4,313 articles · 49 videos found · page 64 of 146
Monochrome
As we’ve seen recently, Orient, a Japanese watchmaker owned by the Seiko Epson Corporation, is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Created in 1950, it has since made a name for itself in the accessible segment with watches such as the Mako or the Bambino. There’s another important name that was created that same year; a […]
Time+Tide
Casio celebrates International Women’s Day, Anoma releases its second-ever watch and King Seiko unveils a new flagship collection.The post New releases from Anoma, Ming, Casio G-Shock and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Teddy Baldassarre
Choosing a favorite Grand Seiko was bound to be one of the more difficult prompts we could give to the Teddy editorial team. One of the most beloved watch brands out there, Grand Seiko has been around since 1960 but only began distributing internationally in 2010 and didn’t become a truly independent brand until 2017. Old-timers will recall the days when it was truly difficult to get your hands on what is now the Japanese luxury watch giant. Ironically the SBGA211, aka the "Snowflake," didn’t make the list here, which actually says a lot about the sheer volume of excellent pieces Grand Seiko has released over the years. So let us get to our editors’ picks for their favorite Grand Seiko of all time and, as usual, make sure to share your own pick. Oh, and for the first time since we started doing these editors' picks, two team members individually landed on the same watch... Mark Bernardo: Godzilla 65th Anniversary Limited Edition Unlike many other choices for these Editor’s Picks lists, my favorite Grand Seiko timepiece was relatively easy to identify - because it is the watch with the most intriguing backstory as well as the type of pop-cultural, collaborative piece that the luxury brand is unlikely to ever make again. The Grand Seiko Godzilla 65th Anniversary Limited Edition, released in 2019, commemorated a pair of seemingly unrelated anniversaries that occurred that year: 65 years since the release of the original, iconic Godzilla movie by Toho Ltd. in 1954, a...
Teddy Baldassarre
After a relatively short time in the international market — and an even shorter time as a truly independent brand rather than an elevated product family — Grand Seiko has indisputably come into its own as a top-tier luxury watchmaker. Despite the inescapable fact that it still shares ownership and an industrial base with the parent Seiko brand, Grand Seiko has successfully put distance between its high-end output and Seiko’s more accessible, mass-market offerings. In fact, one could argue that enthusiasts and collectors have largely pigeonholed Grand Seiko as the luxurious, elegant dress watch brand and “Regular” Seiko as the sports- and tool-watch brand. But this perception would not be entirely accurate. Grand Seiko makes its own fair share of sporty timepieces with robustly built cases, less-than-modest case dimensions, and practical functions and complications, despite packaging all of these attributes into timepieces that are distinctly more luxurious — and accordingly more pricey — than their Seiko counterparts. Most of these watches fall within the aptly named Sport collection, which made its official debut in 2017, the same year that Grand Seiko established itself as its own brand. The roots of the Sport family DNA reach back significantly further — starting in 1998, with the launch of the Caliber 9S5 inside the first automatic Grand Seiko in more than 20 years, and continuing through the introduction of the first Grand Seiko model with a GMT func...
Hodinkee
The President and the Senior VP of Seiko Watch Corp join Ben for a candid chat about their histories with Seiko, bringing Grand Seiko to the US, and much more.
