Occasionally we do miss out on covering the odd watch or news story, but despite not covering some watches immediately upon their release, that’s not to say that the same watches aren’t worth revisiting a little further down the line.
Launched in 2009, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT Chronograph SBGC001 is one such watch.
Just take a second (or more) to look at it. It’s a stunner!
Some people can get a little snooty about Seiko and everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course. But the Spring Drive GMT Chronograph not only looks great but is also a hugely impressive watch from a technical viewpoint.
Taken from the Grand Seiko collection, which make up the brand’s high end offerings, we have featured a couple of these watches before, most notably the Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition and the Grand Seiko Platinum Spring Dive 50th Anniversary, as well as the Grand Seiko SBGX103, which we briefly covered earlier in April.
However, as the majority of our readers are based outside of Japan, there is a good chance that you might not be all that familiar with the Grand Seiko Collection. This is because for a long time it was only ever available in Japan and has only been sold overseas within the last couple of years.
As well as the chronograph feature, the watch includes a GMT hand and 72 hour power reserve. It’s also powered by Seiko’s excellent Spring Drive 9R86 movement that also includes a 12 wheel chronograph.
The polished stainless steel case measures 43mm in diameter, which means it is every bit as solid as it looks. However, this doesn’t take anything away from the rest of its super cool and streamlined aesthetics.
The watch also includes a see through case back which reveals the chronograph’s column wheel in all of its finery.
Searching online is probably your best bet if you are interested in the Grand Seiko Collection. The Spring Drive GMT Chronograph SBGC001 can retail for around £7000.
Specifications
Movement: Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph 9R86 calibre SBGC001, accuracy to +1 second/per day. 30 jewels.
Case: Stainless steel measures 43.5mm in diameter with a thickness of 16.1mm. Dual curved, high definition sapphire crystal, complete with anti reflective coating. See through sapphire crystal caseback. Water resistant to 10 bar. 4800 A/m magnetic resistance.
Dial: White, silver and champagne fusion coloured dial with blue steeled chronograph second, minute and hour hands.
Strap: Solid stainless steel bracelet and buckle with a 3 fold clasp and push button release or brown calfskin leather.
Pictures courtesy of watchfreeks.com
