I always wanted a GS and this year finally decided to get a 9F. However there is no way to see one in person so I have spent weeks looking at all the available reviews and pics and still cannot decide.
SBGX261 - an obvous choice of course and I really like the size (my wrist is 6.25 and there are hardly any well made watches with a bracelet in sub 40mm range on the market that are not in DJ price territory) and overall proportions (better than the 40mm non-GMT models). However watching every single YT review and seeing hundreds of real life photos I feel like the finishing on the bigger models is actually better? Especially the indices look rather flat and rounded on 37mm model and price difference between 37mm and 40mm is marginal. As for the black vs champagne I settled for black because I am afraid of the champagne dial looking like a cheap gold watch in certain lighting.
SBGP011/013 - these two look more premium than 26x but then I am a bit afraid of the size. I wear 40mm watches all the time but most of them on a strap (my wrist is flat and I easily wear full size Black Bay on a fitted rubber strap) and while I have worn Seiko Sumo on a bracelet for many years, I would not like to end up with a dress watch that wears like a diver. I compared the stock pics of Sumo vs SBGP in 1:1 scale and it seems like the end links on both have similar span (lug to lug says nothing about how the bracelet would wrap around the wrist). So my concern is that I would end up with oversized dress watch. And while the details of SBGP are better than on SBGX, the overall proportions look odd, like there was something missing on the dial.
SBGN003/005 - they seem to be most praised 9F GS model and would check all the boxes (39mm, very well made) however they do not seem to look like a Grand Seiko to me, I just do not like the use of lume and the watch looks too sporty for what I am looking for. THey are also hardest to get because of the high demand.
SBGN011/013 - these models look like top of the line for 9F, the finishing is absoutely stunning (I am not sure if they do something magical to the indices and hands but all the vids and photos look way better than SBGP line). I especially like the combination of champagne dial and blued GMT hand on 011 - it looks almost as good as the Snowflake, absolutely stunning. But then they are not only 40mm but also rather thick, comparable to my Damasko DA36 which wears good as a modern flieger on a strap but would not look good on a bracelet. However I am considering getting one of these and wear them on a special occasions only (as opposed to SBGX which would be my daily wear). Still I am not sure if it is worth to pay that price for a quartz as it gets really close to spring drive territory (but anything other than 9F might be very problematic when it comes to servicing in Europe).
What would you guys suggest here? It is really tough to decide without seeing one in person. Is the SBGN really superior compared to the cheaper models?
Now for the actual ordeing of the watch: I would not like to spend more than 2500 EUR and I want the watch that is perfect (the second hand must hit the indices perfectly and with no dust or other imperfections on the dial). So this is where it gets tricky in Europe.
There is only one AD in my country and rather far away so ordering online is the only option. They seem to have SBGN013 in stock but the price is full MSRP (3000 EUR) - way over my budget. They might order SBGP line for me but the price would be 2750 EUR and I doubt any discounts would be possible as they do not have it in stock right now. It is the safest option though for any returns. By the way they say that SBGX line is not available anymore and I suspect that GS is pulling it out from European market.
Jura Watches - the prices seem more reasonable (and it is still an AD) as they offer 10% discount code and that would be my choice pre-Brexit, however in this new situation I am afraid of what would happen if I had to send the watch back to the UK - it gets very complicated due to VAT and customs. Also Jura does not seem to get best reviews when it comes to ordering from them.
Montredo - as a grey dealer they offer really good prices and they seem to offer manufacturer warranty but the selection of models is limited and obviously they would not inspect the watch for me as it would come from a random AD somewhere in Europe. But the store is Germany based so within the EU.
Watches of Mayfair - broader selection, same prices, but they issue their own warranty and are UK based - anything goes wrong and I have to export the watch back to UK.
Of course most of the grey dealers trade on Chrono24 so I might end up getting the watch over there with their buyers protection.
Higuchi - that is the last option and it might be the best as he might inspect the watch for me, pricing seems to be somewhere between grey dealers and AD but then it is a domestic Japanese warranty and obviously ordering from Japan is way more risky than ordering from Europe if I ever had to return it.
