Grand Seiko SBGN003 (Perfect One Watch Collection!)

My review on my first ever Grand Seiko model SBGN003.
INSTAGRAM: @broke_watch_fanatic
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[@carlosranghel3290]

This watch seems to be making a comeback has been out for a couple years but seems to be gaining traction over the past year or so very fun to see more exposure to this beautiful yet controversial watch!!!

[@bushpig6837]

Maybe because it came out just before covid hit, now international travel is opening up again.

[@OnlineXplorers]

This watch was my gateway drug to planet Grand Seiko. Love it!

[@geoffhamby9384]

Extremely high quality video for a brand new channel. Great work. Love the SBGN003.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Thanks for showing some love!

[@engineer_wannabe]

Great review man! I really enjoyed it. I too was a quartz snob for a short period during my time as a watch collector. Spring drive and 9F taught me better haha 😀

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

I appreciate it! I learned a lot about Grand Seiko from your channel!

[@tangoalphawhiskey]

Great review! I have the Grand Seiko SBGN 005 with the blue dial. I love it when people say “you paid how much for a quartz watch?” They know nothing…

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

It's a secret society haha

[@dustindodge5974]

Been on my watch list for a year now, great piece!

[@susfu4988]

Nicely done! I’m debating a Grand Seiko “trifecta” collection: spring drive, quartz, and automatic. Picked up a Snowflake earlier this year and it is an amazing watch. I have my eye on the SBGN003 for the quartz. Still looking for the automatic candidate.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Thanks! The white birch would be the hottest hi-beat right now!

[@niketd1]

Yes , do look at the white birch !! Both the movement and the dial are top notch ! Spring drive Snowflake , Quartz GMT SBGN 003 and high beat White birch sounds , looks and feels like a perfect GS “trifecta”!!!

[@robertbelliottjr5773]

Great review! This is a beautiful watch through and through. I’m a purest as far as always having worn automatic watches. I’d have no trouble whatsoever loving this watch. You hit on all of the important points the only problem is that you have convinced me to buy one.

[@paulhaig2467]

Excellent vid as usual ,, I have the 005 blue dial and totally agree this model from GS is exceptional in every way, if you have reservations because its a quartz movement ,DON"T its a masterpiece of technology.

[@niketd1]

I also recently got myself this stunner of a watch !!! Its a keeper !! The engineering of that movement !! The level of finishing of this watch !!!! It’s simply wow... all my other watches are seriously fighting for wrist time with this one now 😊

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Enjoy the craftsmanship of your new watch, I know I certainly am!

[@niketd1]

@@BrokeWatchFanatic yes I am totally enjoying this one !!! I suggest you look at Longines big eye for a chronograph in your collection! It’s another amazing timepiece! Do check it out !

[@niketd1]

Another impressive thing about this watch which I noticed: primarily only 2 dominant Colors !! Silver and black !! And then a dash of orange with the GMT hand and wonderful orange GMt typeface , both of which Pop against the deep black hole dial....Wow .. I have given this watch a new name: “orange is the new black !!” 😊

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

@@niketd1 I wish it was red, but it's still cool!

[@niketd1]

@@BrokeWatchFanatic I loooooove the orange .... I have always loved that Steve Macqueen explorer ii black and orange !! SBGN 003 is GS’s take on that reference in a very original GS way!!! With the zaratsu flair and those polished indices!! Ohhh I can’t stop raving about this timepiece now 🙈

[@PapaJa98]

Great video. I didn't know two half links are more than one full link. Good to know.

[@itstsya]

A very good and detailed video for this watch. I am searching for comments of this watch on KZbin. After watching your video, I will definitely go for this quartz watch. Thanks!

[@queensbuilt-timewilltell8200]

Great review. You are becoming quite an influencer in this watch game.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Thanks brother! I appreciate your support!

[@Hollyrock712]

I have this watch… also two other 9F watches… This watch is incredible….

[@alanturner7654]

I have the 005 blue dial and love it to bits defy anybody to say it isn't a superbly made piece.

[@ljsanchez12]

Best of the best with Grand Seiko. I'll be getting this watch soon. Thanks for the video, it was great.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Glad to help!

[@dariuszwojcik1601]

Great watch and great review. The 9f86 is a really good movement and quick hour hand makes a big difference not only for changing time zones but changing dst time twice a year as well. The only reason to adjust time is when you change battery now:) I have it in my sbgn009 :)

[@watchyourstyle]

Great review! Have this watch too amidst a couple of Rollies, absolutely love it

[@gilbertrose7147]

