How to Score a GRAND SEIKO for Under $1000

Grand Seiko prices keep going up. But if we look in the past, we can find many great watches from the 60s when King and Grand Seiko went toe to toe in an internal battle as a way to compete with the Swiss. Today, you can pick up a handsome King Seiko for under $1000, but is going vintage worth the hassle? Let's talk about it.
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[@iamrichlol]

"How to get a Ferrari for under 10k - Buy a Fiat, it's the same company and it's also a car"

[@hunderskunder2596]

Should be titled how to get a king seiko under $1000

[@Igryan8]

Less people would click and watch the video then.

[@RabidPrimeape]

Scummy click bait titling tactics

[@princefriendship]

Let's dislike so at least he and the KZbin will know he's a scammer. 😊

[@ZaneRamsey-v5i]

Guys king Seiko was one of 2 band names they were trying don't take it to serious

[@rodsalvador3608]

Vintage GS and KS are really where it's at!! I have a 5626 day date and the 5641 solid gold, both acquired for very reasonable prices. They really are heirloom quality stuff, ticking at chronometer level 50 and 60 years later.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Totally! I've had my eye on them a long time. Glad I finally pulled the trigger 👍

[@CanadianHodler]

Vintage King Seiko offers incredible value! I have a 1971 4502-7001 with a manual wind 36000bph movement which was recently serviced and now runs within 1 second a day. The dial and case finishing is still super sharp. I wish KS would reintroduce a watch like that.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Nice! I still have much to learn about the different models

[@Keyser_Soze739]

Within a second = impossible

[@Polter6eist]

I bought the new one, love the proportions, the slim movement, the shine of angular shapes... I will wear it on my wedding soon and pass it to my son on his wedding day

[@iAPX432]

I had a 1970 King Seiko, a recent Grand Seiko, and still own another Grand Seiko. There's something Rolexy in Grand Seiko: intemporel with incredible quality and durability.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

You got that right 👍

[@iAPX432]

@@WatchCrunchOfficialThanks, my opinion is that Grand Seiko create watch as if it was your one and only watch, for life. Same for Rolex. That's why there's no gimmickry or bling in both.

[@theenavybluemonster]

Vintage scares me. So I went with the SJE083 and absolutely love it. The date window doesn’t bother me and I’m on Team No Date. And I love the 20mm lug width for strap changes. I love seeing your King Seiko and Constellation together. Nice 👍

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Team no date here too. But damn that's a nice watch 👍

[@heavyhauler426]

Nice to know I'm not the only one with the SJE083.

[@BartMan59]

Max, another great video - thanks for sharing. I recently discovered and now own a JDM dress, Seiko Dolce (SACM171), for men. - similar in size and homage to the PP Calatrava. The high-end quartz movement (cal 8j41) used in this watch was one time used in Grand Seikos and Credor watches.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Very nice! Thanks my friend 😁

[@zoobee]

great video mate. If I may make a suggestion, pick up a Seiko Sarb033 I picked one up fo £500 and its a beauty. Was made for the Japan market only, and was called 'baby Grand Seiko'. It blows my mind how affordable it is, and how beautiful it is. Total GS feel and aesthetics, and is very versatile with straps. My daily watch.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

I've had 3 😂

[@zoobee]

🤣@@WatchCrunchOfficial

[@Daniel-bv2wc]

£500? That's double the price they retailed at.. the sdgm03 or the sarx are the true baby grand Seikos.. a chasm in quality and finish between the sarb and the sdgm or sarx.

[@canadianwatchmonkey3992]

I was looking at this gen of King Seiko but ended up going with a first Gen NOMOS Orion 36mm and love it, arguably the perfect classic vintage style dress watch 😊

[@nilsweers1887]

I love my vintage 56KS it's classic GS grammar of design and one of few Japanese watches that had 'chronometer officially certified' on the dial before the Swiss stopped forging watchmakers to use it.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Nice pick up!

[@vintko]

I'm a huge fan of the Seikos from this era. Lord Matics are also an incredible value, especially the Specials. Cheers!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

They look amazing too!

[@joeschlicht]

I have a Lord Marvel from 1965. It's in fantastic condition. My watchmaker was also quite impressed with the movement. He said they dont make them like this anymore.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Those are so cool !

