Should You Buy a Spring Drive Watch?

As a follow-up to my review of the Grand Seiko SBGA427, we take a look at the pros and cons of spring drive watches.
0:00 intro
1:13 pros
4:58 cons
9:10 conclusion

[@seikocitizenwatches]

Spring Drive has been solidly dependable for 18 years with zero service. It has never been cleaned or opened case back during the last 18 years, yet still runs precisely as day one. I purchased the Seiko Spring Drive new in February 2005 and it been amazingly accurate to 2 seconds per week and 72h reserve. It glides silently like time flows. Exclusivity and rarity status is in high order. I have feeling it can run for another 20 years without having to service.

[@ganck1147]

Oh really? I thought Seiko recommends service intervals of 5 yrs. i sold my GS Spring drive precisely bcos of having to send the watch back to japan & incurring high service & shipping costs.

[@xValsion]

​@@ganck1147you service if there are problems. If it is working fine, why service.

[@danc5677]

@@xValsion "if it's fine why service". It's called preventative maintenance. Do you only service your car when it starts making sounds?

[@doctorpanigrahi9975]

Grand Seiko and Spring Drive are a great conversation piece and nobody will ask you if that's a replica.

[@180mph9]

Good point 😅

[@seikocitizenwatches]

There are so many folks wearing fake Rolex, people question folks wear real Rolex whether they are real or fake? Some cases, people asked the owners of Rolex to remove their watches from wrists so they can hold them, feel them and look at them at closeup just to be sure they are real. Even when they look real people still have doubts in their minds and wanting to remove the case back to look at the movements inside LOL 😂

[@mongoose1618]

lol so true. Less than 10 master watchmakers in the world knows how to do it. All in Seiko.

[@kerkiraz]

Bang on fella I’ve tried and couldn’t get one.

[@aetnat0k1y0]

Absolutely, I love the "power reserve" indicator... for the same reasons that you gave.

[@Tony__Tone]

Grand Seiko is the pinnacle of Japanese watch making. Love this watch.

[@Postdisclosureworld]

I've come to the assessment that quartz watches are underrated. There is a deep comfort in knowing that your watch is ridiculously accurate. It could be argued that Spring Drive has the best of both worlds. Incredible accuracy coupled with the craftsmanship of an automatic movement. And the sweeping second hand is lovely.

[@1Soumynona]

Ahh I love that you're a watch guy too! (I subscribe to your excellent channel)

[@taotzu1339]

I'm amazed at how smooth the seconds hand is. I can't afford a GS, but have gotten a Bulova Precisionist as the next best thing.

[@johannoren2787]

Thanks! Great points! I am definitely getting a spring drive, love the Seiko presage with spring drive, dressy, awesome looking and really cool watch.

[@robdove8341]

My 2 cents worth...Dial symmetry is messed up as soon as you put a date widow on it. Yet I prefer an added PR indicator rather than just a date window on its own. I think 10 years before needing a service is a safe bet. Anyone out there with an early Spring Drive to comment? Regarding depreciation, only Rolex has a better re-sale value and many GS limited editions have actually appreciated...I know mine has! Quartz regulation will either bother you or it won't. It doesn't bother me especially as many swiss brands are not so "pure" anymore, outsourcing some parts production to Asia. Modern Omega's for instance are garbage compared to their 60's models, made during Omega's heyday. I wouldn't complain about Brand recognition. The word will get out, it's just a matter of time. Meanwhile I've sold 2 new Omega's + a classic Rolex, kept my GS GMT spring drive & have just ordered an SBGA469. Life is good :)

[@fatwhitetuna6659]

Wow! I am very impression of this review. I bought 3 GS watches last year. I have watched all reviews of GS watches on You-tube and you are the only one that discussed the negative aspects of owning GS Spring Drive, thanks.

