Grand Seiko is a true independent manufacturer with a long history. The production line was established in 1960, which is the beginning of Seiko’s commitment to producing high-end watches that can compete with the Swiss. In 1962, the legendary Seiko designer Taro Tanaka formulated a series of rules called Grammar of Design, and his holistic approach to watches would become Seiko’s design language in the future. In 1972, Grand Seiko ceased production for 16 years. Until 1988, Grand Seiko’s first quartz power watch 95GS brought the brand back. But it wasn’t until 1998 that Grand Seiko released the 9S5 mechanical series, which was Grand Seiko’s first new mechanical movement in 20 years.

At the end of last year, when I visited the brand’s factory, my love for Grand Seiko became even stronger. Seeing these watches together, the perfect combination of manual and industrial production is really eye-catching. I ended my love for watches and ended my love for watches.

Grand Seiko is a true innovator. The brand’s first Spring Drive movement is still impressive 21 years after it was first introduced to the world, and I personally think that Spring Drive is one of the very few really interesting developments in chronograph machinery in the past few decades. Of course, there is Seiko’s 9F quartz production line. In terms of quartz, it can be said to be crèmede lacrème.

The watch we want to buy today is one of Grand Seiko’s current favorites in the catalog. In fact, this is the watch I own. referee. SBGM221 is located in the Elegance series of Grand Seiko and is the seat of Grand Seiko watches.

This watch has a width of 39.5 mm, a thickness of 14.5 mm, and a lug to lug of 46.3 mm, which is a good find. Considering the modification of the overall dial and case, this is a touch dressing table, so the thickness of the case is less than 40mm, which is really good. That is to say, I will not classify it as a simple wearable watch, so the case is not a slim 37 mm, and this fact will not bother me.

Although the reading on the 14.5-mm paper is somewhat thick, the case itself does not look too thick, nor does it wear on the wrist. First, the mid-range is not a big board. Secondly, the thickness is distributed between the bottom of the table, the midsole and the sapphire box crystal. Third, the watch case will immerse into the wrist when worn, and the lugs will bend downward, and finally achieve a very good fit, which can be adapted to wrists of various sizes and shapes.

Unlike the watches in the Heritage and Sport series that make up Seiko, the watches in the Elegance series have a softer case. When I say soft, I am not commenting on the quality of the finish. In fact, everything here is as clear and precise as possible. “Soft” means that these cases are not as rough and angular as some of Tanaka’s design grammars. When I admire these watches in an abstract way-I am a loyal supporter of many old-fashioned watches-I have not yet been completely passionate about some of the more popular modern aesthetics. Personally, I find that many of them dominate my 7-inch wrist. I fully understand that this is my preference, nothing more, and there are many Seiko devotees who do not have this problem, but I want to provide a background to explain why I particularly like Seiko’s Elegance series.

Now, I am really shocked by this watch. More precisely, the watch’s waterproof performance is only 3 atm, Grand Seiko classifies it as “splash-proof”. As I wrote above, these are obviously Grand Seiko’s corrected watches (3 atm is common in formal watches), but they are not true formal watches-anyway, for me, despite my consciousness This is a matter of opinion. I think that, considering its wearing style and built-in functions, this watch may be the perfect single watch competitor. So, having said that, 3 atm is still disappointing (obviously, because I own this watch, it is definitely not a disruptive trader). For clarity, I don’t want to see the dive watch specifications here, but I want something stronger.

One thing I really like about Grand Seiko is the brand’s commitment to impeccable finishing. I really believe that at this price, you will not find a better finished watch. Hell, even if you score a bit more in comparison, Seiko can still be at the top of the competition with competitors.

“This is the cool thing about the Seiko Competition. Getting the perfect watch is the rule, not the exception.”

Look at the situation. At first glance, it looks like a typical high polish situation. But please pay attention to the quality of polishing. Pay attention to the bevel angle on the lugs, and consider their sharpness, even if there is no mixing effect to obtain contrast.

Grand Seiko is famous for its “Zaratsu” polishing, which is the key reason why Grand Seiko watches look as good as they look. There are many mysteries about the actual meaning of Zaratsu, but to put it simply, the term “zaratsu” comes from the engraving on the old polishing machine used by Seiko in the 1950s. The engraved text is “GEBR.SALLAZ”. In German, SALLAZ sounds more like “zallats”, resulting in Japanese being pronounced “zaratsu”. These Sallaz machines are relatively rare today, but for some Japanese and Swiss manufacturers, they are not really used in the industry. What makes them different is that they use the side of the disc instead of the front to polish the surface, which is the result of the well-defined points that lead to the intersection of planes and planes known to Seiko best fake watches for men.