Monochrome
Last year, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Credor – the high-end, most classical brand owned by the Seiko Corporation – unveiled a very special watch based on the Locomotive concept and being a faithful recreation of Gérald Genta‘s original 1978 sketch. While Genta is best known for designing the iconic Royal Oak, Nautilus, and Ingenieur, […]
Worn & Wound
I have a confession: I previously dismissed Orion for the wrong reasons. As an avid collector of microbrands, somewhere along the way I subconsciously created an arbitrary value scale based solely on movements. Collecting primarily in the sub $500 range, most watches that have passed through my watchbox have been powered by Seiko NH movements- the long reigning king of budget friendly 3rd party workhouse movements. On the occasions that I crossed that $500 threshold, I’ve been conditioned to expect a Miyota 9000 series, slightly more expensive, and considered an upgrade largely thanks to an extra two beats per second and the resulting sweeping second hand. Truth be told, I could care less about beat rates, but owning something deemed more premium is hard to pass up. It’s this human desire for the seemingly better thing that led me to shy away from Miyota powered watches over $700. Afterall, having $700 to drop on a microbrand opens up the option to own a watch powered by a Sellita SW200, a Swiss movement synonymous with luxury. Of course, this is a deeply flawed way to collect watches and judge value. And, (spoiler alert) a guaranteed way to miss out on value-packed brands that don’t blow their entire budget on a movement. After spending time with Orion’s Miyota 9039 powered Sylph collection, which hovers just over $700 like much of their catalog, I’ve gained a new appreciation for brands that prioritize finishing and design over being the best bargain by spec sh...
Worn & Wound
My original idea when I was asked to contribute to this series was to focus on my favorite watch acquisitions of the year, explain why they’re noteworthy, and describe my thought process behind purchasing or trading for each. While I was writing about my Universal Geneve Ref. 842116 Tank and Seiko 6139-6002 Pogue, I couldn’t help but notice how far my collection has come over the last year or so. Since the purchase of my first wristwatch in 2012, it’s always been my goal to cultivate watch boxes filled with both timeless classics and rare oddities. Looking at my collection as this year concludes, I’m proud to say I’ve never changed this philosophy. It was with this realization that my plans for this article began to transform into a conversation about watch collecting identity. While 2024 has been quite the successful year for my collection and I, it’s also the year that I went from being an affordable watch collector to being …an affordable watch collector. You see, the watch collecting hobby is filled with subjective terminology. Words and phrases like “rare,” “new old stock,” “like-new old stock,” “budget-friendly,” and of course “affordable” frequently see usage on online auction platforms, social media, forums, and advertisements. While these are often used as buzzwords for sellers wanting their post to be boosted in search algorithms or by collectors wanting to flaunt their new purchase, I’ve always been fascinated by how pliable...
Fratello
In this latest edition of Fratelli Stories, Fratello reader Dan speaks about the three most special watches in his extensive collection - a Citizen, Seiko, and Edox. These three watches help connect him to warm memories of his two grandfathers. One of the best elements of this hobby has to be the people. I don’t […] Visit Fratelli Stories: Dan’s Connection To His Grandfathers Through Their Watches to read the full article.
Fratello
Topper Fine Jewelers in Burlingame, California has created some truly memorable collaborative limited-edition watches. Brands like Zodiac, Seiko, and Fears have been featured on one or more of the 14 pieces thus far. The latest release is the Doxa Sub 300 “Great White” Topper Edition. It’s a cool piece with enough differences from the serial-production […] Visit The Doxa Sub 300 “Great White” Topper Edition - An LE Done Right to read the full article.
SJX Watches
A thematic sale of watches related to Japan, Toki just concluded at Phillips in Hong Kong over the weekend, notching up HK$61.8 million with fees, equivalent to US$7.95 million. Comprised of watches sold in Japan or made for the country, the catalogue included familiar names like Seiko and Casio, but also independent watchmakers like Masahiro Kikuno, along with a host of limited editions by Swiss brands for the Japanese market. A novel concept given the dominance of Swiss brands in watch auctions, both in terms of value and volume, Toki surprised on the upside. The 115-lot auction included lots of surprising and notable results, like HK$1.14 million (about US$147,000) for the Casio G-Shock Dream Project, double the original retail price. Thomas Perazzi at the rostrum. Image – Phillips Toki and the subsequent main sale showed the momentum established during the Geneva auctions two weeks ago carried on into Hong Kong. The strength of the sale is also credit to the Phillips watch department in Asia led by Thomas Perazzi, which conceived Toki a year ago with the help of Tokyo-based consultants for Phillips, Kaz Fujimoto and Genki Sakamoto. The unusual theme was realised well with a carefully curated catalogue. Many of the watches in Toki were simply unavailable anywhere else. With only 35 made and all sold via a lottery in 2020, where else can one find a solid-gold G-Shock? This reflected in the diverse nature of the bidders. Most bids in the sale came from phone bidders an...
