The media draw attention, but it won't do much ...
Rolex exists in not only mass but also high culture:
https://m.rolex.com/pl/world-of-rolex/the-arts.html

There is in sport - golf, Formula 1 etc ...

Wilsdorf was a business genius - he hung the Mercedes Geitze Rolex Oyster around his neck while conquering the English Channel (1927 rok), later bought the first pages of newspapers in London and New York where the swimmer promoted the watch .... on her arm as the first waterproof model ..
That's how legends are born ...
Rolex, or rather the foundation (yes, Rolex is a foundation) follows this path and rather no one will overcome them ...

The GS logo "spoiled" the watch ...

 

Wonderful Video. Beautifully filmed and presented. My favorite comment:

"Do your research, be sensible, but ultimately Listen to your Heart"

Thanks for Sharing!

 

I saw the video earlier, these guys are the best with a macro lens. Beautiful watch. And the GS logo on the back is like a mustache on the Mona Lisa.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Great video, too bad it took 2:30 to get to the actual discussion of the watch.....

 

I held this watch at the NYC Seiko Boutique with Anthony Kable and it will take your breath away, then again at a Grand Seiko AD who held if for me.



The price tag is just too high for what it is, as the guy on the video says it's about following your heart but somehow the brain snuck its way into the equation:banghead:

 

Forget Rolex anyway!

 

Gorgeous timepiece. On thing that gets me is how fine the finishes are on these GS watches; movement, dial, hands. I sit in amazement and wonder how one would go about even working on one of these watches and not leave some sort of mark.

 

I sit in amazement and wonder how one would go about even working on one of these watches and not leave some sort of mark.

Spoken from the heart of a truly considerate and conscientious watchmaker.

Bravo Sir!

I now know who I want to send my next Seiko to when it needs servicing

 

I wonder how the GRAND SEIKO on the clasp was produced ? fantastic micro engineering producing a piece of this quality, blows the mind really.

I would love to see the machining/production methods used from start to finish and the machinery used and inspection tooling, must be out of this world.

 

Is watch media paying more attention to GS these days, or is it my confirmation bias?

As someone who’s always liked Seiko but only started really *loving* them this year, I’d say it’s a little bit of both. I think the watch enthusiast community has definitely taken more notice of GS lately, but unfortunately the general (American, can’t speak for other countries) public hasn’t. Most people still consider Seiko to be lower end to middle tier, and the company doesn’t do enough to promote the higher end lines



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

As someone who’s always liked Seiko but only started really *loving* them this year, I’d say it’s a little bit of both. I think the watch enthusiast community has definitely taken more notice of GS lately, but unfortunately the general (American, can’t speak for other countries) public hasn’t. Most people still consider Seiko to be lower end to middle tier, and the company doesn’t do enough to promote the higher end lines

In Central and Eastern Europe they also think that Seiko is cheap, decent watches ...
And the production of new 5 doesn't help raise prestige ...
Nothing will change, everyone thinks GS is Seiko ....
If the production was under a different name, then maybe so ....

 

I know back in the 60s/70s/early 80s if you told someone you had a Seiko they would generally say "There good watches" but then Seiko started being all things to all men selling lots of very cheap models but still selling decent models but because of the amount of cheap models being sold they became a seller more known for "ok" watches or "oh its a Seiko" and imo they lost there way and I doubt they will ever get there reputation back as a seller of "good watches".

Look at Rolex for example, there marketing, waiting lists, how many models they have produced compared to Seiko.

 

I also think Seiko shoots themselves in the foot a bit when it comes to international marketing. Take a look at most of the standard and Grand Seiko limited editions that tied into existing intellectual property: Gundam, Godzilla, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. These are all hugely popular in Japan and among Japanophiles, but the average American or European -- whether middle class or upper class -- doesn't care about these properties.

Compare that to Rolex, which practically built its own cult of personality, or companies like Omega, who moves thousands of watches a year from their James Bond deal alone. Tag Heuer has a huge racing history, both with Americans like Steve McQueen and in heritage events like Le Mans. And Breitling leverages its historical significance every chance it gets with the Navitimer, this year's 806 1959 re-issue being a prime example. Hell, I'm sure Citizen saw a nice bump this year from Brad Pitt's choice of watch in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". Pitt chose to war that on his own, but I'd be certain Citizen got a nice sales boost as people got excited about vintage Citizen as a gateway into discovering the company's new stuff. And they'd be crazy not to release a reissue of the bullheads, or at least something a bit closer in design to the original than the Tsuno, nice as that watch is.

Seiko reminds me a lot of most artists: absolutely dedicated to their craft, able to produce some truly beautiful work but unable/unwilling to deal with the uglier financial realities. A few well-placed ads and a movie deal could go a long way to boosting their reputation up to where it should be.

 

Exactly!!!

 

They're getting more attention on YouTube, I can say that much. Things like this are more common:

It's admittedly a very small market - watch geeks - that watch this kind of stuff, but at least among watch social media influencers, there's more recognition that GS is a legitimate competitor to the Swiss and better value to boot. Whether that translates to better sales, I don't know.

 

Ten years ago you couldn't buy a new GS in the western world unless it was from the internet and posted from Japan.

Then they started distributing in the US followed by stores in Paris, Amsterdam, NY and London and they've been saturating the online stores in the west ever since

I believe they'll get there if they haven't already. Five years ago if you bought a SBGH at retail you'd lose maybe 40% the next day if you tried to sell it. Today it's closer to 20% so the message must be getting through that a GS at similar money to a Datejust is a viable proposition.

 

To my understanding GS is getting more attention now thanks to social media especially Instagram. But we tend to forget that this is our special Seiko WIS bubble and especially we are (hyper)sensible for Seiko stuff and GS and look out to see it. Sort of self fulfilling prophecy. In the real world GS is still rather unknown and Rolex still a lot more preferred.

 

My local Red Bar just had an event with Grand Seiko last month at a local jeweler. I haven't seen many of the current line in person, so it was a good excuse to do so.

Overall, I was extremely impressed with what I saw including the textured dials on many models. They are really, really nice looking and unlike what you'd ever see from Rolex. Only thing I didn't like is the sizing on most models. They seem about 2-4mm bigger than what they should be.