VIDEO: Travel in style with Grand Seiko's SBGE201
The travel watch is one of the classic tropes in the world of watch design — and as with all recurring themes, the travel watch is a broad spectrum, ranging from rough and ready all the way up to the private jets and mega-yachts version of travelling in style. The Grand Seiko SBGE201 treads a middle ground. It’s solid steel, but it also possesses enough innate pizzaz to hold its own in more formal situations. This tricky balancing act comes down to the materials Grand Seiko has used, and how they’ve been treated: the steel is hard-wearing and robust, but it’s been treated with Grand Seiko’s typical level of obsession and care, to transform the otherwise ubiquitous case-material into something far more sculptural. And, of course, that sapphire inset bezel adds more than its fair share of flash. So, if you’re the sort of traveller who likes to stand out while fitting in, the classic, sporty shape and ever-impressive Spring Drive tech of the Grand Seiko SBGE201 might be something you want to take a closer look at. Grand Seiko SBGE201 price Grand Seiko SBGE201, $8400 AUD Made in partnership with Grand Seiko. However, the opinions expressed in this article are…
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In general, Grand Seiko has a reputation for being somewhat stealthy on the wrist — but, to be honest, that’s not the case with this chunk of finely crafted steel, better known as the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Chronograph SBGC203. At a sizeable 43.5mm across by 16.1mm tall, this isn’t the sort of watch that slides under the cuff, and even if it did, those oh-so-distinctive chronograph pushers would happily be peeking out, no matter what. But really, this is the sort of watch that you lean into. It’s a big and bold example of Grand Seiko’s best technologies — there’s no hiding the quality of the case or dial work, and the chronograph pushers have been so exceptionally engineered that you’ll be looking for any excuse (boiling eggs, timing car parks — the usual) to start, stop and reset. The goodness extends to the inside too. The 9R86 is a technical wonder — adding a GMT and a chronograph with a very unique layout to Grand Seiko’s already superlatively accurate Spring Drive technology. With this set of features and the fact that it’s rated to a decent 100 metres of water resistance, it’s a watch that can go anywhere,…
Broadly speaking, heritage-inspired watches fall into two significant camps — faithful reissues or modern interpretations. The Tissot Heritage 1973 Chronograph falls very much into the former camp. And, as far as faithful reissues go, it’s awesome. The big picture is the case, which is a hefty, hunky cushion — bonus points for the smart mix of case finishings, which is something you rarely see on a watch, let alone one at this price point. The dial is also a straight-up smash hit: panda-style, with a retro Tissot logo and charming orange highlights. A domed sapphire tops it off and the 7753 is an exceptionally reliable auto that is the perfect choice for this sort of watch. You don’t have to be a fan of mid-70s motorsports to wear this watch but, good golly, it would help. Tissot Heritage 1973 Chronograph price Tissot Heritage 1973 Chronograph, limited to 1973 pieces, $2900 AUD Made in partnership with Tissot. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.
Generally speaking, watch collectors fear three things: brick walls, unforeseen service costs, and the vagaries of international shipping. I’m not sure about points one and two, but Kelvin has certainly come up against the whims of global logistics conglomerates. But, before you get too stressed out, it’s OK – he won! Or got very lucky, depending on how you look at it. Not to steal Kelvin’s thunder, but this Blancpain L-Evolution, from the late-oughts, was the first watch he fell in love with, and one he eventually bought, years later. Now, at this point it was well-discontinued, so he purchased from a reputable UK-based seller. At this point I’ll hand over to Kelvin, because it’s where issues of freight, alleged tax evasion and other such stressful issues come into play. Somebody at the logistics company had stolen my watch and sold it to the second-hand market — but it had the same serial number …and eventually I got my watch back. Because everyone loves a happy ending … well done, Kelvin!