Grand Seiko SBGY003 Spring Drive

If you were to take Seiko’s Presage Cocktail Timer and turn it up to 11, this would be the result. The SBGY003 features one of Grand Seiko’s most spectacular radial textures, simplicity in all elements, and a case more subtle than you might expect. But then there’s the absurd level of finishing, the blued steel, spring drive, and movement finishing. Make no mistake, this one goes to 11.

When GS takes on the manually-wound, thin dress watch, you know good things are coming. There’s an absurd beauty in proportion that doesn’t always come across in person. Its 10.2mm height is not ultra-thin, it’s slim. The 38.5mm case is a beautiful combination of Zaratsu and satin brushed surfaces. This is 38mm dress done right.

Its dial is a radially serrated cream-white beauty with no distractions. Often, us obsessives complain of Grand Seiko’s power reserve indicators ruining their marvelous dial textures. On this SBGY, they listened. There’s real depth in this texture and the simplicity allows that texture to shine through. Its caliber 9R31 is a slightly more precise 9R02 architecture. It offers a 72 hour power reserve indicated through the sapphire display back. This is simply a watch that is far more special than its competitors in person. I don’t say this often (because it feels slightly pretentious), but this is a connoisseur’s choice.

This example has been worn but not abused. There is a small scratch on its lower lug and nick on the bezel. The dial is perfect, same can be said of its rear end crystal. It comes with a full set from a private collector out of Tel Aviv, @israwrist on Instagram.

Find this SBGY003 here on Watchuseek Forums for 9500 USD.