[@luisb7514]

Great video! Cant agree enough. I have several vintage KS and Seiko and they are wonderful watches, keep excellent time , and are just classics.

[@bundypro]

I just bought the same 44KS from Kai. Waiting on it and cant wait. I paid under $1k for it. Compared to some of the local beat up one i found it reasonable to pay for condition and service. I alway root for the underdog and search for value. Looking forward to wearing it out to dinner and cocktails with the green bracelet. To me its really no gamble. I already have oened a Rolex for over 18 years. No need to go chasing crazy expensive new examples.

[@markiangooley]

Probably will go for a quartz Citizen. 060 movement. Still more than I want to pay but 5 seconds a year is what I prefer. Ideally 1 second a year…

[@alfinlesmana9887]

For me, My grail is Seiko Twin Quartz Superior 1978, That is my Birth year watch too

[@mattpyfer3296]

Can also recommend the seller mentioned in this video. Bought a King Seiko 5626-7040 Chronometer from KingSeiko96 in 2021 and watch was exactly as described. Honest and responsive seller

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Yep, what a guy 👍

[@charlessurjaputra7832]

great tip .. I like the 44 9990.. the other KS reference that truly trumps it is the KS Chronometer: 49999. That is the pinnacle of Daini that goes head to head with Suwa's Grand Seiko

[@orangedan5424]

Personally I think other than Grand Seiko, Seiko need to up their ante on their choice of movement and accuracy to compete with the swiss counterparts. Yes their design and polishing is beautiful but their accuracy is like a lotto. They need a standard or some kind of guarantee their movement is very accurate. The Swiss has their cosc std, while Seiko has none. Yet they are trying to charge thousands of dollars for their mid tiers movement, some even with low beats. How can they compete with more of the swiss that offer better specs? Better power reserve? Better materials? Etc.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Yeah, they are trying with the new 6L slimline, but need to do better 👍

[@DevRel1]

I now have the Vintage Grand Seiko 4522-7010 (45GS) and I spent under $1k. Replacement Seiko band, but everything else is original. I did know the seller and the list price was over $1k because it's in amazing condition. But, I have bought a King Seiko, Lord Marvel, and Lord Matic from hi already. Japan seller that always has the greatest pieces. I have to be careful because he has the best collection of vintage Seikos I have ever seen.

[@Lawrence64]

Beautiful watch. Definitely a very well situated history piece. There are a lot of good stuff that we can get used with a nice horology record. And like you said: buy the seller, not the watch. Congrats!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Cheers Lawrence!

[@boatdetective]

This is all well and good- assuming that the 55 year old movement does not need replacement parts. I had to hunt for over a year to find a new balance.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Vintage is fun, ain't it? 😉

[@jjDemir]

I love this watch and when considering this vs. the new King Seikos… this for me is the clear choice. You can’t take real vintage charm & character. Great video, Max.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Seriously, no comparison with the modern ones

[@FT-ho6cb]

Nice watch, but the title said "Grand Seiko"...

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Vintage KS and GS are similarly priced. I prefer this KS

[@AcmeRocket]

That strap/buckle is beautiful as well.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

It's a good pairing

[@balesjo]

I do like the vintage King Seikos. Beautiful style and better offerings of movement than the modern versions. I do tend to be hesitant on vintage watches after the purchase of a vintage Vulcain from a reputable Swiss dealer. It was reported working when it left the jeweler but had problems on arrival here in the US. Due to my oversight I missed their e-mail offering to fix it. Also, such a beautiful watch and reasonable price, I decided to give it a shot of being fixed here in the US.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Good luck with the vulcain! Yeah you win some you lose some in the vintage game

[@briancarpenter1255]

My Seiko Lord Marvel 36000 from 1974 is right in line with these models and is one of 2 vintage watches that are my daily wearers. the other being a Omega 30T2 model from 1946. The 35mm diameter and 19mm lugs make the Lord Marvel Marvelous to wear if you get the pun. I bought the Lord Marvel from a seller in Japan and with a complete service to include a new crystal I had about $700.00 total into it and might I say that it looks almost new and is a real steal for what you get. Thanks Max for this great video.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Those are very cool 👍

[@ODBmusic314]

Awesome video i do have the KS 5626-7200 emerald green dial. Please feature next. Thanks

[@JohnBuckmaster-sw3wm]

I liked the latest re-issues of the king Seiko, a little bit more than you did… However, 1700 for a movement that you typically finding a $400 watch, and $3000 for a little better finishing and a movement that’s still has a +/-15 seconds per day spec, both seem like money grabs… I like your alternative as I’ve always loved the look of the vintage king Seiko’s… thanks for the great video!