[@flextime4745]

This is a beautiful piece! In the watch industry, the persue of accuracy and reliability has always been the ultimate goal of all brands. If today’s technology along with a brilliant brains leads to a quartz regulated mechanical watch to achieve this goal, is just the right way to me. It is a very elegant solution. To me Springdrive is the pinnacle of watch movements. I own 2 GS quartz watches and I am very proud of them. Do not buy a watch to be socially noticed but because it appeals to you. My Seiko Landmaster Springdrive is from 2016, is still as accurate as the first day, is a dream to wear (titanium), and in spite of its size is very understated and has never been to maintenance. However when you buy any luxury item such as watch or car, get prepared to high maintenance cost. My only complain about the power reserve on GS dials is that it is put upside down. The maximum is at the bottom and it is empty when reaching the highest mark…

[@bochka]

Buying a watch to flex or to please other people shows the person has unresolved issues they need to talk to a therapist about. Also, there are a plethora of other things people can invest in besides a watch. Very few watches appreciate in value over time. People please remember, only buy a watch because YOU want it. Let’s not worry about external influences. That said, this is a fantastic video. I hope the guy in it got into med school!

[@abdullaahmed2409]

Thank you for the video cause not so many people talk about the negative side like u did and the service issue

[@glenh4971]

I love Gran Seiko. Great looking watch. I like quartz watches. I don't care for watch snobs.

[@oscarmason3252]

That's a nice looking watch, really like how it sweeps

[@Gazza3501]

A very interesting and informative video. Well presented. Thanks

[@willelliott5052]

I recently bought the Snowflake, and it is my favorite watch. It can serve for business and dress, and it is my everyday choice for medium risk activities. I was tempted to go with its Evolution 9 update, mostly for the extra reserve, but the Snowflake is more of a historic milestone, has more graceful hands and markers (IMO), is made of relatively rarer titanium, and I prefer the reserve indicator on the face instead of the back. Oh, and it cost a third less. The newer Accutron electrocstatic movement, as well as older kinetic and solar movements, rely on rechargeable batteries for energy storage. Those providers can call it a capacitor, but it is really a rechargeable battery that will lose its ability to charge. In contrast, the mechanical mainspring of the Spring Drive seems more pure and desirable to me.

[@JasonCheungNY]

Same here. The Snowflake is a near-perfect everyday watch. If I know I might be doing something where my watch will get wet or get bumped, I'll just opt for my SKX or G-Shock.

[@robertszpin3120]

Bought mine 8 months old for 3750 plus taxes I’m happy with size and warranty remaining on my watch. Great review

[@graemeyetts3465]

It's a good piece of video, thanks. They could have made the crown indented. I quite like the power reserve on the dial and am considering this watch now.

[@dr.kevinmoore8889]

That dial and case are just so beautiful

[@googleuser7632]

I'm getting the Hotaka mountains green and white GMT spring drive. Can't wait. I want a unique piece and something that flies under the radar.

[@jeanlefranc3817]

Great review Sir I do agree that the Grand Seiko Spring Drive range would be more attractive if it featured more sub 40 mm diameter cases. I recently bought the GMT GS SBGN003 and boy, this watch is gorgeous and sits perfectly on smaller wrists. A Spring Drive movement in a similar case, with one of these stunning textured dials the brand is famous for would be extremely attractive Other than that, we’re back to the old : if you want to impress your family, friends and colleagues, buy a Rolex. If you want to impress yourself, buy a Grand Seiko.

[@dhunter1133]

Part of the problem is case dimensions: spring drive requires a certain thickness, which limits what the dial diameter can be while remaining well proportioned. I have a SBGY009 "High Moon" which has no rotor, and still can only get to 10.5mm thickness. I'm sure it's something they're working on.

[@expertreviews1112]

totally agree on change from 39 to 40mm...

[@TheRealBrook1968]

I am satisfied with the Precisionist and the more time passes, Bulova will, hopefully, continue to introduce more watches with that movement. PS Accutron was mentioned. I really lusted after the Spaceview but then watched a video that revealed the only way to sufficiently generate the watch is a hammer motion that must be a conscious effort.

