Modernity at its best - The Grand Seiko SBGX091

I have always been an advocate to new design, the reality is that in watches almost everything comes from an older design. Grand Seiko has been making watches for a bit now under the King Seiko and Grand Seiko name, they have quite a bit of a catalogue but they usually don’t look back when they are making a new pieces, this brings me to the Grand Seiko SBGX091, I have been waiting patiently for this watch to pop up on eBay (alerts can be a costly feature), to me it's perfect not only for its size but for its lack of date, sharp angles and that milky grey that makes the GS red logo stand out, I don’t think I ever had a watch that ticks so many boxes as this one, some collectors are always talking about that imaginary watch that would never leave the collection and I think for me this is the one that would be really hard to part with. Hopefully you will enjoy the pictures and the impression of this very unique piece.

grand seiko

The specifications:

This watch is quartz, yes its battery powered and I like that, not because I don’t have to set it every morning, I like it because it’s a true tool watch, it is accurate like nothing else I have in the collection and with a great 9F movement (accurate to 10 seconds per year) , antimagnetic and with a finish not only for the mechanics under the hood but also the case and dial, they really put to shame watches that can cost double the price. The case is a masterpiece, is 40mm and it has a polished bezel that collides nicely with the sharp case, which is brushed, the so call ''zaratsu'' polishing on the sides makes a distortion free reflection and to think that this is all achieve by hand just makes me wonder why other watches are so expensive. The dial has the same treatment than the case, the hands look as sharp as scissors with markers that are so well finished that can grab any ray of light to make a beautiful reflection, there is lume on the dial which again completes the whole package, the thing that grabbed my attention was the grey dial, its perfect, under the macro you can really see the circular graining and it changes so much that it is hard to pin point the exact pallet. A little detail is of course the GS red logo at 6 o clock, on the new models the Grand Seiko name can be find at 12 instead of the ''Seiko'' on my watch, I think the new models look more balanced and less cluttered but on this instance on this watch I like it, the new version of this watch (the SBGX291) removed the red lettering and opted for a monochromatic scheme which I think takes away a bit of the joy on this beautiful piece.

grand seiko
On the wrist:

With a 40mm case size and a lug to lug under 45mm the watch sits perfectly on my 6.25 inch wrist, the clarity that the dial brings is incredible and with the hour markers so well polished you can easily spot the time at any glance, the no date gives the watch a perfect symmetry and those angular looks make you really think that you are wearing something from the future, the lume is well applied and in the dark it brings a very easy to read watch, great lume great dial.

grand seiko watch on vario watch strap

The strap:

The Grand Seiko SBGX091 comes with a full metal bracelet, it is nice executed and has the same treatment as the dial and case, but I have to say that the clasp and its lack of adjustment makes it really hard to set, also the look that has at the end links doesn’t seem integrate as well. When I bought this watch I already had the strap that I was going to wear it with, Vario does one of the best rubber straps in grey that I've seen in the market, is soft and is the same shade of the dial, I think this add a true futuristic look that makes this beauty stand out even more, it’s a great match.

grand seiko

Conclusions:

As you can see, I really enjoy this watch, is one of the greatest hits from Grand Seiko that has developed a cult following, no nickname yet though. The SBGX091 its rare, symmetrical and with a case that makes almost any watch look dull. I cannot believe that I finally have this watch in my collection and to wear it on daily basis is really a joy, if someone looks at this watch and know what it is, it will mean that they are deep into watches, is not every day that someone will say: '' Hey, nice SBGX091…'', but is that ever happens, then you are in for a great conversation.

Written by Robbie from Robbie & Watches

Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated.

Modernity at its best - The Grand Seiko SBGX091 | VARIO

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