calling Grand Seiko aficionados.....seeking your opinion

[JOS2012]

hi fellow GS fans,

I have to choose between a SBGA011 Snowflake Spring Drive and SBGH001 HiBeat 36,000 vph to be acquired soon..

I've seen, held, tried both watches together with various other GS over the last few months but these 2 are my favourites.

I currently have the GS SBGC003 Chronograph/GMT Spring Drive, GS SBGW033 130th Anniversary (re-edition of the 1960 GS handwind) and an Ananta GMT Spring Drive.

I cannot decide between either the Snowflake nor the Hi Beat:

Snowflake:
+ the most beautiful sculptured dial in the entire GS range- no 2 snowflake dials are exactly similar as it is worked on by hand (analogy like zebra stripes)
+ Spring Drive superb accuracy as evidenced by my 2 existing SDs- definitely much more accurate than the HiBeat ( +1-2 sec/week vs +1-3 sec/day)
+ HiBrite Titanium case & bracelet- GS version of titanium looks almost like stainless steel with just a tinge of grey (previous titanium watches used to look like gun metal grey), very light with fantastic brushed finish. Actually the light tinge of grey is really nice..
+perfect diameter size

Hi Beat 36,000 vph
+ obviously special because of the Hi Beat movt.. the latest 36,000 if compared to El Primero- I've always wanted to have a Hi Beat.
(I nearly went for an El Primero some time ago and I've held a few and tested the chrono functions. Its funny that when you activate the chrono, the second actually jumps forward from zero before continuing smoothly... don't believe me? go try and see. As its a column wheel, vertical clutch movt, its supposed to overcome the jump)

Please dont ask me to buy both as the case, bracelet, dial looks similar at a glance
Thats why I chose my existing 3 GS/Ananta due to their very different/distinct design DNAs.

Another greater reason why I can't get both is that I'm targetting another German hi-end to add on to whichever of these GS I decide on, for 2012's acquisition so I'm stretched to breaking point....

I'd appreciate GS owners or fans' opinions..even more so, if you have seen and held both models in your hands...

Sheer mental torture..

 

[danny]

Hmmm, having a hard time choosing between Grand Seiko timepieces? How I wish I had the luxury of suffering the same mental torture that you're experiencing... 

IMHO, if I were in your very enviable position, I would choose the Hibeat 36000 because you already have 1 Grand Seiko and 1 Ananta with the excellent Spring Drive movements and the 130th Anniversary piece with the GS manual wind caliber, so it's high time you added a Grand Seiko Automatic movement to your collection. As an extra bonus you'll be getting one of their best automatic calibers, the Hi-Beat 36000!

However, at the end of the day, no matter how we try to rationalize our choice of timepieces, the decision should always go to the watch that sings to you the most. And I don't think you can actually make a wrong choice between these two excellent Grand Seikos.

 

[Henry133]

Wow..bro..

If only my pockets were as deep as yours.... ...hehehe

My choice the snowflake...as its such a beauty. But then again I dont have a GS yet..so it will be my "grail" GS...but Danny's recommdation has more "logical" points compared with mine...

As for your "I'm targetting another German hi-end to add on to whichever of these GS I decide on for 2012's acquisition"

ALS or GO.....?

p.s you want a god-son or not...? I volunteer....

[Enkidu]

HI, JOS, Although I am not exactly a GS fan, I'l go for the Hi-Beat if I were you. The 36,000bph GS has a long history. If I remember correctly, the vintage GS armed with 6146 and 6155 (GS-Special) movements all run at 36,000bph. 

[JOS2012]

danny,
I'm sure you have many high end watches that I have not seen nor am aware of.. so I'm not in a position for you to envy...
Perhaps if I had a PP, Lange, Dufour, Kari V... that's another story...

I've viewed, tried on both GS many times over but still both of them sing to me equally..not just one... that's the problem.. 
At the end of the day I know that if I buy one, I'll still pine for the other.... how??