[@marcgirard7551]

Solid review and deep dive to what makes a Seiko a Grand or King Seiko! I like that watch!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Cheers my friend 😃

[@happyburial]

Can you please take this down? I have been searching the net for a perfect 52 KS for a few weeks now and the last thing I need is more buyer competition :D Just kidding, great video and I agree with everything

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

😂 secrets out buddy, hurry up!

[@v_r_]

You’re right about Kai, he’s the man. I get almost all of my vintage Seikos from him.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Good guy 👍

[@emperorbt]

Is there any buyers protection dealing with him? Eg via PayPal etc. Thanks!

[@joshuapugh3873]

I like the 44KS but to me the later automatic 56KS are unbeatable. The design is so sharp and timeless, and is totally unmatched to this day.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Love the 56 👍

[@sallysbananenrepublik3740]

Nice video but i disagree about the new ks, i have the SPB365J1 and the finishing and dail combination are simply amazing.

[@AdAce21]

7:01 damn, that is just a gorgeous piece; especially with the custom (!) strap me made for the watch. It pairs perfectly!! Seriously awesome find, dude. 6:17 Which do you prefer, the Omega of this King Seiko?

[@nocitizen]

Great video, thanks for making it! I do love the look feel and style of these type of vintage dress watches, but with an 8” wrist think they will just look too small and silly on my wrist. Are there any vintage dress watches in this general style with a case size of maybe 42+ mm that you would recommend (sub $1k)?

[@henryalvarez6284]

Nice content. I have a King Seiko 4502-7001 with the date window which I enjoy. The date instantly switches at 12 o'clock. It is a high bet movement beating at 36,000 bph. The gold medallion case back is beautiful. I have also added an exhibition caseback to show that beautiful movement. I invested in the KS buckle. Which is hard to find. 👍

[@c.f.g.2837]

Kudos for finding a great vintage watch! Thanks again for educating us on more than just the obvious watches.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

You're welcome! Happy hunting 😉

[@EricBishard]

I have two vintage Seiko's on my list, this one and Lord Marvel (Arabic Numerals), which I just purchased. If things go well, I will have both for about $1k or close to it and I'm doing a little bit of refurbishing myself but so far have obtained a great Lord Marvel with original components in great condition for half of my budget. I'm expecting I may need to pay about $1200 to $1300 for both.

[@DevRel1]

I have completed my collection of Lord Marvel, Lord Matic, King Seiko and Grand Seiko all between 1970 and 1973. Paid approx $2k for all of them (Insane condition) including tax, and enough left over for a donor movement for the non GS and KS and a 4 count watch roll. Still under $2k. Also the KS and GS were both serviced.

[@WatchFocus8800]

nice video, King Seiko's are very handsome pieces and good value for money. But I will still have that itch to get a GS

[@DaveMGmovies]

Great analysis. Love the model. Very entertaining video.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Much appreciated!

[@johnnywires943]

If you can get a King in mint condition.then fine the King Seiko is the way to go.What worries me is the condition.If you get one with a scratch here and there then that is not what i would like.

[@realkewlmann]

I wish your channel a lot of success. You bring great quality content. 100% agree on buying the seller, not the watch. You could end up with a shit watch from a nationwide authorized dealer, happened with me.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks friend! Yes, that's the golden rule

[@wc6502]

Another great video. Getting better week after week!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks!

[@SuperCwindows]

Feeling when you just bought vintage King Seiko just a month ago :D

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Hell yeah!

[@ShalisaDume]

Been watching your videos for a while now and was inspired to start a collection. Started with the AMZWATCH, its specs for price and clean looks, now am looking for a dress watch to add.

