Review
Cholack shares the excitement of acquiring his first Grand Seiko, the SBGA125, a model he admired since its Baselworld announcement. This unboxing post highlights the watch's distinctive 'Snowflake' dial and meticulous finishing, inviting the community to explore the craftsmanship that defines Grand Seiko. Cholack's detailed observations and questions about the dial and hand finishing spark an engaging discussion among collectors.
The Grand Seiko SBGA125 is a limited edition Spring Drive model released in 2015 to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Grand Seiko. It is part of the brand's Heritage Collection, drawing inspiration from classic Grand Seiko designs while incorporating modern technology. This reference is particularly noted for its distinctive dial texture, often referred to as the 'Snowflake' dial, which has become a signature aesthetic for Grand Seiko.
Crafted from titanium, the SBGA125 features a 40mm case with a box-shaped sapphire crystal, evoking a vintage aesthetic. It houses the Caliber 9R65 Spring Drive movement, known for its high accuracy and smooth gliding seconds hand, offering a power reserve of 72 hours. The dial is characterized by its intricate, textured pattern, complemented by blued steel seconds and power reserve hands, and meticulously polished applied hour markers.
For collectors, the SBGA125 is significant as a limited edition anniversary model and for its use of the iconic 'Snowflake' dial in a titanium case, offering a lighter wear experience than its steel counterparts. Its combination of traditional design cues, advanced Spring Drive technology, and meticulous finishing makes it a highly sought-after reference within the Grand Seiko community.
The GS is awesome isn't it? I recently got my first one as well. 2015 may be the year of the Grand Seiko :-)
I'm sure you will continue to find more things to love as the days, weeks, months and years roll by. To learn more about dials and hands you could read my report from this time last year, when I visited Japan to learn (for you and other PuristS) how Seiko does it. GO HERE FOR SEIKO VISIT REPORT This link will take you to the first, short introduction post. The second post is the component production report, one of ten reports on Japan, if I remember correctly. Happy Reading! AND here's another s
Spring Drive, 62GS case, Snow flake dial; wear it in good health for years to come.
Well done and surely no regrets! A fantastic watch and package as a whole... I\'m queueing up for one as well ;o) In order to enhance the vintage look even more, please check my other post. Changing from bracelets to straps brings them right back to the 60ies and closer to the re-editions.
I\'m wondering if your connections at Seiko can walk us through the process of how they give the SBGA011 aka snowflake and the SBGA125 texture to the dial? I think your previous post documented the making of a different kind of dial. Thanks Warren
I found this on one GS dealer's site: "The Snowflake dial is made to mimic the resting snow in the city of Suwa, in the Nagano prefecture of Japan, during their winter. The multi-step process of manufacturing the Snowflake dial consists of patterning by a press, cutting, applying a silver plating and thin clear coating, then applying a thick clear coating, polishing, printing and finally, applying the indexes." I have one of the earliest Snowflakes from about 8-9 years ago. HERE IS THE LINK It w
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