How I wish I had the luxury of suffering the same mental torture that you're experiencing... 
IMHO, if I were in your very enviable position, I would choose the Hibeat 36000...
However, at the end of the day, no matter how we try to rationalize our choice of timepieces, the decision should always go to the watch that sings to you the most. And I don't think you can actually make a wrong choice between these two excellent Grand Seikos.

 

[takashi78]

How? Looks like this question only you can answer.
As for my choice?
The hi-beat. As nice as it is to see the hand sweep so smoothly and the snowflake dial. I still crave for a fully mechanical movement.

[JOS2012]

bro.. my pockets are not deep..I've sold off 5 watches recently and took awhile to amass my war chest over the last 1+ year...(no acquisition)

Snowflake.. HiBeat...Snowflake..HiBeat...

the joke is.. I wrote to Seiko suggesting that they make a HiBeat with the Snowflake dial.. and they actually replied thanking me for my suggestion. even if it happens it'll be at least a year away...
As for the German... search my post...for 2012 wishlist..

Go look for far richer godfathers... there's fobs up north with the largest watch collection I've seen so far on this forum....

Wow..bro..

If only my pockets were as deep as yours.... ...hehehe

My choice the snowflake...as its such a beauty. But then again I dont have a GS yet..so it will be my "grail" GS...but Danny's recommdation has more "logical" points compared with mine...

As for your "I'm targetting another German hi-end to add on to whichever of these GS I decide on for 2012's acquisition"

ALS or GO.....?

p.s you want a god-son or not...? I volunteer....

[JOS2012]

bro, thanks for your input...yup I've been reading up on GS historical 36,000 movts...

like I said, if I buy one, I'll pine for the other..
so maybe another way is to sell off more existing watches to pay for the 2nd GS Snowflake....if I get the Hi Beat first...

come come... still 3 Omegas For Sale...check my WTS posts.....
 

HI, JOS, Although I am not exactly a GS fan, I'l go for the Hi-Beat if I were you. The 36,000bph GS has a long history. If I remember correctly, the vintage GS armed with 6146 and 6155 (GS-Special) movements all run at 36,000bph. 

[JOS2012]

hey fellow GS fan..
I've been pondering over these 2 choices for months...
you think easy meh??

I tot u keep talking abt Snowflake now you say Hi Beat.. what..u don't want me to own same watch as you izit? 

Kidding friend...

How? Looks like this question only you can answer.
As for my choice?
The hi-beat. As nice as it is to see the hand sweep so smoothly and the snowflake dial. I still crave for a fully mechanical movement.

[ivanswk]

my vote to snowflake 
then maybe a sbgh003 or sbgh017 
now both dun look same rite hehe.. 

[JOS2012]

oh.. its you the Snowflake guy.. not takashi78......ooopppss

SBGH003?? i only know of SBGH 001 & 005   
SBGH017 I tried it on in Chid Lom
the gold hands,batons, wordings... unique yes... striking..yes 
sing to me.. no..

my vote to snowflake 
then maybe a sbgh003 or sbgh017 
now both dun look same rite hehe.. 

[Henry133]

bro.. my pockets are not deep..I've sold off 5 watches recently and took awhile to amass my war chest over the last 2 years...(no acquisition)

Snowflake.. HiBeat...Snowflake..HiBeat...

the joke is.. I actually wrote to Seiko suggesting that they make a HiBeat with the Snowflake dial.. and they actually replied thanking me for my suggestion. even if it happens it'll be at least a year away...
As for the German... search my post...for 2012 wishlist..

Go look for far richer godfathers... there's fobs up north with the largest watch collection I've seen so far on this forum....


Dear JOSH,

Ah...did a quick search...

gogogo..for the GO Senator Navigation? Why not just get the Lange 1.....and sacrifice the GS (sacrilege I know...) Then you wont have the dilemma of chosing the high beat or snowflake..ahahahaha

Anyways...go buy Toto or Magnum today lo...got draw ..maybe the Gods of watches are with you and let u kena then you can buy all 3..

