Grand Seiko is possibly one of the most underrated watch brands today. I know that they’ve had a cult-like following for many years and that the love for the brand has grown very quickly with the increase in the number of people talking about them on YouTube but I still believe that the technical accomplishments of the brand outweigh the community response and appreciation.
This year there were some updates to the Evolution 9 collection. We got hands on with the Grand Seiko SLGB003G ‘Ice Forest’ and tested it on some of our favourite straps to determine whether Grand Seiko deserve more love.
Grand Seiko SLGB003G Review
For anyone that doesn’t know, the Japanese brand has only been around since 1960. Seiko of course has been around much longer being founded in 1881. The Grand Seiko brand came from the desire to create the highest quality timepieces possible at the time to compete with the quality coming from Switzerland. But in a short space of time the brand gained traction thanks in part to the backing from Seiko and the high quality of the pieces being produced. Seiko now also has a brand that aims for even higher production standards, Credor.
You’ll have to forgive my lack of engineering knowledge for this short section but what you should know is that the Spring Drive movement is possibly one of the biggest advancements in mechanical watchmaking of the last half century. In simple terms, the Spring Drive concept combines the properties of a mechanical movement with the accuracy of quartz. A mainspring releases energy, like a mechanical watch, but instead of the energy transferring to an escapement, there is a rotating glide wheel that generates an electrical current, which in turn regulates a quartz crystal oscillator.
The SLGB003G was launched at this year’s Watches and Wonders. The U.F.A in its name stands for Ultra Fine Accuracy, and it certainly lives up to the title. The posted accuracy is +/- 20 seconds per year. Yep, that’s not a typo, per year!
The Spring Drive movement has 72-hours of power reserve with an indicator that can be viewed through the sapphire exhibition case back and is wound by an automatic rotor. This movement also features a date complication. One of the most striking features of the spring drive movement is the incredibly smooth sweeping second hand. It’s mesmerising to watch and makes any normal mechanical watch look like it’s ticking by comparison.
However, when the watch was launched very few people were talking about the accuracy. Instead, everyone had become obsessed with the fact that for the first time ever Grand Seiko were offering micro adjustment on their bracelet!
This is one example of the brand missing out on the recognition they deserve. They develop the most accurate mainspring powered movement and somehow people are raving about an advancement that’s been available from other brands since before Grand Seiko was even founded. I understand that this was something that the community had been requesting for some time, but I just don’t think it’s the most important take away from this release.
The one element of Grand Seiko that does get spoken about a fair amount is their dial design. They are renowned for creating some of the most striking and beautiful designs at their price point. Many of the colours and textures are inspired by the natural scenery of Japan. This latest release continues that trend, embodying the cold beauty of the ice forests. The blued silver hue of the dial encapsulates the cold but doesn’t feel harsh to look at. The distinctive triangular patterning is a simple but effective representation of the snow-covered coniferous trees in the region. This dial is beautiful and looks just as stunning in person as it does in our photos.
The case is 37mm, a sweet spot for me. The titanium case and bracelet give the watch a very light feel at just 100g. But, unlike some other titanium pieces, the weight doesn’t cheapen the feeling of the watch.
Many people have given Grand Seiko watches the title of ‘strap monster’. And as straps are what we know best, we wanted to take advantage of the opportunity by testing the Ice Forest on some of our favourites.
With silver to blue tones of the dial we thought a light grey would complement the colour scheme well. This watch, despite having an intricate dial design, is a true sports watch. So, our WatchGecko Atlas Sailcloth Watch Strap was a clear first choice. The grey colourway in particular complements the titanium case and silvery dial but still allow them to stand out. The water-resistant properties of our sailcloth straps also allow you to take this watch anywhere without risking scratching the titanium bracelet. You do sacrifice the micro adjustment, but our straps have plenty of pin holes for you to find the best fit.
Going even sportier in styling now, our Vintage Style Perforated Rubber Watch Strap. The white colour sets the dial and case off brilliantly. This is a high-performance strap, built for tough adventures, but is equally capable of looking at home in a more relaxed setting as the high-quality rubber sits will alongside the detailed finishing of the case. This strap has a buckle, but if you just can’t let go of having the micro adjustment then we now have the new Mosaic cut-to-size strap with a butterfly deployant clasp featuring micro adjustment. Similar styling but with some added functionality.
Honestly, it's been difficult to find anything I don't like about this watch. I love the sizing, the dial design, the handset, the finishing, and so on. But that doesn't mean that Grand Seiko are always my cup of tea as a brand.
The prices at retail are high, this watch sells in the UK for £9,950 – more than the current Rolex GMT Master II. That price might be worth it for the quality and technical accomplishments, but the other issue is that the residual values are not strong. That’s okay if you’re someone that holds on to pieces for a long time, but if you like to swap watches out regularly you could find yourself losing a large amount of money.
My other issue with Grand Seiko in the past has been about their lack of character. And yet while this watch doesn’t have the same charm as some other modern pieces, this is by far the most characterful Grand Seiko I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with.
Are you a member of the Grand Seiko fan club or, like me, are you just discovering the brand? Is the SLGB003G something you’d spend almost 10k on? Let me know in the comments!
