Why Liking Grand Seiko Is Becoming A Problem

Grand Seiko fanboys exist. They're quite different to Rolex fanboys though. I share my thoughts on why sometimes liking and praising GS is very superficial and has no bearing on the type of watch enthusiast one is.
#rolex #grandseiko #watches
The watches shown in this video are the Grand Seiko sbga211 and sbge227.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:31 GS Fanboys
2:32 Reasons Why GS Is Great
4:50 Improper Reasons To Like GS

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[StandardTime]

Share your thoughts on what you think of my take: right, wrong or a bit of both?

[actnaturally]

Oh man there are so many GS- praising videos out there, yours truly stand out and brings it to a whole new level. Lol
Like the old saying goes: ‘buy the R………. (Ok you know the rest).’

[kelechinobi]

My opinions...

Every brand has its so-called “fanboys” (and girls), and it shouldn’t surprise anyone that GS has some too. IMHO, though, no brand has “fanboys” more rabid than Rolex. You only need to glance briefly at any watch forum. This hasn’t made the pointy crown, a producer of quite basic though well made sports watches, any less popular.

GS has gained popularity because at the moment they offer innovation, tech and value that is not obtainable with any other brand. Again this shouldn’t surprise anyone. Seiko is a massive corporation that has invested heavily in technology, people and marketing to push the GS brand internationally. Every well known brand does the same.

Having said all this GS, like any other brand, will not be for everyone. Not liking the brand shouldn’t be a problem. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you. By the same logic I can’t see how liking the brand, for whatever reason, should be a problem either. If you only like GS because you think it is “cool” then so be it. Watches are luxury goods that no one really needs; they are not that important in the grand scheme of things.

[dejhc]

Really glad you posted this vid, you summed up my thoughts exactly. I have a GS watch myself in my collection but I hate how if you have any valid criticisms of GS as a brand, you are labeled as ‘not a real watch enthusiast’ by the fan boys.

Their condescending attitude and hearing the same recycled, unoriginal opinions can be exhausting. I sometimes question if they’ve even seen and handled a GS in person and just go by internet hype.

Love Grand Seiko, not so much it’s loyal sometimes rabid fan base.

[WatcheswithDennis]

Like in any hobby, the "fanboy" can be fairly insufferable. What they cite varies just like the arguments vary for gamers who fanboy over Xbox versus Playstation. By-and-large I agree with your points, though in terms of sheer quantity I run into GS fanboys less so than Rolex, regular Seiko, or what I call "microbrand" fanboys (an interesting person who favors any company that is an independent and low-volume producer).

In terms of GS, I think part of it is there was a time where GS wasn't really mainstream. Obviously the focus has changed a lot and GS is everywhere now but a lot of people feign that it is still something unknown. To me it is no more unknown than Blancpain is (well known amongst collectors, not so known to non-enthusiasts, but not particularly rare). So I think it is the fanboys that cite this, now false, undiscovered brand concept that get to be the most frustrating to deal with.

But even with that unknown factor not really being valid today, GS does bring a lot of horology to the table. A luxury brand that still invests heavily into quartz. Spring Drive obviously being quite a feat. GS is also one of the few brands with a lot of 5 Hertz movements (no other springs to my mind aside from Zenith as really pushing that though I'm sure there are others).

I do own a GS. I got a spring drive model because the tech is what impressed me most. Yes, the dial is cool. Yes, the polishing is nice. Yes, the watch is almost annoyingly thick and the bracelet is definitely subpar for the price-point. And like Omega I'm getting a bit annoyed with all the limited editions, which (to me) never feels like something a "strong" brand needs to rely on.

So, to me GS is in that entry-to-mid luxury watch space with most of their line-up. Which isn't particularly special amongst Swiss brands but there are not a lot of Japanese brands that one would class in that category, and the company does run with an aesthetic that to me feels quite different than what we see out of the Swiss. Not saying better or worse, just different.

[sarmadislamictv]

Sir, u always bring a genuine and different opinion . #respect

[michaeltran]

I think your points are valid with some contradiction. It is more popular to hate on GS than it is to fanboy over it. People with GS are indeed out of the box thinkers but it shouldn’t make anyone feel insecure. Only collectors make a big deal out of this, most people don’t even care.

[A.T.-Scot-HK]

Are you based in Hong Kong dude? Great videos btw.

[glenbuyer]

“People just like GS because it’s a cool fad”….. goes onto list like 50 reasons why GS is Awesome hahaha. I get it though every time I see ziratsu mentioned in a comment section I shudder.

[sarmadislamictv]

Absolutely a genuine video . Yup GS is a great brand with high quality watches, but their manufacturing is not done in heavens. Even some Chinese brands are offering similar looking case shapes, hands, hour markers, polishing in just about 200 dollars range .

[kingsleycy]

Some of the GS fanboys have been chasing wider recognition for so long that now that the brand has got it, they don't know what to do but circlejerk harder.

[galatians]

Uh? If you are a watch Enthusiast you HAVE TO LIKE Grand Seiko! Zaratsu is "JUST" a High Polish NO Its a Method of Superb HAND polish!

[bankolejohnson]

I am afraid I do. not fully understand the over-arching point you are making except each to his or her own. Please can you clarify?

[Aztec]

I have a grand Seiko sbgr251, the finishing on the case, dial and hands is the best in the world, better than Patek, Vahceron even Greubel Forsey. The finishing on the movement is equal to a Patek. Your entire argument is invalid because GS IS the best watch in the world, regardless price range. If my watch is made in Switzerland I’d expect to pay at least 40k usd for it, you should be thankful IMO

[Jerf]

Many grand seikos in the sub 6k ish price range have a decent value proposition, but the higher you go you see many options that are downright competing with high horology. And as far as finishing.. independent brands might get close? Seriously?

[pas]

Great video!

I actually bought my first GS and ended up returning it. It was a sbgw231. Gorgeous watch, beautiful, classy design, however I was not "blown away" by it compared to my Seiko Presage and Oris, which are great watches at 1/6 and 1/3 the price respectively.

Biggest reason for returning it though was because it was too hard to tell the time!! Cream dial + highly polished and reflective hands and markers + no lume = really hard to read watch in harsh sun/low light environments. Something that only really became obvious, when I saw it in person and sometime that not a single review that I watched/read has mentioned.

I think they've got some great designs and I especially like their high accuracy quartz watches, but lots of their designs are extremely similar and the 3 o'clock date window/charge indicator are really quite off putting. I wish they played around with those elements a bit more. Most importantly to me though is the super high reflective/bare metal hands/markers with no lume. I'm not sure if I'm the only one that expects to be able to read my watch, quickly at a glance in all conditions, but I feel like if my $500 sar033 gives me that, then a $5000 GS should absolutely give me that.

All that being said, perhaps I'm just missing the point. Or maybe my peasant tastes aren't refined enough to appreciate the Zaratsu polishing.

[toonsoffun]

Doubt most people saying “you buy a GS to impress yourself” even owns one. They are rather just Rolex haters. Note I’m perhaps a hypocrite because I do not own any luxury watch.

[leoafrifanus]

Some people buy stuff to impress others, some do it to impress themselves.

[robinmarples]

It doesn't come to what people like, it comes to what was the mindset and the skills of the people making the watches. It is their approach that matters most. And at grand seiko, they have it. They do like what they are doing and they are doing it well. This is the thing we have to judge, not the watch itself... The watche is only the result of all this mindset.

[kostasp]

I agree with you it all comes down to perception. The thing is most people have the heard mentality and don’t decide on their own. First time I came across GS in a store, I found their watches on par with Rolex. Different design and all but quality and solid watchmaking.