Super great and objective review. Especially because there are not many detailed review on grand seiko watches. It's a joy to wear this case shape from my experience.
Amazing review! I am getting the SBGR315 (silver dial version of this same watch) delivered tomorrow and I am even more stoked after your review! Thanks again and I am now a subscriber of your channel!
I own 3 and will never go back to swiss! I owned so many brands from rolex to iwc. They don’t compare in my eyes to what GS puts out. snowflake fall seasons high beat with 62GS case quartz 9F 60th these watches are amazing! I love them all about the flaws... I had a tudor black bay and a rolex gmt batman about 3 years ago and both had visible dust on the dial. Both were sent in for service and cleaned up! I’ll take a flaw under 100x mag vs visible with the naked eye
Fantastic collection! I have to admit the quartz GS pieces speak to me way more than 99% of quartz watches do these days. From the finish and attention to detail and even the two ticks per second movement and long mechanical watch style hands. I can undertand your way of thinking. I’ll still aim to get some Swiss pieces, but my passions have to be high to overtake the logic of getting of value and objective quality that these GS these pieces offer. Thanks for watching!
@@automaticreviews6999 your review was perfect. Hit all points! Let me say cost wise!!!!!!! for 11k or less total you can obtain 3 GS covering all their movement ! These days one submariner will run you 10k
@@ripperx444 thanks so much for the great feedback! I tried really hard to do this great watch justice and make a video that might help people thinking about picking one up. I know what you mean about the Sub. Seems crazy to get one when you can have 3 GS watches. The value just isn’t there with Rolex, by a lot of metrics. Still though, The Milgauss is one of those weird kinda “un-Rolex” Rolex watches that I love. I’d be tempted by one.
Thank you for a truly impressive review. Your discussion of "perfection" in Grand Seiko watches, the clasp, and bracelet all provoked a great deal of thought on my end. Regarding the lug width: have you attempted to fit this watch with a 20 mm strap to see if it fits by chance? Some 19 mm lug width watches can accept 20 mm straps - albeit just barely. As a SARB033 owner looking to upgrade to this watch, I am very curious to know if this is possible.
Thanks so much for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it! The lug width: I actually had a section on this that I cut out because I was undecided on what the exact facts were and decided to leave it with the “official” information. What is “official” is even somewhat unofficial because the stated lug width is more likely to be found on sites like Hodinkee rather than GS’s actual site, which oddly omits specific specs such as this. This watch is supposed to have a 19mm lug width but my measurements seemed to indicate closer to 19.3. That said I was somewhat unsure if my calipers were to blame or some sublety of angle or something. So rather than making a long video even longer I cut it out. So could it fit a 20mm? It might be a bit snug but possibly yes. I’d test it but I actually don’t currently have a 20mm strap in leather or fabric. I have 22, and 21. I have 20 in milanese, but nothing flexible enough to attempt this. Is a hole in my collection. Sadly, there was a crazy 50% off ABP sale when I was prepping to get a GS and so I bought a 21mm aligator which is just awesome, but I changed models last minute and was left without a leather strap to fit it. I wear it on bracelet quite happily though. As for the ABP, luckily I have a Tissot Seastar with a 21mm lug width and it pairs *really* well, and I previously had nothing in 21mm to use with it, so that aspect worked out. In the future I’ll get another leather strap, preferably alligator and if I do I’ll try to make a video about it.
Thanks! I very strongly considered that same model and in fact I was sure I was gonna get it. The 317 just won me over for a variety of reasons in the moment. Chief among the is I felt like I had to remove the 309 from contention because there was a flaw on the seconds hand large enough to see without effort or magnification. Not a terrible one but it was positioned badly, imo.
I have had one GS with a flaw in the hands and had the AD swap it out. Otherwise, I could not be happier to have this 309. I considered the Rolex Explorer 1, but decided on this.
