There’ll be “solely” four,000 examples every of the restricted editions. The Kinetic Chronograph from 1999 similarly featured the 4 subdials, and appeared even more retro-futuristic. The case itself is 42mm broad with traditional shapes that distinction with and additional emphasize the unconventional components seiko watches. Each of the elements appears to pull from Seiko’s past, and the overall sporty yet bizarre seems even recall Seiko’s wild collaborations with Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Coverage of the brand has grown, and with that the appreciation for what they provide has become broader. The last two watches on my record had been the Cartier Santos Medium (35mm) and the new Zenith Pilot. The Santos was one that won me over when I received it on my wrist. I even have written a full evaluation that goes into my ideas on the watch in a lot more depth.
The 1964 Crown Chronograph was Seiko’s, and Japan’s, first chronograph watch. Every facet of the watch was designed from scratch and it marked the start of Seiko’s chronograph wrist watch manufacturing. I needed a watch that would be a step above my Tudor Black Bay 36. I love my Tudor and wear it greater than anything else in my collection, but for this subsequent purchase, I needed a watch that might be the subsequent stage when it got here to finishing, design and motion.
This was not the only Omega on my listing, there have been truly three in total. The others were the Aqua Terra 38mm in white and the Seamaster 300M in darkish green. The Aqua Terra is a fantastic watch and I even have spoken about this earlier than. The dial is fascinating, the motion is the stable Co-Axial caliber, it works on different straps and it is potentially a perfect one-watch assortment candidate. Well, we now have a watch with a case measurement of forty.2mm, a thickness of just 10.1mm and a lug to lug of exactly 46mm.
It is presented in the Prospex assortment as a limited version of 1,000. The watch is based on a a lot loved design from that period that grew to become recognized amongst Seiko’s followers as the ‘Panda’ because of the 2 black sub-dials set against the white dial. It has the identical hairline end on the dial as the unique, the same arms with the same orange tip to the chronograph second hand and the identical hour markers and tachymeter bezel markings. Aesthetically, the brand new Speedtimer is less a duplicate and extra an homage to its forebear. The unique got here in a cushion shape monobloc case and featured only one sub-dial displaying half-hour.
With the SBGA415, the gray is broad and might change from a bright silver to a gray that matches the titanium case and bracelet. The small additions such because the gold “GS” applied logo and blue second hand add a small hint of colour that I didn’t suppose it needed. I can now inform you, no matter what you assume in photos, these colours work completely. Now you know the reasons behind the Grand Seiko, what is it like after a month of ownership?
Nick Sullivan is Creative Director at Equire, the place he served as Fashion Director from 2004 until 2019. Prior to that, he relocated from London along with his young family to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. He has styled and artwork directed numerous trend and canopy tales for both Esquire and Big Black Book (which he helped present in 2006) in unique,uncomfortable, and occasionally unfeasibly chilly areas. He also writes extensively about men’s style, equipment, and watches. The watch arrived on this double-layered box, which is way extra substantial than I anticipated for such a finances piece. I bear in mind the supposedly ‘luxury’ Vincero watch I reviewed got here in much cheaper packaging; making this Seiko opening feel much more premium as compared.
And it measures time down to a minimum of one one-hundredth of a second. No one was asking for a return to the hyper-funkiness of Seiko’s past, however in the back of our minds perhaps we craved it. The newest watch within the Prospex Speedtimer collection seems to supply simply that. And like so lots of these beloved, quirky old Seikos, it is not weird-looking just for the sake of it however rather constructed on practicality and funky timekeeping tech.
The chronograph pushers feature a textured, concave surface so that they are often rapidly and efficiently pressed. And comfort, steadiness, and an ideal fit are ensured by a high-intensity titanium bracelet with a slide adjuster. As you presumably can see this could be a darkish brown, almost oxblood, croc-style calfskin, which is of completely wearable quality. It’s surprisingly supple and includes a branded Seiko buckle, which is a nice touch and in the end, this could final a very long time. Visually, it actually works properly however I assume this watch could easily handle a selection of other leather-based options.
Just considered one of many ways in which King Seiko differed from, and was even perhaps better than, Grand Seiko. Across the dial, there’s a bevelled piece of flat mineral crystal, which protrudes barely from the case but seems engaging. This is the usual stuff at this value point, although it’s nothing special.