2022 Grand Seiko "Snowflake" Spring Drive SBGA211G
Ref: SBGA211G
Specification
Lugs : 20mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Titanium
Warranty : Manufacturer Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Grand Seiko box, swing tags & Grand Seiko paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original Grand Seiko 20mm 5-link Titanium bracelet and signed folding clasp with a polished and brushed finish. The watch is from December 2022 and is sold in worn condition, some marks may be seen, however, overall the watch is in very fair condition. The watch comes with its Manufacturer's Warranty.
The Watch
Here we have a 2022 Grand Seiko "Snowflake" SBGA211G with a 40.5mm Titanium case, they were inspired by the mountainous region outside the window of their Shinshu Watch Studio, expertly brushed and Zaratsu polishing provides razor-sharp defined edges that curve over your wrist towards the tapered drilled lugs with a lug-to-lug of 48.5mm and a case thickness of 12.5mm giving the watch an impressive wrist presence. On the right side is a screw-down signed crown sitting slightly recessed, and a smooth bezel holds a flat sapphire crystal above a stunning white dial with a “Snowflake” textured pattern that resembles freshly drifted snow. Zaratsu polished trapezoid and chamfered-edged baton indexes mark the hours, at 3 o’clock a framed date window. Elegant dauphine hands are Zaratsu polished with razor edges complemented by a blue sweeping second hand and between the 7 and 8 a power reserve. At 12 o’clock an applied “GS” and the “Grand Seiko” are printed underneath, at 6 o’clock a blue “Spring Drive” completes this striking dial. On the reverse is a screw-down sapphire exhibition case back, and inside is exquisitely decorated with Cotes de Geneve 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. The watch comes fitted on a Grand Seiko 20mm 5-link Titanium bracelet and signed folding clasp with polished and brushed finishing and comes with its Grand Seiko presentation box, swing tags and paperwork.
Personal Note
If you are in the market for a Grand Seiko you have likely looked at or considered the Snowflake, and rightfully so! It is one of the most quintessential Grand Seiko's in my opinion, showing what they are capable of in design, build quality and movement engineering... That's why they always seem to fly off the shelf before we even get to them on the website, so if this is available and you're considering it, I'd get it ordered whilst you can.
The Brand
The first Grand Seiko debuted in Tokyo in 1960, the reference 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 designated and 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 "Chronometer" on their watches but 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.