+++You have obviously put an enormous amount of time into your review and have excellent well-thought out opinions. You have done your homework and it is evident. Be proud of this and project confidence in this. I don't believe I have watched anyone else who has done as thorough of a job as you have done. Be proud of this. NOW the critique. These are my thoughts, only because I believe you could probably be one of the best watch reviewers on TH-cam. The critique may sound harsh. That's the way a critique usually sounds. It's a critique. I truly believe you could be one of the best. This critique comes from someone who has had to give multiple speeches to a wide range of audiences in the military and while teaching over about thirty years. We never did a speech without a script. Explanations still garnered an outline so you knew where you were going. I hope you take this critique of your review as coming from someone who truly ENJOYED your review and just wants to give you constructive criticism. 1. I believe your review may be the most unbiased review I have watched. (Yup, it's a pun.) Too many reviews sound like the watch manufacturer is paying them. You sounded honest. I believe you sounded honest because you DIDN'T sound like you were trying to apologize to the manufacturer for your negative comments. So many reviewers do this. They must be a used car salesman in their full time job. Your negative comments are your comments. Stand by them. Don't apologize. 2. I truly love the little comment windows that you put up to reiterate something you just said. Great idea. Fantastic idea. 3. Excellent idea to show other watches as you made comparisons. Loved this. Explanations with pictures. "Let me draw you a picture" You really nailed it when you did this. I was convinced. 4. Your review is very thorough and thought out. This is maybe the most thorough watch/Grand Seiko review I have watched. The next comments are done only to help and to not make you feel bad. 5. Slow your speech down! IF you read slowly from a script, and left out all the ums (fillers for dead space) etc., you would probably have the most PROFESSIONAL review on TH-cam. You have too many speech patterns that are just fillers which again make you sound unconfident. You need to slow your cadence down a little. Speaking fast projects a lack of confidence in both yourself and your product. You sound as though someone is mugging you and you're trying to reason your way out of giving them your wallet. This fast speech cadence makes you sound nervous which is tiresome. 6. Quit sounding like you are apologizing for your own likes and dislikes. You are entitled to your opinions. This is what your channel is about. Your opinions. And quite frankly, I believe your opinions are very well thought out. I'm sure others will agree. 7. You also need to quit saying the same thing three times. Say it once and move on but give your comments a little more slowly. Change up your cadence. Speak more quickly (but not too fast) when talking about a positive and slow down for negative or vice-a-versa. Slowing down your speech will project confidence. Speaking too quickly detracts from projecting a feeling of confidence. (Think fast talking car salesman. Everyone believes they are lying.) 8. 39:15 We know it's your personal OPINION. This is what your channel is, your opinions. You don't have to say this. ++++I agree with your philosophy of wearing a watch. They are meant to be worn. They will garner little bruises from life. To enjoy life, and our watches, we must live life. Great philosophy. Don't apologize. Stand firmly for what you believe. Project confidence. 9. I love your Lows, Mids, and Highs. What an awesome way to categorize your comments about the watch. Don't keep apologizing for your comments. This takes up too much time; My time and your time. 10. Get that lyrical tone out of your voice. (YOU sometimes project up at the end of a sentence like it's a question when it isn't) It makes you sound like a high schooler who is trying to convince dad he didn't wreck the car. You are reviewing a $4000+ watch. Don't speak like you're the bank president, speak like you OWN the bank . Now that's confidence. 11. If you quit repeating things and quit saying the ums( filler speech patterns), read from a script, AND you slowed down your speech, you could probably get your review down to less than 15 minutes which I believe may be the sweet spot for reviews. (Less than 10 would be ideal) Not too many people want a review that goes 39 minutes. A script will allow you to be succinct which allows you to speak more slowly and thus project MORE confidence. Only don't sound as though you are reading from a script. Read the script out loud several times to get the feeling of how you sound and how you can make it even more succinct. Succinct is the key. We are intelligent listeners, well, most of us are, and saying it once is usually enough. Blessings.
Thank you for the compliments and criticisms! I very much appreciate the feedback and rest assured I have considered and discussed much of these elements with others. It’s an evolving process, for sure, and expect to see some changes along the way, hopefully for the better. Glad to have honest and substantive feedback from viewers like you. You put a lot of thought into it and I’m grateful!
Hi, lovely review, thanks. I see you mentioned the lug width as 19mm but the current specs on their site is 20mm. Have they changed this since you did this review? Thanks.