As for godfathers...care to hint siapa? I need to prepare a nice CV for their consideration.... (words like "you never own a PP...you merely look after it for your god-son).. God I sound desperado.....

 

[gloomis]

so envy u can have the headache to choose between 2 GS, i nvr even touch o feel a GS before. once day have to go visit u to molest all your GS 

[meoramri]

My choice would be the Hi-Beat

[ivanswk]

^ the guy aiming for snowflake is sshark not me 
only gs on my mind is the sbge001 

[Gigi]

Go for the hi beat. Don get to find this in other manufacture watch other than zenith  Not to mention being low profile too

[JOS2012]

Out of topic.............
no advice given...

 

so envy u can have the headache to choose between 2 GS, i nvr even touch o feel a GS before. once day have to go visit u to molest all your GS 

[JOS2012]

hmmm most are suggesting HiBeat...like you...
thanks for your input..

My choice would be the Hi-Beat

[JOS2012]

Another Hi-Beat vote..
Noted...
Thanks..

If only the Hi-Beat came with the Snowflake dial, it would be a no-brainer

Obviously since I already have 2 SDs, I'd prefer a Hi-Beat movt but if you see the Snowflake dial....ooo la la

Should I wait and see if GS will in fact release the Hi-Beat with a Snowflake dial and in the meantime just go for the GO first..

Go for the hi beat. Don get to find this in other manufacture watch other than zenith  Not to mention being low profile too

[Enkidu]

Another Hi-Beat vote..
Noted...
Thanks..

After this you will have to crack your head once again whether you want the GS Hi-beat with white dial or the once with black (or is it dark green??) dial.   

[JOS2012]

that's easy peasy..
I've tried both black & white Hi-Beats.
As you know black always creates the illusion of being smaller..
As the Hi Beat is only 40mm, I cannot take the black as it looks even smaller.
My wrist is 7.5mm, so small watches look weird on my wrist
If its the Hi-Beat, it will be the white dial.
If Snowflake its 41mm and only 1 look.... so no issue la..

Another Hi-Beat vote..
Noted...
Thanks..

After this you will have to crack your head once again whether you want the GS Hi-beat with white dial or the once with black (or is it dark green??) dial. 

[Enkidu]

My wrist is 7.5mm, so small watches look weird on my wrist
If its the Hi-Beat, it will be the white dial.
If Snowflake its 41mm and only 1 look.... so no issue la..

Well, once we age and our eyesight deteriorates, I am sure you will prefer a dark dial to contrast the silver hands....

[JOS2012]

that's why you have to own a  higher end GS..
although the SBGC003 Chrono GMT does not have any lumibrite or watchamacallit, as long as there's just a little light, you can easily read the hands  and the indices due to the multi-axis edging and polishing. Just tilt the watch a bit and u can see light reflections off the hands n indices.
Even the central second hand and 2 of the 3 really small hands in the sub-counters are brushed not just plain chrome..... how's that for detailed finishing...

You can't see any of these details in a photo not even their GS official ones...that's why I'm blown away.

hmmm so far the Essilor varifocals are still working ok....so it "doesnt matter if its black or white" MJ?
anyway I want a mix of black, silver, blue, orange, white, cream dials in the watches I buy...

Well, once we age and our eyesight deteriorates, I am sure you will prefer a dark dial to contrast the silver hands....
[/quote]

[JOS2012]

I dunno if this is allowed as it's not a sale but an announcement of 2012 Grand Seiko's latest models

http://www.seikowatches.com/press/2012/pdf/bsl2012_rls1203-01.pdf

More models to confuse a potential GS buyer..

Luckily the new Hi-Beat comes only in precious metals with the WG at Euro24,700 !!!   
so its out of my range

There's only one new model affordable, the SBGM029 GMT @ Euro 6,600 but its not really very different from the SBGM027 except for the gold GMT hand and titanium/tungsten rotor which actually blocks the view of most of the movt...

[takashi78]

I still wonder why no new manual wind 3 hand no date with display back.