Hodinkee
From the mechanical watchmaking center of Studio Shizukuishi to the Seiko Museum back in Ginza, Tokyo, we finish our tour of Grand Seiko in Japan.
SJX Watches
The fall auction season kicks off with online auctions, before the primary live sales that take place in November. Phillips in Geneva just opened its online auction with a 70-lot offering of the familiar and mainstream (think Aquanaut, Royal Oak, and Nautilus), but also the esoteric and independent, ranging from an Alain Silberstein perpetual calendar made by Svend Andersen to a Seiko Izul “bullhead” chronograph. We round up a few highlights from the sale, which runs from September 5-12, 2024, with the catalogue and bidding available online. Lot 9 – Alain Silberstein Marine Perpetual Calendar by Svend Andersen Part of Alain Silberstein’s Marine series of dive watches, the Marine Perpetual is a COSC-certified perpetual calendar in a case rated to 200 m. It’s equipped with a clever, double-sided perpetual calendar movement developed by Svend Andersen. Built on an ETA 2892, the perpetual calendar has a minimalist display with only the date on the dial that’s decorated in Silberstein’s trademark style with geometric shapes, primary colours, along with a starfish, crescent, and sun. On the reverse is the months and leap year in a single register that is mounted on the periphery of the movement, allowing the rotor to travel below the indicator. The Marine Perpetual was a limited edition of 100 watches, though it is likely fewer were made, since they are rarely encountered. It was one of several collaborations that Alain Silberstein in the 1990s with prominent in...
Fratello
Another Friday, another list! This week, we look at five gentlemen’s GMT watches that stand out because of their distinguished presence. These aren’t your typical Rolex GMT-Master-influenced timepieces. No, this is a list of the more classical-looking GMTs, multi-time-zone/traveler’s watches that fly a little more under the radar. So don’t expect any colorful rotating bezels […] Visit Fratello’s Top 5 Gentlemen’s GMT Watches - From Grand Seiko, Parmigiani Fleurier, Lorca, And More to read the full article.
Monochrome
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Credor, a brand that began as Seiko‘s high-end line, offering timepieces crafted from precious metals. Today, Credor is renowned for its commitment to superior craftsmanship and aesthetic sensibility, which is evident in every aspect of its watches, from design to the intricate movements made up of countless minute […]
Two Broke Watch Snobs
Watch budgeting is a funny thing. For most collectors, it involves a significant amount of mental gymnastics as money is moved in and out of an imaginary bank. We say things like “sorry, no funds in the watch bank” when our friends are selling a watch we don’t want to buy. But when Jomashop is offering a deal on that Seiko we’ve been lusting over, funds are magically ready for immediate withdrawal. Sometimes this is because we’ve recently sold some watches and actually have a positive balance in the watch bank. But often, we buy that new Seiko on “credit” with a self-promise to liquidate the current collection to restore financial balance.
Hodinkee
Grand Seiko pays tribute to the transitioning sky over Lake Suwa with its new regional releases.
Teddy Baldassarre
Today we’re looking at one of the best ways to get into Grand Seiko if you’re just discovering the brand for the first time. Or maybe you’re just looking for your “one nice watch” and want something that can do it all. One that can go straight from the office to kicking back on the weekend, perhaps even dressing up for special occasions. A GADA watch, if you will. So if you’re just now starting to go down the rabbit hole of luxury watches, you’ve probably become somewhat familiar with Grand Seiko. The brand came into existence in 1960 as a high-end offshoot of Seiko, a shot across the bow of the Swiss watch industry, and a statement that its quality could match anything in the watchmaking world. One thing you’ll notice as you start to look deeper into Grand Seiko is the astonishing level of craftsmanship that touches every part of every watch they make. Just like Rolex and Seiko itself, Grand Seiko is one of the most vertically integrated watch brands in the world – in other words, it manufactures nearly everything that goes into its watches. From finely polished stainless steel, precious metals, and high-intensity titanium cases to its innovative and beautifully finished movements and breathtaking dials that draw inspiration from nature, Grand Seiko does it all, going to some extraordinary lengths, including growing its own proprietary quartz crystals, and manufacturing the lubricants that go into each movement. If you take a look at Teddy’s video ...