[@webersteve1547]

Great content!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks 👍

[@a_embleton]

WatchCrunch is single handedly the greatest thing to ever happen to the timepiece collecting community!

[@younusimam-thesalamproject6340]

Really enjoying my 70s Seiko with a really cool bracelet. Cost me 300 and its been serviced too. I want to get a 60s model next from the same seller, only 200!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

There you go!

[@tiborkiss9186]

seiko crown special. GS at a budget.

[@craig2100]

Brilliant watch and display. Beautiful dial and band.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks Craig!

[@craig2100]

Where is the best place to shop for vintage?

[@stoneriverwatches]

Great video!😁

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks!

[@kyleweber9760]

It's stunning Max!!!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks Kyle 😁

[@marcuswong5067]

Sorry but may i know your spectacle brand and model?

[@anteneupitra]

D0nt like hi beat watches they wear out fast, service is also needed at short terms

[@NoBody-qn5xx]

how about Seiko Marvel ?

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Those are dope too!

[@softmetals3702]

seiko pogue has some intrest

[@loevhagen6984]

Isn't the 12 o'clock marker cut in a skewed / wrong way? kzbin.info/www/bejne/p36bhox6f7xjgqs The portion on the right side is wider than the left side - isn't it?

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

I think it's just the camera angle

[@AkramSays]

OMG that Omega man, wow

[@haping1]

Beautiful watch ❤

[@Spectrecontrol]

For some reason vintage designs always appeal to me, I prefer them to the more modern ones

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

They don't make em like they used to...

[@adams1253]

More vintage videos please!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

😎🤜🤛

[@jonathanpan5135]

Just ordered a watch from KingCollector because of this

[@JonathanCho-ni4bv]

Sure, you can pick up a vintage King Seiko for $1,000 but you know as well as I do that the cost is not just the initial purchase price isn't it? Unless you're really experienced **and lucky***, there will be the impending cost of a service. And servicing a vintage King Seiko from the 1960s is not a trivial matter. So you can't really compare vintage King Seiko with a Grand Seiko at all. Also, the title is click bait.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Did you watch the video before you typed your dissertation? 1. The watch is fully serviced from the seller 2. I mentioned vintage KS and GS in the same breath

[@JonathanCho-ni4bv]

@@WatchCrunchOfficial You assuming I didn't indicates you completely missed my point. And you obviously glossed over my post and made a reactionary, emotional response instead, as exhibited by your prickly attitude towards me despite me being civil about this. Let me quote myself from my previous post: "Unless you're really experienced **and lucky***, there will be the impending cost of a service." You clearly already knew how to approach the vintage market. And you also got lucky that you found a very good seller. Did you expect everyone to have the same experience as you **and** also find the same trusted seller as you did? Not once in your video did you cover the do's and don'ts of vintage Seikos. You did not cover how to find trusted sellers. What questions to ask. What things to watch out for, etc. All you did was spend mere seconds saying about "buy the seller" and you mentioned one guy from Singapore, lol.

[@jeanlefranc3817]

Great Max, but I thought it was green, looking at your IG post.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Yeah, weird color cast

[@bernardpaulsen825]

Watched the entire video, and not a single world on how to score a Grand Seiko for under $1,000.

[@RW3871]

this is random but what brand is that knife at 1:30

[@AR-hw9zi]

Where is that sweater from tho?

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Random Instagram ad 😂

[@srenjacobsen6773]

Very interesting :-)

[@createdluck628]

stunning.....

[@klasredin2660]

You can actually score a vintage GRAND Seiko under 1000.

[@af8828]

I DO NOT RECOMMEND buying these unless you have Grand Seiko money. You're paying high hundreds of dollars for a movement that has not been serviced in decades and cannot be serviced by most "around the corner" watchmakers. If you do choose to operate the watch without service, you're going to be grinding down a true marvel of a movement, the likes of which can never be reproduced. That is to say, you're destroying a piece of history permanently. Servicing this costs hundreds of dollars, so if you go about it properly, with respect to the vintage movement, you're going to be paying around the same as some of the newly revived and released King Seikos. I recommend getting those instead. It'll cost the same without the headache. Plus the new King Seikos have the same beautiful design language as these anyways. It's a far safer move to make for the same money :)

