Collectors of elegant two or three-handed watches are spoiled for choice – as long as they buy vintage. There are modern Patek Philippe Calatravas and Piaget Antiplanos that scratch that itch. But it’s slim pickins’ further down the food chain. With some exceptions, Rolex Cellini and OMEGA Deville dress watches have lost the plot. Jaeger Le-Coultre’s Master Control nails it, but Grand Seiko is your go-to modern day minimalist manufacturer . . .
The Grand Seiko maintenance video below is causing quite a stir, in its own little way. “I’m not the only one who gets emotional watching this,” Nicholas Packwood commented underneath Grand Seiko Complete Service. “Like family. It’s spiritual.” Davidc5191 reckons. “It’s like watching open-heart surgery.” It is. And I’m happy to report it’s the best thing to happen to Grand Seiko’s reputation since, um, ever . . .
Continue reading “Zen and the Art of Grand Seiko Maintenance”
The Grand Seiko SBGA229 Spring Drive Diver is emphatically not an OMEGA Seamaster or Rolex Submariner. But it is priced that way. So why would anyone spend their hard-earned and increasingly scarce money on a fancy Seiko rather than one of the Swiss stalwarts? Let’s be clear . . .
Yes, it’s the end of the world as we know it. Am I a bad person for thinking that it’s a good time to buy a watch? Maybe so, but it’s a fact. Authorized dealers can see the writing on the wall – a sales drought like none before. And just like you and me, they need cash to pay their rent and people. So are they ready to offer [otherwise] insane discounts? Yes. Yes they are. The real question . . .
Continue reading “Coronavirus Watch 1: Time to Buy a Watch?”
Coronageddon is raging worldwide. A year from now, a vaccine will hit the streets and life will return to normal. Not all watch brands will be around to enjoy pent-up consumer demand. Meanwhile, new product keeps flowing into a hugely diminished market – big bargains are on their way. Here’s this week’s New Watch Alert . . .