Grand Seiko often is discussed as a price advantaged Japanese rival to stalwart Swiss luxury mainstays such as Rolex, Omega, and Breitling. But the stunning scale of Seiko Group Corporation translates to a vast scope of watchmaking both below and above the Swiss mainstream.

While there’s always room in the world for the humble Seiko 5, it’s the opposite end of Seiko’s price spectrum where the most intriguing options emerge. The Spring Drive SBGZ003 sits in Grand Seiko’s “Masterpiece” collection – and for good reason.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003 on the wrist

The roots of the SBGZ003 lie somewhere between Philippe Dufour’s Vallée de Joux and Seiko-Epson’s Nagano Prefecture-based Shinshu Watch factory. Prior to establishing the “Micro Artist Studio” in 2000, Japanese watchmakers conducted a grand tour of the world’s premier watchmaking operations.

While few methods or styles were borrowed directly – Micro Artist is a Japanese original – the standards of quality witnessed in the Vallée made a powerful impression. More than anything practiced by the Swiss “holy trinity,” Dufour’s approach influenced the course of Micro Artist.

Today, the Micro Artist Studio focuses on building a handful of watches per year. Total production likely amounts to no more than 40-50 total timepieces, and many of them are built to order rather than stocked at retailers. Because Seiko watchmaking retains its historic bifurcation, mechanical luxury watches are built at the Shizukuishi studio in Morioka, Iwate Prefecture.

Seiko Epson Corporation, the successor to Suwa Seikosha Co., operates the Shinshu studio and Micro Artist. Due to the fact that Shinshu is a Seiko quartz and Spring Drive specialist, that means watches built under its roof always employ one of these technologies.

Prior to 2016, the Micro Artist Studio released no Grand Seiko-brand watches. However, by the time the SBGZ003 arrived in 2020, Micro Artist was constructing small numbers of both Credor and Grand Seiko watches.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003

The “003” is a unique timepiece due to its Spring Drive heart and haute horlogerie execution. While other Seiko and Grand Seiko watches boast one of these qualities, very few embody both.

Decoration on the SBGZ003 is back-loaded but not exclusive to the caseback. Around front, the case has been mirror-polished on a spinning tin plate. The process, known as “Zaratsu” in Japan, requires roughly three years to master.

Although executed on Sallaz-style machines with European roots, today’s foremost practitioners of this craft are the folks in Japan. Due to the fact that the polishing process is freehand-guided, any tremble or slip can damage the case.

And since the 003 is a platinum watch, the process becomes even more fraught by this metal’s tendency to smear, bubble, and pit.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003

Grand Seiko considers this Spring Drive to be an “elegant” model, so the case remains thin, fit remains unisex, and details like the bubble sapphire evoke vintage dress watches. Its dial includes a set of Grand Seiko’s customary diamond-cut indices and hands.

Diamond-cut indices and hands on the dial of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003

The effect of micro-facets and mirror finish impart a robust luxury ambiance. A fired steel center seconds hand sweeps resplendent in blue. Dial engraving is a time-honored tradition at Seiko, and it’s welcome in this application.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003

Machine engraving of the time hashes and logos obviates the need for dial printing and imparts subtle beauty.

When Micro Artist launched the Credor Eichi in 2008, it was stung by criticism of the dial-side power reserve indicator. But the company clearly aims to please, so that feature moved to the caseback on the Eichi II of 2014.

Grand Seiko Caliber 9R02A drives the Spring Drive SBGZ003

And out back is exactly where the business end of the SBGZ003 can be found. Caliber 9R02 is a significant step forward from the Eichi II’s 7R14. First, the new movement boasts 84 hours of power reserve to the 7R14’s 60 hours.

This is made possible by stacking two mainsprings in a single barrel and equipping the watch with a “torque return” device that diverts surplus torque from the drivetrain back to the mainsprings.

Superlative hand finished anglage of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003

Second, the smooth bridge contours of the 7R14 give way to a dramatic Vallée-worthy interior angle that boasts both sharpness and depth. Few “interior” angles exhibit this sharp a junction between bevels and that’s before acknowledging how deeply the crease is drawn across the top of the bridges.

Power reserve indicator on the back of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003

In fact, all of these bevels are shockingly bright, round, and horizontally extended towards the top of the bridges. This is what true hand-beveled anglage looks like; it’s the type of shine that finishes with polishing wood rather than felt on drill bit.

Bevels aside, the bridges of the 9R02 otherwise are almost austere given the horizontal satin brushing. However, flourishes of opulence do arise in the form of fire-blued screws and mirrored sinks for screws and pivot jewels.

The Micro Artist Studio logo of a bellflower opens the mainspring to the eye

Micro Artist’s logo, the bellflower, is featured as an engraving on the smaller bridge and in outline form on the barrel cap. When you see this logo on a Seiko product, you know it’s a product of Micro Artist Studio. The mainspring barrel includes three bellflower outlines on its skeletonized cover.

To the artisans’ credit, the interiors of these cutouts have been cleanly polished and rounded.

Back of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003

From a technical standpoint, Spring Drive remains unique. Research and development stretched from 1977 until the first commercial application of manual-wind Spring Drive in 1999. No motors, battery-scale capacitors, or batteries drive the hands; all motion is derived from the mainspring.

As the mainspring turns the drivetrain, a unidirectional governing wheel rotates in a magnetic field. This induces an electrical current which activates a quartz timing circuit. That circuit, in turn, applies electromagnetic braking force to the governing wheel.

The governing wheel is geared directly to the hands of the watch. In summary, mechanical drive from the mainsprings to the hands is an uninterrupted direct drive, hence “Spring Drive.”

There’s a difference between “cheap” and “value”; value is assessed relative to alternatives. Even at the top of its catalog, Grand Seiko is a strong relative value.

Less finely decorated three-hand watches such as the F.P. Journe Chronomètre Bleu cost far more on secondary markets. Less technically sophisticated watches such as the Akrivia Rexhep Rexhepi Chronomètre Contemporain II command higher prices still.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ003

On a qualitative and technical basis, the SBGZ003 should be on the radars of open-minded collectors who value innovation and refinement in equal measure.

For more information, please visit www.grand-seiko.com/us-en/collections/sbgz003j

Quick Facts: Grand Seiko SBGZ003
Reference Code: SBGZ003
Edition: Launched in 2020
Case: Platinum; 38.5mm diameter; 10.3mm thick; 43.5 lug-to-lug; 19mm lug spacing; 30 meters of water resistance; push down crown
Strap: Blue alligator leather strap with calf lining
Clasp: Platinum single-fold deployant with trigger release; exterior buckle in PT950 and interior folding element in PT900 for strength.
Dial: Machine-engraved brand, logos, and hash marks; indices manually crafted and placed by hand; fired blue center seconds hand
Movement: 9R02A by Seiko Micro Artist Studio, manual wind, 84-hour power reserve; two mainsprings in one barrel; torque recovery device; 39 jewels; Spring Drive; +/- 15 seconds per month; hacking seconds
Functions: Hours; minutes; seconds, power reserve indicator on caseback
2024 MSRP: $57,400
2024 Preowned Price: $46,000-$49,000

* Tim Mosso is the media director and watch specialist at The 1916 Company. You can check out their very comprehensive YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@the1916company.

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