On this week’s Test Drive, we have the Grand Seiko GMT SBGJ249. One of the new members of the Grand Seiko (GS) family. This specific model belongs to the Elegance collection of GS. Honestly, I was not looking to find this watch this time around, or looking for it specifically, but it was a pleasant surprise.
This is another great execution by Grand Seiko. The dial, without trying to butcher the poetic way GS puts it on their website, represents the “high Summer” where the warm air creates ripples in lakes and other water bodies. Wow, just with that description I feel like I fell romantically in love with the watch.
Images don’t do justice to this piece. The GMT hand is certainly very well executed, contrasting with the dial. Going back to the pair of GSs reviewed a couple of Test Drives ago, the snowflake and Winter editions, this one wears smaller. The smaller lugs makes it feel smaller on the wrist and very comfortable. Overall, this watch is 3mm smaller than its Heritage family counterparts, but also 2mm thicker. The thickness was relatively unnoticeable by me.
To end this Test Drive, I feel that it is worth mentioning the bracelet. We have the typical GS bracelet, not bad at all but could have been better, specially at this price point. You know, the usual. It is definitely similar, if not the same as the Heritage but in this case it feels more fitting. This watch is definitely stunning and worth considering if you are searching for a GMT at this price point.
DL