Hands on | The Grand Seiko SBGR305

Sometimes as collectors we tend to focus on watches that are hyped. After all, the media does a great job dictating the watches that are deemed “collectable”.  

Personally, I don’t mind, after all the hunt is part of the fun.

 Looking for watches no one is focused on can be quite adventurous….at least for me. 

That said, sometimes we forget some extremely important watches in a brands line up. I personally like to look at collectors who go against the crowd…. those who find special pieces that others will eventually discover when it’s too late. 

The watch we have Infront of us seems relatively simple on the surface. Great looking Grand Seiko, impeccable finishing, beautiful dial & just a solid watch overall! 

But this watch has a secret people are forgetting. This is one of the first Grand Seikos the brand introduced when they became independent from Seiko. For those who don’t know, Grand Seiko used to be double stamped. Seiko as the main logo, and a smaller Grand Seiko logo elsewhere indicating the watch is a bit more special. 

From a marketing point of view, this change put Grand Seiko on the map. Collectors started looking at the brand.

 The move was a bit weird at first. What was the point? The brand never changed the attention to detail and finishing on their watches. All they did was simply remove the Seiko brand and put Grand Seiko dominantly in the eyes of consumers. That said… it worked. 

After the curiosity came discovery. Collectors discovered the best kept secret in watch making history. Grand Seiko. 

This move was the start of something big. Something we are seeing right now in the market. The brand is competing with the likes of Omega….Better yet they are now competing with King. Rolex. 

Let’s take a closer look at the SBGR305. Cased in brilliant hard titanium, the watch measures 40.5mm in diameter and 13.6mm in thickness. The highly polished and brushed case gives the watch a stainless-steel look. Its only when you pick it up, you realize the watch is too light. The Titanium case makes the watch very comfortable on the wrist, but if heft is a requirement for you. This watch is noticeably light without feeling cheap. 

The 40.5mm case is quite large for a dress watch, add the 13.6mm thickness and you aren’t getting the most elegant watch under the cuff. Though the Titanium case and blued seconds hand makes this more of an everyday watch. Put this on a rubber or a nato & it won’t look out of place.

 Unlike the SBGM235, I don’t think Grand Seiko had a suit and tie in mind when crafting this watch. Adding to that, Grand Seiko also offers a screw down crown, sapphire crystal, water resistance of 100 meters, & a Magnetic resistance up to 4800 A/m. If that doesn’t scream daily piece, I don’t know what does. 

Taking a closer look at the dial. You get a beautiful textured finishing similar to their blizzard models. Although Grand Seiko doesn’t market it as such, the watch gives me the same vibes I get from the Snowflake 

On the wrist the watch wear very comfortably. The titanium case keeps the watch light & the 47mm lug to lug fits my 6 ½ inch wrist perfectly.

The movement powering this piece is the caliber 9s68 automatic movement. Features a 72 hour power reserve and has an accuracy of about -3 to +5 seconds a day

Over-all this watch is an extremely attractive piece from Grand Seiko, although it is limited to 968 pieces. The watch went under the radar & is still quite easy to find.