Grand Seiko's elemental SBGW293 and SBGW291 are a celebration of fine details
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
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Grand Seiko and special releases - name a better love story. The duo we're looking at today, the air-inspired silvery SBGW291 Kuuki and earthy SBGW293 Tsuji, continue the prolonged celebration of the 55th anniversary of the brand's 44GS case. Famous for its sharp, reflective facets and plentiful wrist presence, it takes on a reduced form in the Grand Seiko SBGW293 and SBGW291, one even smaller than the original.
While the case may be familiar, if somewhat reduced, the dials are where these two differ from many notable Grand Seiko releases. There's no fine brushing, snowy-mountain-peak-inspired texturing nor any bright colours to speak of. Rendered in wispy silver or inconspicuous brown, only a subtle sunburst effect acts as a backdrop to the fabulously faceted indices and somewhat undersized handset. I'm a big fan of this minimal approach, as it really allows the wearer to focus on the small details that Grand Seiko executed so well - note the applied GS logo and thick, printed Grand Seiko script, on a dial otherwise devoid of text.
If you've read any of my articles, you'll surely expect me to revel at the idea of a 36.5mm, three-handed Grand Seiko. And you're damn right. 36.5mm in diameter, 11.6mm thick and 42.7mm lug-to-lug is very compact, yet there's still plentiful presence, thanks to the wide flanks and significant height, mostly thanks to a box-domed sapphire crystal that accounts for a couple of millimetres. As is fitting for a 44GS-equipped watch, the facets are wide and have distortion-free reflections, courtesy of GS's Zaratsu-polish mastery.
The solid caseback is emblazoned with the Grand Seiko lion medallion, and while admittedly not a gold one, it's in line with the subtle styling of the watch. Having said that, the 9S64 calibre hidden beneath it isn't just super-accurate, regulated to -3/+5 seconds per day, but also well-decorated, so I wouldn't be opposed to seeing it through a display caseback.
The Grand Seiko Heritage Collection SBGW293 and SBGW291 are available now from Grand Seiko. Price: A$7,750
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Finally, a size well suited to my tastes.
Both are stunning.
Nice choices. I still love my SBGW231 though, and it will keep its spot in my watch box.
Lovely little watches.
Grand seiko have suffered from brand bias for years.
Now they are slowly but surely gaining ground in the luxury watch space. And deservedly so. Their designs and finishing are first class and their movements excellent as well. Now they just need to make a bracelet that’s as good as the rest and you’ve got the whole package
I feel they need to stop making dial after dial with fancy names and limited editions ad nauseam and give us a bracelet worth celebrating
Hi, I agree your opinion, Grand Seiko should forcus on development to make thinn their timepeaces. How about the bracelet of sbgy 013？ This bracelet is consisted by 9 lines and original design, gourgeous I think.
That chocolate brown… woof
The problem with these 2 watches is that I can't decide which one to get!
The design of SBGW291 is so close to the legend King Seiko 4502-7001 or 5625-7000.
Is it true what I've read and why is it that the 293 has 100 meters of water resistance than the usual 30 meters for the 9S64 movement Grand Seiko line?
Very cool, can we see now one working model please 😬
No! A dummy is a dummy
@1:48 is that a scratch on the dial?
Hot take: their SGBW limited edition brothers (with display caseback) have water resistance like 30m. I would pick these ones with 100m water resistance over the limited edition ones.
Would have been nice to get an extended look at the thickness.
I do hope GS would make better bracelets and release factory bracelets for these models
Current bracelet dosent match the design of the case.
@@DZ-ok5wk bracelet of sbgw289 does
Can we list here what yhe competition would for these?
No one can touch GS at this price point.
Alright, enough. Here is my hot take. Grand Seiko struck gold with solid interesting dials and now they endlessly milk a dead cow with insufferable limited editions on what feels like a weekly basis. Not everything is a genius inspiration deeply rooted in japanese culture, somtimes brown is just brown, and blue is just blue. And stop treating zaratsu polishing as a unique secret craft only a handful of locked away 90 year old masters can craft, its a very even blackpolishing, that is all it is, relax. GS makes rather boring, excellently crafted watches, except for crappy bracelets and more than lacking mechanical accuracy compared to the competitors.
What's it called when you have the same "hot takes" as so many others? You actually come across as a living example of all you loathe in GS. Take it easy. Go out and get some air.
Ok ok hear me out, here’s my hot take: everything you said it’s true and it’s 50% more than most Swiss watches offer. Now what?
Not as boring as someone that pre empts his tedious point as a hot take to in some how create value to it
Then open a watch company and do the same shit boii. we'll see if you can do it. I'm sure you can even fcking afford one 😆 so fck your hot take
As an owner of 4 GS watches, my "hot take" is that you've obviously never worn a GS watch for a considerable amount of time. If you had, you'd frequently find yourself admiring its dial, the high polish of the hands and indices, the mesmerizing sweep of the seconds hand (all of my watches are Spring Drive) and the stunning, mirror-like reflection on the side of the case due to that zaratsu polishing, that you somehow deride as ordinary. You'd also frequently marvel at how the watch can sometimes just magically "disappear" on your wrist, because it's so comfortable that you forget you're wearing it. You'd also find yourself smiling quite frequently, knowing how much watch you own for the price, and knowing you didn't have to play games at your AD, or wait 2 years to take delivery.
this should have come in 38mm diameter, not tiny 36.5mm
No they should have come in 37.5 or 39.24mm
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