned market for Grand Seiko watches is relatively small, especially outside Asia.

The most expensive Grand Seiko watch is the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon, which sold for $478,000, the highest price ever for a Grand Seiko sold at auction. The watch was also awarded the Chronometry Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève for its high-precision timekeeping abilities.

Tag Heuer is more a luxury brand than Seiko and costs a tad more. Most of Tad Heuer's watches cost over a few thousand dollars. There are also more affordable pieces, but they do not have these complex mechanisms and are not so popular.

The hairspring in a mechanical Grand Seiko watch is resistant to roughly 10,000 A/m, or 125 gauss, higher than that of a strong kitchen magnet (though you still should not bring one close to your watch).

Hattori family members continue to own holdings in the Seiko Group Corporation. Etsuko Hattori holds 3,613,000 shares (8.7%), Shinji Hattori 2,279,289 (5.5%), and Hideo Hattori 1,622,000 (3.9%). Both Seiko Group Corporation and Seiko Epson have many different subsidiaries specializing in different areas.

What steel does Grand Seiko use? ›

The vast majority of Grand Seiko watches are made of 316L stainless steel, which is generally regarded as the industry standard. 316L is known for its low carbon content (in fact, that's what the “L” denotes), anti-magnetic properties, and its excellent resistance against corrosion.

This watch is configured in such a way that the mainspring cannot be over-wound. Even if you turn the crown after the mainspring is fully wound, the mainspring will not wind up any more. Even if you continue to turn the crown, it will not damage the watch, however, please refrain from operating the crown excessively.

While Seiko watches are revered for their quality and value, they're not exempt from the fundamental laws of materials science. Hardlex crystal, Seiko's proprietary crystal, is known for its robustness against shattering, but it's not quite as resilient when it comes to scratches.

Automatic watches are perfectly safe when stopped – that is to say that the movement doesn't run anymore because the mainspring is fully unwound. Just wind again the next time you want to wear it, and you're good to go. It's not bad for an automatic watch movement to stop.

Can you Overwind Automatic Watches? Automatic watches cannot be overwound; they have an infinitely-slipping mainspring. The barrel walls are lined with a special “braking grease” and the mainspring uses a sliding bridle to push against the walls, yet still be able to slip.

A general rule of thumb for automatic watches is accuracy within 25 seconds per day, and most factory specs are within 30 seconds. "Chronometer" (COSC) timing, which is considered to be near-perfect accuracy, gets into the 6 seconds per day range - this is generally found on watches in the $2,000+ range.

If a watch suddenly begins running extremely fast (20+ seconds per day to hours fast per day) it is usually an indication that the hairspring coils are magnetized, causing the coils to stick together. This shortens the rotation of the balance wheel and increases the beat rate extremely.

Mechanical watches usually take 20 to 30 turns to be completely wound. With most manual-wind watches, however, it's relatively simple to tell when you've wound enough. Just start winding, and when you start to feel resistance to the crown, that's the signal for you to stop.

In reality, there are a few Seiko timepieces that have appalling resale values. But, every watchmaker, even down to the likes of Rolex and Patek Philippe, have a few products that end up not ageing too well. Whether or not Seiko timepieces offer an excellent return on investment, the short answer is yes, they do.

Value: Whether you're buying a last-minute gift on Amazon or dropping ten figures on a solid gold handmade Grand Seiko, you'll be getting an impressive value. Quality: Even the lowest-tier Seikos are well-made and will typically outperform their price-point counterparts from other brands.

Is Seiko watch worth investing? ›

As said, the value of watches is determined mostly by the brand, the rarity, and the demand of the market. In many cases, Seiko watches can be a great buy. While some of the lower end models may not gain much in value, the middle and upper end of the Seiko line tend to appreciate over time.

This, coupled with wear throughout the year, has meant I've never come to them to find they have died. But of course, a battery, even a rechargeable one, does have a finite life span, and Seiko says this is around ten years. So ten years of worry-free accurate timekeeping is what you can expect from these movements.

The most expensive Grand Seiko watch is the Grand Seiko Kodo Constant-force Tourbillon, which sold for $478,000, the highest price ever for a Grand Seiko sold at auction. The watch was also awarded the Chronometry Prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève for its high-precision timekeeping abilities.

Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe are the most popular and renowned watches that maintain a high resale value. These four brands hold the highest appreciation in the collector's market and are often seen as status symbols by those who own them.

The limited edition watches are incredibly popular with collectors, making them very desirable timepieces. These watches are often limited in number and therefore hold their value very well. The brand's limited edition timepieces are often collaborations with other companies, designers and charities.

Simply said, Grand Seiko is a high-end Seiko watch, meaning everything about the Grand Seiko watches is more carefully made, in terms that each watch is still assembled by hand. To paraphrase the words of some of the owners of Grand Seiko timepieces – 'everything is more precise' (compared to other Seiko watch lines).

Luxury in Craftsmanship:

Seiko is among the few fully integrated watch companies that design and manufacture their own movements, cases, dials, and hands. This commitment to in-house production ensures stringent quality control and a level of craftsmanship that can certainly be considered luxurious.

The Seiko SARB035 is a superb alternative variant for the Rolex Datejust. It's a premium timepiece with a better price tag, and has the very features found on the Rolex, like the case's shoulders, the beveled edges, the finishing, boxy shape, and the polished bezel.

Seiko Watches Only Use High-Quality Materials

The movements inside of Seiko watches are made from the highest quality materials available. The Japanese watchmaker uses both stainless steel and titanium in its movements, which makes them extremely durable and resistant to corrosion.

To improve the accuracy of a mechanical watch, it is recommended that you wind up the mainspring every day, at a fixed time, even if the watch is a self-winding type.

Why does my Seiko watch stop when not worn? ›

It is likely because you're not wearing or winding the watch enough. Automatic watches gain power from manually winding it, or from the automatic winding that occurs from your motion while you are active while wearing it. So simply put, if you're not wearing it, your power reserve will run out.

While the chronograph is used to measure a long period of time, however, the watch will stop operating before 45 hours. If the watch is used without being wound up fully, gain or loss of time may result. To avoid this, wear the watch for more than 10 hours a day.