Very nice overview of this watch and the 9F movement. An amazing movement! I am not a watch collector per se, and for 30 years my daily watch was a Rolex Submariner. I did everything with it and it’s Kubota tractor-like movement never let me down. It was the quintessential gentleman’s tool watch! But last year, the bracelet started to fall apart and I wanted to upgrade to the new bracelet and the AD balked at selling it to me. That was after I tried to buy a new GMT Master 2! I could not believe in the years that I wasn’t watch shopping how hard it now was to get a new steel Rolex sports watch! I am STILL on the AD’s list! But…a funny thing happens when you are treated that way-you begin to re-educate yourself on watches all over again. Like most of us, I can’t afford nor justify an ALS or a holy trinity watch, but one watch brand is standing out to me in the mid-price tier…Grand Seiko! Today, my daily watch is a Sinn 857 UTC (with a customized left crown placement) while I figure out what I really want. This gets back to this watch you just reviewed. This is a fantastic watch and for me it misses the mark in two ways: First, for me the size is perfect but has to have a moveable bezel. Second, Grand Seiko’s finishing is excellent but the quality and engineering of their bracelets lag behind Rolex and Glasheutte Original. In order to compete head-to-head, this must be fixed! I think it will-and when it does, Rolex will become, as they say in Texas, all hat and no cattle! Keep up the great reviews!

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Sounds like a watch collector to me! I hope you get that call from your AD sooner rather than later. I love Sinn and it's not a bad choice to hold you over in the interim. GS bracelet does need improvement. Maybe they figured the outstanding craftsmanship of the case will be enough to overcome that? But nonetheless, the bracelet is comfortable. Thanks for watching!

[@davids.2317]

Beautiful watch, this one is worth going quartz for..

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

You said it!

[@sebastiancho4340]

That is a very high quality watch for quartz movement i am surprised by how well grand seiko can make even a quartz watch

[@martinkaplan1805]

I love it. I want it. I tried on the blue version today and I’ll likely get it. It sparkles and the orange pops.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

I'd love to see the blue in person!

[@crotchetychris]

I have this watch and it's excellent. It is attractive and very accurate.

[@sungsulpark9681]

Wow, your videos are great! It's similar to Bark and Jack's or Teddy Baldassarre's! Keep up the great work!

[@MrKkramme]

Great video and watch ❤🎉

[@dgbucko]

Love mine. It went from a good watch to a great watch when I happened to put a black leather strap on it. It is now my daily wearer and if I want to sport it up, I change to the bracelet. This could actually be a one watch collection.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

I plan to get an Erika's original for this one.

[@RickinHKG]

Thanks. I have been wearing a ROLEX Explorer Replica as a trial to see if I like the look. I don't wear the watch all the time so this looks like a perfect solution. The look. Accuracy. No need to keep resetting the time if I don't wear it for a few days. Plus, ... the hands are much clearer on this than the Explorer, where I sometimes have to search for the hour hand. Thanks again. Good health.

[@justeenabella]

Looks good on your 6.5 wrist!

[@Beanerds]

Just brought one today ,, a beautiful watch $4600 aud , what a steal .

[@Beanerds]

Update , Just replaced the battery that cost $2.95c and the watch had gained 4 seconds in 3 years !! . Impressive . I also have a Seiko GPS Astron that I use to set my watches and when I GPS synced my Astron and I first set my SBGN003 and checked it again when the battery needed changing , that's how I know the accuracy of mine . Still have , love and wear mine . ps. a GPS synced Astron is + or - one second in 100,000 years , atomic clock ( GPS satellite ) accuracy when synced .

[@Cycletroll]

Nice review! I greatly enjoy my SBGN003. Could easily be a one watch collection,

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Thanks for watching!

[@martinkaplan1805]

Beautiful. I’m sold!

[@mrmagoo.3678]

Love everything..BUT the Bezel....I do want a HAQ though..thinking of the Longines VHP GMT

[@lucgeoffrion1970]

I was exactly in that place… So, I bought the SBGN005, AND the blue Longines VHP (but not with GMT) !!

[@jefftrump1]

Great review. I was to buy the SBGN027 this week, but the Seiko boutique guy surprised me with the last available SBGN003. The latter is for 3,400€ and the former is €100 more. And he is willing to sell me the 003 version for €3000. What do you think I should buy?

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

I like the orange accents in the 003 plus you get crown guards. My pick is the 003!

[@jefftrump1]

@@BrokeWatchFanatic Responding to a user comment on a video you posted 3 years ago; that shows your commitment to the subscriber community you have been building! 👍🏼

[@jefftrump1]

@@BrokeWatchFanatic As you now are a proud owner of an Explorer 2, curious to know if you still have this Grand Seiko watch with you; and also how do you see this watch in comparison to the Explorer 2? Of course the latter is 3 times the price, but curious to know your thoughts on these two watches.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

I moved on from this piece mostly because I couldn’t get a good fit. Even with the half links, it was either too tight or too loose. I think if I had an extra half link, I would have narrowed it down to a better fit. That’s exactly what I had to do with my Mistflake. It’s frustrating because you have to spend extra for the extra half link. Damn Grand Seiko… The explorer II is a larger watch. And I kind of preferred that over the 003. The 003 actually wore small in my opinion. Plus, I love the white dial with the contrast of black markers.