Fratello
No pre-owned shortcuts, just brand-new watches; that was my mantra when putting together my edition of The Best Watches Under €5,000. Rolex and Omega are out of reach, Tudor is on nearly every Fratello team member’s list, and the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT didn’t cut it either - it might be a chronometer, […] Visit Fratello Favorites: The Best Watches Under €5,000 - Lex’s Picks From Grand Seiko, Frederique Constant, And Breitling to read the full article.
Worn & Wound
When it comes to watch collecting, sentimentality is king. Rarity, value retention, and specifications all matter, but it’s often the watch that was either given as a gift or passed down that stands the test of time. (Such is the case with yours truly, who received a Seiko SNE039 as a gift from his granddad ten years ago, which has kicked off a passion culminating in writing what you are reading at this very moment.) So as Father’s Day approaches and our DADS AND GRADS SALE is live, we thought we’d put together a gift guide for the dad, grandad, or father figure in your life. From durable watches and clocks and gear, to slick storage options, these should provide a great starting point and inspiration. As always, the Windup Watch Team is available via consultation to answer any questions you have. In addition, all of these products are eligible for free domestic shipping across the US. When it comes to watch collecting, sentimentality is king. Rarity, value retention, and specifications all matter, but it’s often the watch that was either given as a gift or passed down that stands the test of time. (Such is the case with yours truly, who received a Seiko SNE039 as a gift from his granddad ten years ago, which has kicked off a passion culminating in writing what you are reading at this very moment.) So as Father’s Day approaches and our DADS AND GRADS SALE is live, we thought we’d put together a gift guide for the dad, grandad, or father figure in your lif...
Hodinkee
Twenty more pieces of Grand Seiko's first ever mechanical complication.
Hodinkee
Grand Seiko's first mechanical complication gets a second act.
Hodinkee
This new Grand Seiko First harkens back to 1960 with sparkling navy blue.
Hodinkee
From the white birch dial to the satisfying click of a new manual movement, Grand Seiko may have just dropped their best dress watch in years.
Hodinkee
The two new GMTs bolster an already strong lineup from Grand Seiko.
Worn & Wound
Of all the countries with prominent watchmaking industries, it’s possible that Japan’s is least understood. There’s a mythology around Swiss, German, and even American watchmaking that transcends any particular brand, but for many “Japanese watchmaking” is akin to saying “Seiko” or “G-SHOCK.” It’s unfair, for sure, as there are many interesting brands in the independent space making a name for themselves in Japan, and while it can be argued that Japanese brands share a certain sensibility when it comes to craftsmanship and quality, the aesthetc and design range is incredibly wide. Minase is one of my favorite examples of a brand that really illustrates this concept, as there’s a huge range within their own catalog, and they very much do their own thing while adhering to certain Japanese design and craft principles. Compare their execution of urushi lacquered dials to Seiko and you’ll begin to get the idea. Their newest release, the limited edition Horizon GEN DLC. The Horizon is a classic Minase case shape with an elongated, rectangular profile. The design is inspired by the horizon line stretching over the sea, which you really pick up in the subtle curves of the midcase. Like all Minase cases, however, this one is deceptively complex, with plenty of facets and other flourishes that make it visually interesting and appealing from every angle. The curve of the crystal, for instance, follows the curve of the case, and the case and bracelet appear on ...