[@Wim-Minnaard]

Hi I sill bought the SBGA285 one month ago (Dec 2021). The 283 model was also still available then. Wim

[@BobMarley-pm1xb]

Fine review!

[@jeffreyscott766]

Congrats on finishing those applications! I'm in my second year of med school, and still so relieved to be done with applying haha. I'm looking into getting an SBGY model as a graduation present to myself when I finish school, hopefully. Probably that new 007 model - love the thinness of that line! Spring drive can really capture your attention and doesn't' let it go.

[@AChannelAboutWatches]

Yeah I really hope I get in so I don't have to go through applying again. I tried on the SBGY007 at my local dealer. It's definitely thinner and lighter than I thought it would be, but it's definitely outside my price range (for now at least).

[@haping1]

Wow, still a student and already looking for a GS! I'm a bit older I guess and when I went to school, I wore a Casio calculator;) Still have it and working after 35 year... Time is moving on for sure.

[@Cashewnutter112]

Look at that sweep… smooth operator

[@jonathandowney7291]

The snowflake with the nice green second hand is a great clean look.

[@TheChadWork2001]

I have three pieces of experienced advice about Spring Drive: 1) They are the best watch movement for reliability and accuracy. Once you experience it, mechanical movements seem so 1700s. 2) They are more beautiful to see in person. No picture shows you how good they are as your own eyes. Wait to see them in person before buying. 3) The average Spring Drive is ÷- 15 seconds per month, but there are even better ones that are +- 10 seconds per month.

[@AChannelAboutWatches]

I agree for the most part, but I still think mechanical watches are respectable in their own right.

[@shepleonard8695]

Actually the Citizen Caliber 0100 is more accurate than any GS. The Citizen Caliber 0100 is 1 second per year. GS do have nice finishing, but that doesn't really matter. The moment you wear it out you scratch it and or ruin the "perfect" finish. It's like the guy who never drives or takes his car out of the garage for fear of it getting dirty or worse. I've met no one who owns a GS that isn't terrified of messing it up. Yet I know individuals with platinum Rolex who pour concrete with it on everyday. To each their own......

[@gordtulk]

@@shepleonard8695 that’s a quartz watch with battery powered drive - not the same thing as a spring drive or other mechanical watches.

[@shepleonard8695]

@@gordtulk Spring Drive is a quartz movement attached to a mechanical movement. Take the quartz out of the Spring Drive and it does work.

[@gordtulk]

@@shepleonard8695 mechanical energy source vs chemical one.

[@craigkovach8475]

What a gorgeous watch, thanks for sharing that. So much to like about it, including the very high accuracy, but the look itself is beautiful, I love it. My only negatives would be the crown is just a little bit humungous, and I've always thought if they'd just rotate the power indicator left until it's curve matched the curve of the watch case, wouldn't that make it less asymmetrical? What a beauty, though, and a master class is designing legibility!

[@randallhill7979]

Great video, 👍

[@wendyandgeoffpattison2610]

That's a beautiful piece. Although I like the power reserve indicator, I don't agree that it's more important than a date indicator. If a watch doesn't have a date indicator, I won't buy it, no matter how good it is otherwise.

[@LeeePowers]

I wound up going with a SBDB018 Transocean GMT. Its supposed to arrive in 2 days. Under 2 Gs used.

[@keithwhisman]

Tissot makes PRX 80 watches that have a power reserve of 80 hours and they go from anywhere from $350 to $750 and higher but I’m just pointing out that there are other movements that have longer power reserve.