[@tommyg3644]

Great video that helped me decide to purchase this watch! Serious question, am I going to want to sell my Sinn 556A? I noticed you have/had one so I'm curious if this takes a lot of wrist time from it in your collection.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Congrats on your purchase! Yes, I still have my Sinn. For me personally, my Sinn has been losing some wrist time, but that's because I just purchased a Marathon GSAR. But my Sinn is still in my collection and that's saying something. The SBGN003 and Sinn are two different watches though, so they both should have a place for your collection. Good luck with whatever you decide!

[@MyWatchTherapy]

The second hand beats two times per second. Not mentioned but is worth knowing. Need slow motion video to see.

[@abrahammstein2497]

So far I’m loving mine that I also want the mechanical version… I’m tempted of selling my Speedmaster 😱 am I crazy?

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

I saw the reviews on the mechanical versions. It's definitely a thicker watch. If you already have the quartz, I wouldn't get the automatic. Keep the speedy haha

[@pogamassing9586]

I’m right on the edge of pulling the trigger on an SBGN005.

[@niketd1]

How did this one compare to your Rolexes ? In terms of finishing , build quality and feel on the wrist ?

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

I think the GS bracelet wears more comfortable on the wrist than the oyster bracelet. GS dial pops more because the indices are so highly polished, but the blue sunburst is more appealing than the gloss black. Build quality are both on par with each other and they're very solid!

[@niketd1]

@@BrokeWatchFanatic thank you for your views! Really value it coming from a serious collector!

[@jr956678]

IMHO the GS has better finish and build quality than my Rolex GMT 2. The case is about as flawless as anything I've ever seen - a better comparison than to the GMT 2 is how the GS compares to my PP Nautilus 5712 - which to my eye is easily on par with the PP. One subtle detail that I've never seen mentioned is how the minute hand and the second hand align with the batons and indices of the dial. I hack the second hand to the minute hand and note that as the second hand passes 12 o'clock - does the minute hand match up with a baton (every 5 minutes) or an index (every minute) and does the minute hand align precisely with the dial for each minute out of an hour? Said another way, as the second hand hits 12 does the minute hand line up with a baton or index, and does this alignment happen at 5 minutes after the hour and equally well line up at 35 minutes after the hour? Both the Rolex and the PP are good - but not perfect - in this regard. I suspect that the hair spring that GS implements to assure that the second hand stops in the correct place each and every second also takes up any backlash in the gear train to keep the minute hand exactly synced with the second hand and also with the batons and indices on the dial. The Rolex bracelet is a work of art - and does have micro-adjustments that I've seen on want lists for the GS. BUT it also has a bulkier clasp as a result. The GS bracelet adjusts by adding / removing links; in this regard it's the same as the PP Nautilus bracelet (which similarly has no micro-adjustments) and while the GS bracelet doesn't match the Nautilus as far as being flatter (and more comfortable) it's better than the bulk of the GMT 2 in my opinion. The feel on the wrist is as good as any watch I've ever worn (on par with the Nautilus in terms of comfort).

[@niketd1]

@@jr956678 hey thanks a lot for your inputs , really useful and amazing to know that GS SBGN 003 is on par with Nautilus

[@jefftrump1]

Subscribed! 👍🏼

[@marcelodietrich8674]

GREAT review of GLORIUS watch! Very well done video as well! Great production value. Is that a book on the table? I concur with its sentiment absolutely.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

Thank you! And no, it's a coaster haha

[@enriquesaez1996]

I love it

[@1977JohnBoy]

on watch vids i always switch to lowest playback speed and check out the second hand, do it on this video then go do it on a moonswatch video lol

[@totaltime7804]

Nice vid

[@John-zl9zp]

Great watch. Not sure whether I prefer the sbgn005 or 003. I think the other about Grand Seiko is you can be incognito about it as opposed to a Rolex, if someone asks you about it just tell them it’s a regular Seiko.

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

It definitely flys under the radar. I just traveled to a different time zone and boy was the jumping hour hand such a pleasure to use haha, now I want all my watches to have that feature!

[@CamelJockey562]

Bulova Precisionist has a better movement

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

I have to check that one out!

[@deshik]

That damn wide ass bracelet is so annoying

[@BrokeWatchFanatic]

The lack of micro adjustment annoyed me more.

[@rockinginafreeworld3256]

No such thing as a one watch collection.

[@shipmate3577]

Don't buy a quartz. Apple watches have made them obsolete. You buy a mechanical watch for the "mechanical" feeling... like having a small engine on your wrist. Owning a $3,000 quartz is silly when you can get a $300 Apple watch that keep better time. Personally, buy one great mechanical watch, then buy an Apple for everyday.

[@AM-zk7pj]

The design is just like a 100$ watch... No one would recognise that watch

[@Roughdraft214]

Yeah if you want others to acknowledge your high prestige, this isn’t the watch to get.

[@MillerVanDotTV]

I’ve seen $100 watches that look exactly like Rolexes and Cartiers. But they are still built like a $100 watch. What’s your point? Most people don’t recognize watches unless they are made by apple anyways.