So which option would you suggest? How did you get your GS if you live in EU? I would appreciate all the tips and suggestions.
SBGX261 - an obvous choice of course and I really like the size (my wrist is 6.25 and there are hardly any well made watches with a bracelet in sub 40mm range on the market that are not in DJ price territory) and overall proportions (better than the 40mm non-GMT models). However watching every single YT review and seeing hundreds of real life photos I feel like the finishing on the bigger models is actually better? Especially the indices look rather flat and rounded on 37mm model and price difference between 37mm and 40mm is marginal. As for the black vs champagne I settled for black because I am afraid of the champagne dial looking like a cheap gold watch in certain lighting.
SBGP011/013 - these two look more premium than 26x but then I am a bit afraid of the size. I wear 40mm watches all the time but most of them on a strap (my wrist is flat and I easily wear full size Black Bay on a fitted rubber strap) and while I have worn Seiko Sumo on a bracelet for many years, I would not like to end up with a dress watch that wears like a diver. I compared the stock pics of Sumo vs SBGP in 1:1 scale and it seems like the end links on both have similar span (lug to lug says nothing about how the bracelet would wrap around the wrist). So my concern is that I would end up with oversized dress watch. And while the details of SBGP are better than on SBGX, the overall proportions look odd, like there was something missing on the dial.
SBGN003/005 - they seem to be most praised 9F GS model and would check all the boxes (39mm, very well made) however they do not seem to look like a Grand Seiko to me, I just do not like the use of lume and the watch looks too sporty for what I am looking for. THey are also hardest to get because of the high demand.
SBGN011/013 - these models look like top of the line for 9F, the finishing is absoutely stunning (I am not sure if they do something magical to the indices and hands but all the vids and photos look way better than SBGP line). I especially like the combination of champagne dial and blued GMT hand on 011 - it looks almost as good as the Snowflake, absolutely stunning. But then they are not only 40mm but also rather thick, comparable to my Damasko DA36 which wears good as a modern flieger on a strap but would not look good on a bracelet. However I am considering getting one of these and wear them on a special occasions only (as opposed to SBGX which would be my daily wear). Still I am not sure if it is worth to pay that price for a quartz as it gets really close to spring drive territory (but anything other than 9F might be very problematic when it comes to servicing in Europe).
What would you guys suggest here? It is really tough to decide without seeing one in person. Is the SBGN really superior compared to the cheaper models?
Now for the actual ordeing of the watch: I would not like to spend more than 2500 EUR and I want the watch that is perfect (the second hand must hit the indices perfectly and with no dust or other imperfections on the dial). So this is where it gets tricky in Europe.
There is only one AD in my country and rather far away so ordering online is the only option. They seem to have SBGN013 in stock but the price is full MSRP (3000 EUR) - way over my budget. They might order SBGP line for me but the price would be 2750 EUR and I doubt any discounts would be possible as they do not have it in stock right now. It is the safest option though for any returns. By the way they say that SBGX line is not available anymore and I suspect that GS is pulling it out from European market.
Jura Watches - the prices seem more reasonable (and it is still an AD) as they offer 10% discount code and that would be my choice pre-Brexit, however in this new situation I am afraid of what would happen if I had to send the watch back to the UK - it gets very complicated due to VAT and customs. Also Jura does not seem to get best reviews when it comes to ordering from them.
Montredo - as a grey dealer they offer really good prices and they seem to offer manufacturer warranty but the selection of models is limited and obviously they would not inspect the watch for me as it would come from a random AD somewhere in Europe. But the store is Germany based so within the EU.
Watches of Mayfair - broader selection, same prices, but they issue their own warranty and are UK based - anything goes wrong and I have to export the watch back to UK.
Of course most of the grey dealers trade on Chrono24 so I might end up getting the watch over there with their buyers protection.
Higuchi - that is the last option and it might be the best as he might inspect the watch for me, pricing seems to be somewhere between grey dealers and AD but then it is a domestic Japanese warranty and obviously ordering from Japan is way more risky than ordering from Europe if I ever had to return it.
So which option would you suggest? How did you get your GS if you live in EU? I would appreciate all the tips and suggestions.
