I know people don’t like the Cyclopes magnifier, but now that I’m fifty I need it.

The GS Birch is so much more beautiful than the Rolex its not even funny!

@explorerjlc1743

9 ай бұрын

The failures from the 9sa5 isn’t funny either

Specifically, between these 2 watches, I'd take the Grand Seiko

Keep these vs series coming Tim. 🎉

@stu632

9 ай бұрын

👏

Instead of a datejust, I got a Grand Seiko SBGA283. 39mm, champagne dial, spring drive, hand finished, just couldn't beat it for the price.

Both are great watches, of course. But GS gets my vote. I’m a big fan of different and detailed dials so I love the White Birch and it was on my short list (with Shunbun and my ultimate purchase - the Omiwatari white dial, which also has a bracelet I enjoy). I really can’t get over the cyclops date on the Rolexes I otherwise appreciate.

That Date Just is stunning. But the White Birch just kills it!

Truly a great review and comparison of these two watches Tim.

The GS just blows Rolex out of the water. It's stunning. Rolex isn't even in the same league as a Grand Seiko. They're not comparable.

Thanks for this highly detailed and engaging head-to-head review. I was hooked for 18mins!

I’m with you-GS SLGH005 is way more interesting

Be a win win if we could move the Rolex Bracelet over to the Grand Seiko. GS needs to start adding a micro adjustment to their bracelets though I don't believe their bracelets are as bad as folks like to say. Rolex makes a far better bracelet however. Great content as always Tim.

@rousseau327

9 ай бұрын

It's really the microadjustment that makes the Rolex a standout. The oyster bracelet is more comfortable, but it's not such a night and day difference over competitors (even GS in this case). It's really just the microadjustment that GS is lacking.

love this format!

Love the lugs and bracelet of the Rolex. The GS wins at everything else. What a lovely piece

These comparison videos are so awesome. DJ all day.

I chose the SLGH005--and am quite happy with my choice. Keep up the vs. series they are great reviews and comparisons!

Where can I find this model?😊

Love grand seiko, but I use easylink all the time and sometimes frustrated with the lack of adjustment on my GS.

@jamied931

9 ай бұрын

GS had the worst bracelet in any watch about 3k its the same as a Seiko Presage sharp edge

@stu632

9 ай бұрын

I find the GS bracelet very smooth and it is comfortable but for the lack of any micro adjustment. I get that they want to have the buckle slender but it doesn't really matter about that if half the time you are feeling it is too tight or too loose. They need to do something, the micro adjustment on the Overseas is good and many microbrands have great solutions. There really isn't any excuse at this price point.@@jamied931

@rousseau327

9 ай бұрын

@@jamied931That's just absolutely not true, just a highly sensationalized internet take. Anyone who has worn a GS will tell you the bracelets are good quality. Not the best, but good. The lack of microadjustment is the only thing that actually lets it down.

@phildo864

8 ай бұрын

@@rousseau327well said

@sebastianscholz9878

8 ай бұрын

​@@rousseau327I have a minase divido bracelet this is awesome

Such a well done video, thank you! Having owned several of both, and I know this is petty, but GS has to upgrade their clasp before I consider another, unless Titanium due to low weight. Or maybe soon Steel Reef will come to GS rescue on this count as promised.

thx for the nice vid this model watches is my favorite dailey watch to wear at the moment i wear the seiko baby alpanist green dile with a 6r35 movement super watch i also would go for grand seiko its amazing they make everything in house

So Rolex, the king of proportions, got the proportions wrong. Grand Seiko all day here.

White Birch super special. Hoping to buy one at some point.

The best rolex can do is +/- 2 seconds per day. The high beat is not Grand Seiko's best. Their best is Spring drive at about 5 seconds PER MONTH! Or their 9F quartz at 5 seconds PER YEAR. Oh, and you can buy GS TODAY! No contest. I have several of both and love both. But as a watch conneseur, it is GS 100%. For wanting others to be jealous of you, sure...Rolex, if that's your thing. I do love the cyclops, though. Always did.

"lets make the movement bigger to fit our big watch case!". I guess making a smaller more elegant watch shape is out of the question lol

Why is rolex even popular?

@NRKGBP1986

7 ай бұрын

Cuz there's more idiots in this world than smart people.

@ken4747

6 ай бұрын

Marketing + a stronger history in Western popular culture.

@trinajska

5 ай бұрын

@@ken4747 makes sense

@eijiroinouye4115

5 ай бұрын

Roger Federer is awesome

When GS learns how to make their hi beat movements within +-2 like Rolex, it’s a hard pass.

@tommurphy8596

8 ай бұрын

When Rolex gets as accurate as a spring drive, I might go back to thinking about getting one again

@michaeljordan6008

8 ай бұрын

I like my mechanical watches without any circuits or quartz.