Worn & Wound
Everyone says that the sophomore album is what makes or breaks an artist. Well, how about a watch company? In this instance we have Imperial Watch Co.’s follow-up to their successful Royalguard 200, the Oceanguard GMT. The Oceanguard GMT builds off the Royalguard and takes advantage of Seiko’s affordable caller GMT movement, the Seiko NH34. Like the original Royalguard, the Oceanguard continues to pay homage to the Eberhard Scafograf 300, keeping a similar design language from its predecessor with some notable departures. It’s no secret that GMTs are popular among watch enthusiasts, so it seems like a natural progression that Imperial has added this complication to their new Oceanguard, while maintaining the same case proportions as the Royalguard. With a case diameter of 38mm, thickness of 14mm, lug-to-lug of 47mm, and lug width of 20mm, the watch will be just as wearable even with the added functionality. The Oceanguard release will contain four new models: three with black dials, and one with a white dial. There will be two models with a “Pepsi” bezel, one with a black dial and one with the only white dial in the bunch. The two remaining black dial models will have alternatively colored bezels: one with a coral and turquoise bezel, and the other with a fuchsia and cyan bezel. Each of the individual models will be limited to 25 pieces. Whether you like traditional looks or new funky color-combos, Imperial has you covered. The case and dial are the same as t...
Hodinkee
What does Grand Seiko's new Madison Avenue boutique represent for the brand in America?
Teddy Baldassarre
Since its high-profile launch to international markets outside its native Japan in 2010, and its subsequent relaunch as an independent watchmaker separate from parent brand Seiko in 2017, Grand Seiko has become a Holy Grail for many an avid watch enthusiast. Now firmly established, for many, as an upper-echelon luxury brand on the level of Rolex and Omega, Grand Seiko has cultivated its own loyal core of fans - including many budding collectors new to the watch game who might be initially intimidated by the cost of some of the manufacture’s most exclusive, high-profile timepieces. Fortunately, the price of admission to Grand Seiko ownership is actually more reasonable than you might have been led to believe, at least at the entry-level. Here are five Grand Seiko watches, representing a range of product families and movement styles, that fall on the more affordable side of the luxury spectrum. Cheapest Grand Seiko “Snowflake:” STGF359 ($2,300) Among the most coveted models from Grand Seiko are the so-called ‘snowflake” editions, so nicknamed for their white, elegantly textured dials, made of stamped brass with a silver-plated finish, meant to evoke the blankets of fresh snow on the peaks of the Hokata Mountains that surround Seiko’s Shinshu Watch Studio in Japan’s Nagano Prefecture. The first “snowflake” was the legendary and now very collectible SBGA011, and other models have adopted the motif since then, most of them on the higher end of the brand’...
Worn & Wound
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. When DC Vintage Watch’s Nick Ferrell announced he was launching a watch line, I took notice. Ferrell has made a name as one of the foremost Seiko dealers around, and the first pics he released of the Sycamore line were gorgeous-the Wolf and the Hunter, a matte black GMT and a matte black dress watch, respectively, both with Hindu-Arabic numeral dials that seemed to anticipate the Hindu-Arabic dial craze the watch world has entered. Ferrell’s watch cred and the success of his design are reason enough to be interested in the Sycamore line, but there’s something more about it that fascinated me. With the Wolf and the Hunter, Ferrell has gotten to live the watch enthusiast’s dream: he had an idea for a watch and he actually got to make it. “Some of it was not seeing out there what I wanted myself,” Ferrell recalled in an interview. “And another thing was, there’s that black PVD [Seiko] 6139, it’s kind of like an oval, it’s the 6139-8010 and I took the dial off and I put the 6139 military dial with the Arabic numbers on it. Playing around with this, and I was like, ‘I really like this.’” A Seiko 6139-8010 which served as inspiration for the Sycamore Collection That was about nine months ago-a fitting length of time between the conception of an idea and its birth. Since then, Ferrell has taken that inspiration and produced watches that, while they contain some of the DNA of that initial Seiko mo...
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