[@dklegal5933]

these colours are magic up close

[@donaldneo4317]

I have been contemplating on getting a Spring Drive but servicing time and cost is holding me back. Was inform that servicing does not include polishing, will have to pay additional $ for zaratsu polishing if I scratch up the beautiful mirror finish. Belows are the models that I was interested in and went to try it on at the AD, the reason I didn't buy it listed as well: 1. Snowflake, too big 2. Skyflake, no bracelet 3. Spring SPGA413, tried it on and look at the full length mirror in the AD, I can't get pass the hint of pink 4. Winter SPGA415, dial colour too dull 5. Omiwatari no bracelet and only 30m WR 6. White birch too expensive 7. SPGA465 close caseback Still haveb decide on the SPGA465

[@bigj324]

I wouldn't call hard-core watch enthusiasts watch snobs for wanting nothing to do with Quartz. How luxury watches came to be after quarz crisis was owning a time piece made from fine craftmanship of centries old technology. Many people especially older generation think this way with luxury watches. You don't see Swiss watchmakers give any concern to spring drive technology. Their bread and butter is making mechanical watches. I think proably younger folks would have more appreciation for spring drive watches.

[@jeanlefranc3817]

Yes and No. Surely, Breguet, Jaeger LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin are associated with high end mechanical horology, not for their Quartz movements. With carefully tuned marketing, they have become synonyms of luxury. But if you’re in the hobby for the love of watches and not for the « luxury » part, enjoying multiple technical solutions : hand wound, automatic, Kinetic by Seiko, Spring Drive by Grand Seiko and high accuracy Quartz (Grand Seiko again, Citizen) allows you to dig even deeper into the rabbit hole. 😊

[@jameslee7636]

WOW, what a gorgeous watch. I just looked up this model online but only see the metal bracelet. Did yours come original with the leather band with the green stitching? Can you advise where you got that perfectly matching band? Thanks and great video!!

[@AChannelAboutWatches]

The SBGA427 (and 429) come with both a metal bracelet and leather strap!

[@doctorpanigrahi9975]

You have an excellent taste.

[@sarmadislamictv8433]

Great video sir . Subscribed ,appreciated . I think vintage omega f300s are the best alternatives to spring drive. Smooth and relatively cheaper than the spring drive

[@ytano5782]

I got compliments on my GS, mostly from people who have no idea about watches and I think mostly because of the beautiful dial. It can also be an advantage if the watches are not stable in value. I got my second hand GS 30% cheaper.

[@Tuneitupful]

Great video - new subscriber.

[@ac346673]

What a dial! 😍

[@AleksanderHoff]

Bah... I wish the SBGA427 was available outside the US. Impossible to get one here in Norway.

[@JM.TheComposer]

What is your wrist's circumference?

[@davidbcg286]

Only one without power reserve indicator... then adding other criteria on top... Loved my Seiko watch my grandma offered me, hopefully it gets replaced by a Grand Seiko one day (of a similar style as an homage). So far there is no model doing that, and the ones I like have that power reserve indicator. Pity

[@WristWatcher]

Is it normal if a spring drive loses time rather than gains?

[@rubbermaiden]

Today we have Seiko Prospex models driven by spring drive and they are cheaper than Grand Seiko.

[@andysantosiii1971]

Goodluck from a fellow physician. There are a lot of us watch crazy doctors!

[@user-rv2tl5xf4w]

I got GS despite all pit falls :)

[@Gumby56]

Eco/solar power watches are very accurate, set it and forget it.

[@shepleonard8695]

ONLY if it doesn't have the cheap gaudy PR gauge on the dial.

[@stupedcraig]

It's all about that second hand sweep.. So smooth.. (and accurate)

[@blainecole5452]

I am quite sure that all Grand Seiko movements employ a bi-directional rotor. Cheers

[@kengachira]

I'd prefer if the indicator was at the back

[@bezbeli]

7:24 Dude you need an appropriate hand for that watch...

[@alanchappell4845]

No replica spring drive movements as yet but plenty of replica everything else, must be too complex?

[@toshi665]

秒針の動きが素晴らしいですね！この時計を見ながらお酒飲みたいなぁ。🥃

[@180mph9]

🍺

[@marcuslieberman3577]

Nice Video. I would not buy a watch as an investment. The Spring Drive is Horology's most advanced innovation. Combines Quartz with Mechanical systems. "Conversation Starter". I would buy one on credit, because I love the movement, and I will have it for a long time. I will not play ROLEX Game.

