The watch Journey – The watch brand tier List – Grand Seiko

Welcome to the 14th instalment of my watch journey. The Watch brand Tier list currently stands at Rolex Last, Tudor second last followed by the Fashion branded watches, Swatch watches, Tissot and Citizen, Hamilton, Tag Heuer, Longines and Omega, Seiko,  and Casio + G-Shock. The next on the list is Grand Seiko!   

We all know about Seiko watches but only few know about Grand Seiko. So why treat Grand Seiko as a separate brand tier to the regular Seiko? Well it is the Japanese way of doing things. For example Toyota and Lexus. Note that Seiko still has the Japanese market only Credor watches. 

Grand Seiko is a luxury brand separate from it’s parent. It’s watches models are put together by a different part of the company with a different set of values. It operates and makes watches in tiny numbers compared to millions that other luxury and prestige brands in the price range namely Rolex or Omega make a year. While the are a handful of different movements, all bespoke to Grand Seiko and all are automatic or mechanical movements, high end or very accurate quartz and the unique spring drive movement which is a combination of a spring that generate electric energy that powers a basic circuit that regulates the movement rather than the actual movement which remains mechanical – I think. If you are lucky you can get a Spring drive in a Seiko branded model but it is not exactly cheap and limited edition. Consider it the quiet Segway model to Grand Seiko ownership. 

What makes Grand Seiko top out the brand tier list is that it has stayed true and achieved their goal. Apart from keeping track of time, they represent quiet luxury. Expensive, high quality, low profile stylish and timeless. Owing a Grand Seiko is about self confidence than having a gaudy bauble on your wrist. Unlike a Rolex for example, you buy and wear a Grand Seiko to impress yourself not others but at the same time impresses others when they find out hence quite luxury. And certainly the buyer is not concerned by resale values on the 2nd hand market. Grand Seiko watch is like the Birkin bag by Hermes, except it is easier to own at the time of this post…

There are plenty of other less obvious and storied brands that I haven’t covered due to their place beyond this tier list. Namely brands that appeal to genuine collectors – not mass market buyers. I will go into these other brands later.