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

This watch is serviced by the seller. I say that in the video

[@af8828]

@@WatchCrunchOfficial Yes I know. These ones are usually marked up to around the price of contemporary KS watches anyways if in good condition and serviced. I was more giving a warning to people who may be broke, because it's always a gamble with vintage pieces as you mentioned, and grabbing one of the cheaper ~$500 ones with no access or intention of servicing is a slippery slope to buying a $500 paperweight. Buying a brand new KS for a similar price would be much safer. Also, in true Japanese fashion, the movements of the new KS watches underpromise and overdeliver. Every new KS I've tested has come with the -15 to +20 rating, but has operated well within -4 to +6 COSC requirements. I do agree with you in that I wish the revived KS was given high beat movements with chronometer accuracy certification as they were back in the 60s. I'll end on a question: this is the 44GS/KS case. Do you know why, then, modern GS refers to the other case (the 45KS case) as the 44GS? This always stumped me.

[@f.kieranfinney457]

Just buy vintage Credor

[@M_MTsc]

It seems nice but not GS nice

[@fatwhitetuna6659]

Your title is click bate, please br honest to your audience.

[@ruiportela3738]

Why the time travel at 3:30?

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

😂

[@jonathanlau6964]

Nice catch... There are some dark things going on at "Watch Crunch" - Otherwise known as "Time Crunch" to those in the know

[@DANNY35870]

So, How NOT to get a GRAND Seiko then?

[@basantchanna8925]

The movement must be awful on a watch that old though.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Mechanical movement tech hasn't charged much in 100 years

[@MCDU81]

Unsubbed. I was looking for GS content, not KS.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Byeeee 👋👋

[@thomashelm6931]

Subbed because he knows KS! Probably the only KZbinr that does! Yes, I have the same watch and I'm inspired to get some straps for it. Great watch but I've had other acquisitions and it kind of sits by itself. Feel badly should wear it more! This one piece of vintage should definitely be respected.

[@ed18]

Subbed because OP won’t be hanging around making silly comments like that. Great videos. New to your content.

[@choulebanon8120]

Did you think there’s a back door to gs factory where security guard would smuggle one out for you for $1000 or less? It’s not the tittle that deceived you it’s your own greed

[@wagjkproduction755]

That's not a GS what a clickbait

[@ibez07]

soooooo NOT A GRAND SEIKO

[@andyfoster9038]

How to get lots of views. Claim to show how to get a Grand Seiko for $1000 and instead show how to get a different watch. Arguably some San Martins are of comparable quality - why not call the video How to score a Grand Seiko for $200 and show how to get a $200 watch that also isn't a Grand Seiko?

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

All Great ideas 👍

[@markiangooley]

Why do you say “very unique”? I know that almost everyone on KZbin says “very unique” nowadays. Are you simply copying them? What do you think the word “unique” means? I was born in 1961 in Illinois. I learned both through reading and in school that “unique” means “one of a kind,” usually literally but sometimes figuratively. With that definition, “very unique” is nonsense. The word you want is “unusual.” Will you use it instead of “unique.”? You certainly won’t. Because NOBODY on KZbin can say “very unusual” even if it’s precisely what he or she means. You, and everyone else, will say “very unique” to mean precisely “very unusual.” Only old people like me will think that you all sound like ignorant fools. Younger people will have some sort of arousal at hearing the word “unique.” I’ll probably be dead within twenty years and even easier to ignore then. I shouldn’t waste my time like this. I won’t change your mind or anyone else’s. “Unique” now means precisely the same thing as “unusual,” except it sounds so much cooler. Sounding cool is really important. When something is actually unique you can always call it “one of a kind.” Every language has circumlocutions allowing the writer or speaker to express an exact meaning. Destroy any word you like by changing its meaning. There’s always another way to express with difficulty what it expressed succinctly. If anyone has bothered to read this, thank you. I know that languages change over time, and this change for the worse is probably inevitable, but after hearing “very unique” a thousand times or so I sometimes need to rant.

[@siangtan3411]

For a car Japanese ok For watch better swiss

[@bgjr2304]

"chysanthemum" looks like a paper towel🧻