Lug to Lug : 46mm Lugs : 19mm Condition : Pre-Owned Box & Papers : Box and Papers Case Material : Stainless Steel Warranty : 12-Months Warranty
The wrist model's wrist size is 7inch
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Grand Seiko box, swing tag and Grand Seiko paperwork. It comes paired with its original Grand Seiko 19mm 3-link stainless steel bracelet and signed push button three-fold clasp with polished and brushed finishing, all links are provided, plus a GS strap and deployant buckle and two aftermarket straps, one with an original GS buckle. The watch is from January 2021 and is sold in worn condition; however, as you can see from the photos, the watch is in excellent condition. The watch comes with our 12-Months Warranty.
Here we have a rarely seen 2021 Grand Seiko Heritage Spring Drive 'Soko' USA Edition SBGA427 made to celebrate sōkō, the end of Autumn, when the first frost covers the Arashiyama bamboo forest. It features a 39mm stainless steel case that gently curves over your wrist, with tapered, drilled lugs. Zaratsu polishing provides highly polished surfaces, resulting in a lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm and a case thickness of 12mm, which gives the watch an impressive wrist presence. On the right side is a screw-down signed crown that sits slightly recessed. A smooth bezel holds a flat sapphire crystal, AR-coated on the inside, above a stunning vertical brushed silver dial. Its textured pattern resembles bamboo stalks. An outer minute track surrounds the Zaratsu-polished trapezoid indexes, with facet edges marking the hours. At 3 o’clock, a framed date window is located. Elegant dauphine hands are Zaratsu polished with razor edges, complemented by a green sweeping second hand, between the 7 and 8, a power reserve with a green hand. At 12 o’clock, the words “GS” and “Grand Seiko” are printed underneath; at 6 o’clock, a green “Spring Drive” completes this striking green-accented dial. On the reverse is a screw-down exhibition case back with the watch's details etched around its edge, inside a Grand Seiko Cal. 9R65 Spring Drive, the innovative Spring Drive movement is mechanical but with an electromagnetic escapement regulated by a quartz oscillator. It has 30 jewels and a power reserve of an impressive 72 hours; its sole power source is a mainspring that drives a series of gears. A rotor connected to the end of these gears then generates a small electrical charge that activates an electronic circuit and quartz oscillator; therefore, there is no need for a battery. It comes paired with its original Grand Seiko 19mm 3-link stainless steel bracelet and signed push button three-fold clasp with polished and brushed finishing, all links are provided, plus a GS strap and deployant buckle and two aftermarket straps, one with an original GS buckle. This watch is sold with its original Grand Seiko box, swing tag and Grand Seiko paperwork.
Personal Note
This Grand Seiko Heritage Spring Drive 'Soko' is a USA edition that is very rarely seen in the UK and Europe, and when they do come up for sale, they do not hang around long. This is the reference SBGA428 featuring this beautiful silver tone dial with the subtle pops of green, which contrast perfectly, all powered by the Grand Seiko Spring Drive 9R65. The highlight for me personally is the size, coming in at 39mm, it packs all of what we love with the regular models, but brings it down in size and makes it perfect for most wrists. I would not think too long about adding this to your collection, once gone, who knows when the next one will come up!
The Brand
The first Grand Seiko debuted in Tokyo in 1960. Suwa Seikosha made the reference 3180. 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 they could not be used as 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 the "Chronometer" on their watches. In response, the Japanese Chronometer Authorisation 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.
