6159-7001 Seiko Hi-Beat Professional 300m

6159-7001-Seiko-Hi-Beat-Diver

If you think the depth and breadth of vintage marques like Universal Genève or Enicar are strong, they are. And yet, neither really hold a candle to the world’s longest running vertically-integrated manufacture outside Switzerland. Seiko has made more dive watch offerings than I will ever be able to hold in my head. Despite that,…

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Value Prop: SBGH037 Grand Seiko Hi-Beat

SBGH037-Grand-Seiko-Hi-Beat

The names Grand Seiko and Hi-Beat harmonize together better than Lennon and McCartney. But not all are created equal. This SBGH037 hails from a (currently) largely-unsung stretch of the Japanese manufacture’s history, what I like to call the double-signed era. This nascent stage I define as after the birth of the modern Grand Seiko reference…

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Value Prop: Tropical 5646-7005 Grand Seiko Hi-Beat

5646-7005-Grand-Seiko-Hi-Beat-Tropical

The careful, studied attention of GS history rewards effort. While a deep dive in Hublot will leave one scratching their head, the same effort devoted to the best of Seiko will force your cursor to hover over the ‘add the cart’. The Hi-Beat shown here holds quite a few distinctions. However, perhaps most notably for…

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1968 Seiko Lord Marvel 5740-8020

Seiko-Lord-Marvel-5740-8020

You may have noticed, but Seiko/GS and hi-beat movements are kind of a thing. The pairing goes together like whisky and chocolate. I say that because the combination is both frequently enjoyed and quite subjectively enjoyed. Many collectors prefer Spring Drive or the uncomplicated SKX/Five flavour. Marmite is the word. But if you do happen…

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Grand Seiko 45GS 4520-8000

Grand-Seiko-45GS-4520-8000

If you want a classic Japanese ‘grammar of design’ and the early GS 36000 vph hi-beat movement, 45GS is your choice. Although modern Grand Seiko impresses mostly with their technical and detailed approach, they are leaning on something. They’re leaning on rock solid, beautiful designs forged in the mid 60s. The 45GS is one of…

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Seiko SLA039 Anniversary Limited Edition

Seiko-Prospex-SLA039-Limited-Edition

For a lot of people, a Seiko diver priced near 6K is going to be a tough pill to swallow—but you should consider taking the medicine. The SLA039 has a Rolex-level outlay because it packs Rolex-level engineering (but with fewer of the ostentatious associations). Stealth wealth is one of my favorite categories in wristwatches. Discretion…

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