2019 Grand Seiko Elegance Limited Edition No.1 Blue SBGK005G
Ref: SBGK005G
Specification
Lugs : 19mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Grand Seiko Box and paperwork. It comes paired with its original 19mm Grand Seiko blue leather strap and signed push-button clasp. The watch is from and is sold in worn condition, but overall, it is in fair condition, as you can see from the photographs. It comes with our 12-Months Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uCkD63eF52BjNtS98PhjRiX9hqq70KJD?usp=drive_link
4K YouTube video, skip to 1:45 - https://youtu.be/0R_K7b-bqUU
The Watch
Here we have a 2019 Grand Seiko Elegance Blue SBGK005G, part of their Elegance collection, a Limited Edition of 0001/1500 pieces. The beautifully sculpted 38.5mm brushed, and Zaratsu polished stainless steel case sits on your wrist like a cushion with thick, flat-ended tapered lugs and a slim profile, and a lug-to-lug length of 43.5mm and a case thickness of 12mm ensures a comfortable fit. On the right side is a signed crown. A smooth Zaratsu polished bezel holds a dual domed sapphire crystal AR coated on the inside above a stunning design inspired by the nearby to their factories, “Mt. Iwate”, an incredible blue sunburst patterned dial. The outer minute track has chamfer-edged indexes Zaratsu polished marking the hours; at 3 o’clock, a power reserve indicator and at 9 o’clock a small seconds, Zaratsu polished Dauphine hands, all shimmering with the dial as you rotate your wrist. At 12 o’clock, we have the gold-applied GS and Grand Seiko printed underneath, completing this dynamic dress watch. On the reverse, a screw-down exhibition case back, details of the watch are engraved around the edge, and a Grand Seiko blue lion motif is printed in the centre, showcasing the manually wound Grand Seiko Cal. 9S63, 33 jewels, beating at 28,800 beats per hour and an impressive 72-hour power reserve; the movement has been adjusted to six positions and temperatures at the factory, finished with attractive Cotes de Geneve decoration and blued screws, the movement has been developed with Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) Technology where precise components are produced using advanced semiconductor manufacturing. The watch comes with a 19mm Grand Seiko blue leather strap and signed push-button clasp, and the watch comes with its Grand Seiko presentation box.
Personal Note
This Grand Seiko Elegenace blue dial, reference SBGK005G, is absolutely stunning both on and off the wrist thanks to the perfect proportions and the incredibly textured dial that begs to be seen under magnification. Add to all of that the fact this is number 0001 of 1500, you've got something even cooler! I would not hesitate to add this watch to your collection, if you are on the fence book an appointment and come see it in the metal for yoruself.
The Brand
The first Grand Seiko debuted in Tokyo in 1960. The ref:3180 was made by Suwa Seikosha. Rather than sending its 25 Jewels Chronometer movement to the Swiss to be tested, Seiko decided to do the testing themselves. The European Chronometer Official Association believed that a chronometer-rated watch had to be independently tested to be awarded that designation. Seiko watches were not independently tested so therefore, they could not be chronometers. The ECOA did what irritated watchmakers do: they wrote a stern letter to Seiko requesting that the designation of Chronometer on Grand and King Seiko watches stop. Seiko obliged and ceased using a chronometer on their watches. In response, the Japanese Chronometer Authorization Association was started in 1968 as an independent group to test timepieces to chronometer standards. The Association was short-lived: due to the rise of quartz watches, it closed in 1983. Today, Grand Seiko movements are tested over 17 days in 6 positions compared to COSC testing over 15 days in 5 positions. In 1985, Suwa Seikosha became Seiko Epson Corporation. In 2017, Seiko announced that Grand Seiko would become an independent brand.