The past few years have seen Grand Seiko riding the big wave – maybe not of popularity but certainly of increasing market penetration here in the UK and getting significant social media publicity through the wannabe influencers. As a consumer, I view their efforts with some admiration albeit I sometimes struggle with some of the classic design elements (don’t worry I am not going to bang on about the Grammar of Design!). In my watch buying lifecycle, and maybe a decade into being completely obsessed with watches, I am past the stage of buying watches because they are popular and well-loved by the community and hitting more niche targets (i.e. losing more money but with a smile). I do however have a couple of watches from this heavily influenced phase – one being my Grand Seiko SBGR305.

The Grand Seiko SBGR305 was a pretty little number. I had admired the reference when released due to its uncommon case shape formed in brilliant hard titanium – whatever that was. One of the first to proudly display the new single-line branding and with its slightly textured dial (when snowflake was still a meteorological reference) and it’s just a stunner. It’s ridiculously light and I’m usually one of the first to dismiss titanium in place of steel but it increasingly works as a guilty pleasure. I hate the lack of lume on the Grand Seiko SBGR305.. people will tell you it’s not needed as it’s so highly polished but that is rubbish :). I look into the case back and I can’t get that excited with many GS’s .. just something very clinical. I keep thinking I’ll sell it but back-peddle every time I put it back on the wrist. The one person who asked to try it on casually murmured something about its thickness (my self-restraint was legendary). Despite all this .. I still own it (for now).. I still think that the Grand Seiko SBGR305 is a beauty and still believe it’s the most interesting case shape from GS.