If I could keep only one
By Kenji Watanabe, Osaka ยท
This is the watch I keep returning to. Not because it is the most complicated, it is not, but because the proportions feel exactly right for a Japanese wrist in a Japanese office.
I have handled many old Grand Seikos over the years, some bought for very little at Nakazakicho stalls from sellers who did not know what they had, most of them priced correctly by sellers who knew exactly. The 1960s cases share a seriousness that is hard to describe. Flat planes, sharp transitions, polish that looks like still water. Modern reinterpretations often lose that by growing larger. This one mostly does not.
The 62GS case shape dates to 1967, the first automatic Grand Seiko, with its broad polished bezel-less case and the facets catching light. The SBGW231 is hand-wound with the 9S64, so it is not a direct automatic reissue, but the spirit is there. 37.3 mm wide, 11.6 mm thick, 19 mm lugs, white dial, leather strap, no date, 72 hours of reserve.
1. The 37.3 mm size suits a 16 to 17 cm wrist beautifully under a cuff.
2. 72 hours is genuinely useful for a manual watch. Wind it on Friday and it will still run on Monday morning.
3. No date. Thank you.
4. 30 m water resistance is low. I would take it off before washing up, and I would be nervous in Osaka's June rain.
5. The leather strap is fine but not special, and 19 mm lugs limit the aftermarket a little.
At 5,100 to 5,300 dollars it is serious money. For someone who wants one beautifully made dress watch and nothing else, I cannot think of a better place to spend it.
About the hand-winding, since some people see it as a chore. I find it a small ritual. Twenty or thirty turns of the crown while the kettle boils, and the watch is ready for three days. On a commute where nothing else is in my control, there is some pleasure in one thing that depends only on me remembering.
One more thought, for readers who are choosing between this and a Snowflake. The Snowflake is the more famous watch and the more practical one, with Spring Drive, a bracelet and proper water resistance. The 62GS is the quieter, older idea of Grand Seiko, and I suspect it is the one I would still be wearing in twenty years. That is not a rational argument. Watches rarely are.