[@onx-c]

Grand Seiko and Spring Drive are the best! No matter how much gold and marketing inside Rolex, GS is much better technically.

[@JohnOfAllTrades27]

Grand Seiko is my grail watch. I have no desire at all for Rolex. I see Rolex as an expensive Invicta

[@Star-bp5jj]

Quality of GS case is above the Quality of Rolex.

[@TruongNguyen-kv4ox]

Rolex sucks. There are a lot brand way better than Rolex.

[@s88m88h]

Honestly, some of the reasons"why you shouldn't buy a speing drive" were compelling arguments to buy a spring drive. When i hear about Rolex becoming iconic through being featured in movies it makes me dislike it even more. Spring Drive is a revolutionary innovation for watch movement. Spring Drive is the reason Rolex beats his wife every night. I can buy a really good fake rolex for $150 that you'd have to be a jewler to notice.

[@justeenabella]

I wish my watch can spin like a beyblade :(

[@OwnedRL]

Is it just me or does the sweeping second hand look a bit jerky in this video...?

[@JG-ol2bz]

skyflake

[@dhunter1133]

Power reserve is a pointless complication. If you have an automatic watch, which most spring drive are, you don't need a power reserve. And on the manual wind watches, Seiko has a winding limiter built in, so you merely wind it as far as it will go when you put it on in the morning and you're good; no need to know when to stop winding. All the PR does is add expense and additional complication to the design, in exchange for what many call an eyesore on the dial.

[@JayzBeerz]

I’ll take a Grand Seiko over an over priced Rolex.

[@RichardBlaster]

dont do it, when it starts acting up which it will you will spend too much to maintain it. dont believe that GS is for those "in the know", that was definitely a manufactured notion possibly by seiko. seiko will never be respected as much as even the cheapest true swiss mechanical.

[@MrAbdul-uf9ug]

Why would I buy a Quartz watch with that hefty price , as a mechanical watches enthusiast I will go for GS mechanical watches

[@user-fx5sw4jy7hYz9Hzi]

There is an affordable alternative. It's Citizen Ecodrive which is better. It uses solar. 72 hour reserve is a joke. Or maintenance of $1000 dollars every 2, 4 year is ridiculous. Why would you want to have invest that needs $1000 maintenance every 2~4 years? That's not an investment.

[@deschan2246]

No, automatic is better option

[@normanhalder8521]

Unfollow.

[@yekhantlu786]

Spring drive is basically a Quartz watch with a main Spring as a power source instead of a battery. The only upside is it doesn't have a requirement of replacing battery. That's why Spring drive is not that impressive in my opinion.

[@gordoncampbell3514]

The ONLY part of a spring drive watch is the regulator, everything else is mechanical . No motor or circuit board, no battery.

[@Star-bp5jj]

​@@gordoncampbell3514saldy it isnt the case. This is off wiki... The glide wheel in turn powers a reference quartz crystal and accompanying integrated circuit which controls an electromagnetic brake which then regulates the rotational speed of the glide wheel itself. I love GS but the circuit componet bugs me.. :(

[@ianmcgregor5861]

No. At its core its a quartz analogue watch, nothing wrong with quartz watches but £5000 upwards? No thanks. Also good luck getting a replacement electronic assembly when it fails as it will. Grand Seiko make great watches but I would stay clear of a spring drive if you want a watch to last a life time and have the possibility of leaving it to your children. Go for one of their pure mechanical watches.

[@AChannelAboutWatches]

Coincidentally, I sold this Grand Seiko and bought a Rolex. I'll be explaining my reasoning in my next video.

[@cfunk10]

Most of your negatives are exactly why I bought a GS Spring Drive.

[@joseoliver534]

Never i like only the mecanical watches