@tommurphy8596

8 ай бұрын

@@michaeljordan6008 Why? Are you anti-technology and accuracy? The Amish still plow fields with a horse. But, if we're just talking about mechanical movements, I also have a $700 Hamilton Kakhi Suba with the H-10 movement that gets +1 second a day. Rolex is overpriced and reliant on marketing. There are so many better watches out there these days. Omega has a ton of technology in them too, the Co-Axial movement with the Spirate System is newish tech. Grand Seiko has the first highbeat movement with a chronograph. So why is Rolex so special? Is it the awesome customer service? My friend's hulk was recently serviced, and less then a month later it was losing 15 minutes a day. When he sent it back again, they told him it would take 6 months to fix it and return it to him. It's like the McDonald's of customer service, not what you'd expect from a luxury brand watch. I've had much better service experiences from far lower-end watches. Let's be a little honest about Rolex .. what have they done lately. They change case size + or - one or two mm, and they change dial color. The big announcement from them this year was the see-through case back in the Daytona. Big whoop. I'm so over this brand.

@ken4747

6 ай бұрын

Spring drive is ingenuity that cannot be copied. Rolexes can be faked on a massive scale to a level that requires experts to verify that they are fake. No question about which has the Supreme movement tech.

Don’t worry Tim, there’s nothing superlative about the 32xx caliber either.

Tim I have the minase divido 2.0 the polishing on the bracelet ist awesome better then these twos or what do you think. Yes the caliber of these are better.

I got the DJ41: smooth bezel, Oyster, blue dial, at retail, 3-day waitlist. The 21-15mm bracelet taper with EasyLink is SO much better that for me it completely disqualifies this & every other Grand Seiko.

@jackm1310

Ай бұрын

Datejust you are basically forced to wear bracelet, grand seiko arguably looks better on their leather straps

I have the 2022 version of the DJ 41mm with the blue dial. GS wins the dial competition, hands down!👌

Just ordered my White Birch from Exquisite Watches in Naples Fl, got a great price! Being delivered today. There is no contest between the GS and the Rolex.

Please put them on a timegrapher to which one is more accurate

the final comparison was personal lol

FIrst. Whenever a new episode of versus comes out, I'm here.

I want to get a GS but no lume and poor bracelets still stop me from buying

If it weren't for the difference in available manual microadjustment, I'd pick the GS, no question. However...

For me personally, some of the Grand Seiko models are exactly what I always wished for Seiko to produce, a high-end watch with superior quality movement (7S26 or similar) and a slightly larger case with a similar look to the Seiko 5 from the 1980s (those beautiful $100 watches with a crown at 4 position). So far Grand Seiko watches are exceeding my expectations except for one thing that bothers me and seems to me, nobody else. I can't stand those pointy hands on the dials of almost every Grand Seiko model except their diver watches. Those pointy hands are a good match for dress watches, not a sport watches in my opinion. Some other brands are using similar hands but with a loom in the middle of the hands and that looks much better. I also don't care much for those birch or snow dials, give me a beautiful sunburst blue, silver, champagne, green, black, or brown dial instead anytime.

@rousseau327

9 ай бұрын

Most of these "Heritage" style watches from GS aren't meant to be sports watches or dress watches. They're right down the middle, both dressy and casual, and in that case, the hands work well imo.

Should have made a comparison with a Motif Blue dial instead of plain Jane white dial

Id take the GS but i .wish gs would put as much effort into braclet and clssp desisn as they do with. Dial, finishing and movements . Heck I'd be happy if they put any effort into it.

Gs❤

Came for the Rolex, stayed for the Grand Seiko 😅 I think both the dial and the movement on this GS are more beautiful than anything else I've seen under $10k. Just to mention one aspect that Tim didn't bring up here - as gorgeous as that Zaratsu polish is, it does also accrue scratches, and they're very visible. This puts me off buying GS pre-owned because they tend to look quite worn very quickly.

If Grand seiko can sort out their $1 bracelets, put some effort with micro adjustments and some tapering. They would be so much better

This comparison is easy, the difficult comparison as Tim mentioned is between this slga005 and slga009 (spring drive 120hrs)

GS screams "fellas I really like watches".

Team GS!

I'd add the new Seiko Alpinist and Pitzmann II to the comparison.

“Grand Seiko dilutes its watches.” Yes! I’m an OG fan in the US from decades ago. I rarely look at modern releases. Too many, too gimmicky and that’s a real bummer.

I have the 41. Very nice, but they cheapened out and are using the crown from the 36. To small.

I pick grand seiko over Rolex every time.

GS wins hands down

only watch people know what grand seiko is. nothing carries the flair, appreciation and admiration that a rolex does, no matter what price.

@ken4747

6 ай бұрын

I own one rolex for when I occasionally need to show pop cultured masses that I have a Rolex. Otherwise, GS has more soul in a single piece than 1000 machine crafted Rolexes.