Now turn to the dial, the dial of SBGM221 invites you to cycle through. Sharp hands. The engraved index, Grand Seiko badge and date window frame are all perfectly finished; the turntable printing is not tilted. I am famous for being a bit eagle-eyed at W&W HQ, and I really can’t find anything wrong here. This is the coolest part of Grand Seiko. Obtaining a perfectly finished watch is the rule, not the exception.

Let’s spend some time on the hour scale and hands. A single mark has nine perfectly polished surfaces, except at the point where the mark doubles (there are twelve different surfaces). When you consider the size of these markers, the degree of engraving and retouching will be even more impressive. I repeat again: This is Grand Seiko’s rule, not an exception.

The diamond-cut pointer is the classic Grand Seiko: a large, tapered blade with beveled edges. Like the index, there is nothing wrong with the sorting here. The second hand is a simple stick with a curved tip and an elegant weight. The GMT hands are blue arrows, which form a sharp visual contrast with other hands and dials. For reference, these hands are turned blue one by one. I have seen it in person, and it is great.

The dial itself is beige, giving a warm feeling, while the printed text is black. Once again, in terms of quality, the printing here is beyond reproach. The beige dial is not common today. Normally, you will see white, or something with a more silver metallic appearance, so the warm atmosphere here almost feels like going backwards. I really like the color of the dial, and I think the functions it offers are different from most products on the market. I also noticed that depending on the light source, the hue will definitely be distorted. The warm areas are slightly harmonious, but at a warmer color temperature, the dial will cheer up.

The frame date window is located at three o’clock. The calendar wheel is metallic silver with black text. Although I usually prefer matching date windows, the subtle contrast between the matte, beige dial and the metal date wheel looks great. The main problem with the mismatch of date discs is that the date windows they emphasize often make people think about it afterwards, which is definitely not a problem. Date integration here is very effective and in the right place. In addition, this is Greenwich Mean Time. Greenwich Mean Time without a date will feel wrong.

Seiko’s 9S66 automatic GMT movement powers the watch. It has a power reserve of three days (72 hours), a beat rate of 28,800 vbh (or 4 hrz), has 35 jewels, is adjusted to six positions, and is rated at + 5 / -3 seconds per day.

“But not only all appearances-9S66 are also technically impressive.”

9S66 is the “real” GMT. This is what it means. This watch has the function of local hour hand beating, to be precise, it sounds like this-through the crown, you can jump the hour hand forward or backward (with the date when you pass midnight) to set the watch to cross the time zone The new local time after. The 24-hour hand remains in touch with local time or any other time zone you want to track. So far, this is the preferred implementation of GMT.

Since the hour hand jumps in both directions through the crown, there is no traditional date that is quickly set through the crown. To advance the date quickly, you must skip the hour hand until midnight until the desired date is reached. This sounds more tedious than it really is, and I think the added GMT function itself is worth a little sacrifice here.

9S66 is an exquisite movement, which can be seen through the bottom cover of the opened case. At some angles of the crystal, you can see the logo of the Seiko Grand Lion, which is a tribute to the exquisite medallions that once decorated the old Seiko.

But this is not only all appearance-9S66 is also technically impressive. Microelectromechanical system (also known as MEMS) is an advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology used by Seiko here to produce lightweight precision parts for its 9S caliber. With the help of MEMS, Grand Seiko can manufacture an escape wheel with a 5% weight reduction and an escape fork with a 25% weight reduction. Grand Seiko’s hairspring also uses its own diamagnetic metal alloy. Their latest product is Spron 610, which is extremely resistant to shock, magnetism, heat and corrosion.

The SBGM221 uses a 19mm crocodile leather strap and is equipped with a unique folding and unfolding agent. Both are well-made and comparable to the quality of other reviews aaa watches. Having said that, I am not a fanatical clapping fan, nor do I like crocodile leather belts, so I chose some cleaner clothes. Although the strap is of course a personal preference, I do like the SBGM221 in brown leather. I found that brown matches well with the cream dial and blue indicator on the GMT dial.

First of all, I point out that SBGM221 is one of the most affordable mechanical precision machines on the market. After I introduced everything here, you can see that despite its high price, it is definitely not a small watch. From movement to finishing, this is the mature Grand Seiko throughout. You will get superb technology, superb design and excellent competitiveness. People often talk about Seiko providing amazing price-performance ratio in the field of luxury products, and their understanding is not wrong. This is the hell of a watch and it is undoubtedly worth the word “Grand”.