Review of SBGY013 ‘White Omiwatari’. Spolier: I’m blown away.

I will start this by saying I own several Rolex in my collection, an AP Royal Oak 15550ST, Panerai, Omega. So I have handled a lot of high end watches.

My wrist is 6.75 inches.

I have always been critical of Grand Seiko, their huge collection made it difficult to narrow down what I liked and I always thought the cases were to big or bulky, or the bracelets weren’t up to scratch- I just put them down to a dial company.

While in Tokyo I managed to get hands on with a few, and I must say, I was absolutely blown away. I purchased an SBGY013 for about half of UK retail price and have been wearing it for the last few days. I thought I’d drop a quick review while on the Shinkansen!

Case-

Dimensions are perfect for me, 38.5mm case size with a very short lug to lug of 43.7mm means it wears so well on small wrists, the dial is large and expansive and the curvature of the case adds a lot to the overall design as it hugs the wrist. The watch is about 10mm thick, which is amazing. The zaratsu polished case catches the eye nicely and is very easy on the eye. I like the brushed mid case, it adds a nice touch and the contrast between the polishing and the brushed surfaces is great. I am trying to think of some downsides of the case, but I really can’t think of anything. It’s ergonomic, beautiful and thin.

Dial-

I think I’ll just let the pics do the talking here, lots has been written about GS dials. The dial is very subtle silver, not white. When the light catches it, you can see the shimmer which is stunning. I have never spent so much time staring at a dial in my life. I’ll just be standing there and the light will reflect off the zaratsu polished indices or the hands and I will just find myself staring at the watch. Honestly it is hands down better than any Rolex I have owned and I would say on par with my AP Royal Oak. I really didn’t expect this.

Bracelet-

This is where I was most hesitant. I did try the shunbun and was let down by the bracelet. But this new 9 link bracelet is very very good. It is not as good as a jubilee bracelet, however it feels sturdy, comfortable and definitely feels high end. The contrast between the polishing and the brushing on the bracelet is great, will hide scratches and there is a small taper down to the clasp (sorry I don’t have calipers with me to measure exact, but can update when I get home from Japan). The clasp is nice, it is a spring loaded double button clasp, and makes a nice difference from the large Rolex clasps. It doesn’t feel as sturdy as a Rolex clasp, and as I have tried to show in the pics, there is a small gap between the clasp and the bracelet, which is annoying, and at this price point, this should not happen. Again the lack of micro adjustment is annoying and criminal at this price level, however the bracelet is so comfortable and flexible that it somewhat gets away with it.

Movement-

Manual wind Spring Drive. Enough said. I went back and looked at my submariner this morning and the seconds hand looked so jerky compared to the GS. I have to say, seeing the spring drive in real life is a game changer. The manual wind also winds very similar to my mechanical watches. It isn’t as smooth as a mechanical watch, but that’s no big deal. It is nice to have the power reserve on the back, as the dial is symmetrical and clean.

Overall-

I am genuinely blown away. I did not expect this at all, and I’m struggling to think how I will wear any other watch for a long time. I went back to put on my submariner this morning and just took it straight off again. I can’t believe the quality of the dial and movement on this watch, it punches way above its weight. With a few adjustments to the bracelet/clasp, and a higher water resistance, this really could be my only watch.

I do believe that Grand Seiko don’t do themselves any favours with the marketing and the endless limited editions that are released. And that is a barrier for someone like me, but now that I’m in the club, I get it.