I don't want to sound harsh, but I think a better comparisson would have been between the DJ and the SBGA 415. it's the same comparison I made when deciding between the two. Although I love the DJ and think it's just perfect, I got the GS because it aims to be so much more. It doesn't hit homeruns across the board, but what it misses kind of become charismatic defects. Plus the fact that I can wear it whenever I want without people asking or thinking about how much I spent on the watch (which is common with Rolex), makes it a fun watch to have. The only attention you get when you wear a GS is from watch enthusiasts. Isn't that what we all want? 😅

The Datejust tells some about its owner. Great watch though, as all Rolex watches are. GS 9SA5 is not there yet in terms of movement robustness.

@divertiti

6 ай бұрын

Grand Seiko movement is better

Mine send to japan out of the box accuracy issue 26+ secound a day. Very disappointed by GS with all there certificate...etc

@Joan9748

Ай бұрын

I did the same. No worries after this.

Both just depends.

Grand Seiko everyday.

Must be a slow news day

O čemu pričamo šta ovde porediti pa naravno Grand Seiko daleko daleko ispred u svemu pa čak i u narukvici po meni...pozzz

I went to the Rolex dealer and put myself on the list for an OP with a silver dial, but it seems impossible to get one. Can you believe it, they said at least two years. I don't believe in this thing and I think they only sell to whoever they want. I felt very inferior. It's very sad and humiliating.

First time anybody has ever said that Rolex has more options than Grand Seiko. Hehe.

Adding all that writing on the bottom of the gs ruins that dial imo

you get the rolex if you only want 1 watch. you get the Grand seiko when you already have multiple watches.. including the rolex.

I’ll take the grand seiko over the dj any day.

I'd pick the grand seiko every day over a rolex, better watch and your not going to get mugged for wearing it :D

The Datejust is easily attainable for anyone complaining of wait lists. Just here to read the comments from all the Rolex haters.

Buy a Rolex to impress your friends, buy a Grand Seiko to impress a watch enthusiast.

Looks are subjective. GS movements are amazing, but Rolex kills them in wearability. Case thickness and lack of micro adjust keep away after owning and selling a few

Rolex does not warranty the watch to run -1/+2 up to 5 years. Bogus claim

I want to love the GS so much. Just can't unsee it as a usual sub $1k Seiko.

@briankenny6883

8 ай бұрын

That’s on you. How can you look at that watch or any of the wonderful GS pieces and see sub-

@4120306

8 ай бұрын

@briankenny6883 Do you own a GS?

@briankenny6883

8 ай бұрын

@4120306 Yes. GS SLGA023 Ushio and it’s awesome. To quote Kevin O’Leary - “Grand Seiko is the best value you can get for your dollar anywhere in the world.”

@briankenny6883

8 ай бұрын

@@4120306 Yes. A GS SLGA023 Ushio. It’s awesome. It’s a very big watch, but I have an 8” wrist. No adjustments needed.

@ken4747

6 ай бұрын

It's astonishingly easy to tell apart a GS from a Seiko, even without the logo.

I am no longer a fan of Rolex. It’s impossible to find 95% of their models new at retail price.

@willburrows8834

9 ай бұрын

It’s really not in October 2023. Daytona, Pepsi, Sub then yes, the rest of their massive catalogue you can get with a very short wait. A Datejust in any configuration aside from 41mm green dial is a month or less.

This is not fair to Rolex beacuse Grand Seiko passed Rolex years ago in the terms of design, craftsmenship and micro perfection.GS is now more comperable to JLC,GS is way more unique than the Rolex beacuse GS yearly production is way less than even Patek and Vacheron!!

The datejust might be the most boring watch on earth. But it’s really hard for me to justify paying over $1k for a watch with “Seiko” on the dial. My choice is neither.

Hate to say it, the seiko is actually a little too much.

Rolex every day! GS bracelet and clasp are naff! Ye nice dial but not the kind of watch you will hand down either

Rolex bracelet is much better than the Grand Seiko. For a daily, I want the better bracelet.

This is a huge mismatch. GS by a mile.

Rolex , hands down

For invesment (not really watch lovers) Rolex. For really watch lovers GS.

@jamied931

9 ай бұрын

Cringe

@MusicArchon

9 ай бұрын

For investment and really watch lover, a lange sohne odysseus

@Explorer40mm

9 ай бұрын

I mustn’t be a really watch lover then.

@paynemax3825

9 ай бұрын

@@Explorer40mm 🤷🏻‍♂️

@explorerjlc1743

9 ай бұрын

Not really. Why would you want a shot movement in your watch ? The 9sa5 is failing big time, with Seiko levels of accuracy

Every man need a Rolex

Rolex all day every day. Nicer case curvature, no tree bark gimick, no pretentious polish that, like a fresh haircut, fades within weeks and shows swirls and scratches just like any other watch, maybe more.

Please stop doing watches we’ve seen 10 million times..

Stevie Wonder just told me that Grand Seiko looks way better than the Rolex.