@@BenLowen thanks! Great question. They didn’t used to list the lug width on site and so around that time I wrote to them, and they said it was 20mm. The measurement based on my calipers feels like somewhere in the mid to high 19’s. So it’s “20mm” but then again I think that’s probably often the case, and the only reason I noticed was the lack of info initially available on the site. A 20mm will fit. Hope this helps!
Love your detailed review and the way you speak, thanks! Im actually considering getting one of these and was wondering if the dial of the sbgr309 is the same as the 317? Im looking for a gloss with sunburst dial and its hard to tell if the 309 is the same. Will appreciate it if you know!
Thanks so much for the feedback! Actually, as it happens my original plan was to buy the SBGR309 so I actually do have some info for you. The dial is finished the exact same way. The main differences are: the watch is 42mm and has the larger 9S68 movement, which is *really* cool to look at through the larger display caseback. Similarly, though shaped the same, the hands are proportionately longer, and I *love* they way they look. That seconds hand on the 309 looks a mile long, in the best way possible. The bracelet is a more subdued and traditional look, almost Oyster-like but with the same love-it-or-hate it flex and lack of micro adjust I described here. Other than that I’d say the main differences are that dial accents are slightly less refined on the 309. While the dial itself is the same, there is no partial hour marker next to the date window at 3 o’clock and there is no tiny “cap” on top of the hands stack. Oh and worth noting: the SBGR309 has a wider (but still hard to find) 21mm lug width. I personally think the 309 is an absolutely awesome watch and it was such a close call for me. It came down to the loupe, in a way, oddly. A similar tiny flaw as I described on the counterbalance was visible near the tip of the seconds hand on the 309, except that it was actually noticeable to me with the naked eye, and it was far from terrible but seemed like it might annoy me. Also, that issue had me trying on both several times and both the AD and my wife thought the 317 looked better. I had to admit that despite traditionally gravitating to 42mm the 40mm did seem to look really good, and due to it’s thickness, especially, didn’t seem too subdued and “dress-like” instead of that GADA sports-dress look I wanted (though 40 isn’t small anyways). That said the 309 is essentially the same thickness and an advantage is that it creates an illusion where the appearance of the watch seems slightly thinner, due to the proportionality. For some, this might please their eye. Oh and a larger diameter also tolerates a looser fit, imo, in terms of how a watch looks as it slides up toward the forearm and so that can help with the lack of microadjust, imo. Let me know how you’re enjoying the 309, when you get it! I just love the 317 more and more with time!
@@automaticreviews6999 Thanks once again for the detailed info! Ive been scouring the web for information to compare the 309 against the 317, but its hard to find much let alone a comparison. You might have just posted the first sbgr317 vs sbgr309 mini comparison on the internet 😂? I have an average sized wrist (around 7" give or take) and tried on the 42mm sbgr211, and magically it fits really well due to the lug to lug and design. Consequently this has implanted the idea of a full sized gada watch for me in the form of the 309... I totally agree with you about how the 42mm dimensions negates the 13mm thickness a little. Ive been shying away from GS automatics for a long time due to the thickness until I tried on the sbgr211, then I realized its not bad at all. That said the 317 proportions look great too, I think my first impression might have been from a high beat older case design that looked really, really thick from the sides. Shame about the visible defect on the 309 you saw, the 317 sure has its own sets of advantages though especially the additional marker by the date window and capped seconds hand (I didnt realise this!). Im still tempted just by the classic 40mm dimensions alone. Its really a tough one and I think it might boil down to the preference of the bracelet, stock availability or defects as well. It will be a couple of months but Ill let you know when/if I get the 309/317 🙂. In the meantime all the best with the channel! I like how you have a shorter version for casual viewers and a detailed one for potential buyers. If I may say so, if there is one segment to add that I might appreciate as a potential buyer in your detailed reviews, it would be a highlight of the case design/details from various angles... I only recently noticed that GS has different case designs for the same style of cases between spring drive and auto watches (e.g. snowflake and this 317 is the same design style, but different proportions of bevelling, slope angles, etc) despite having seen tons of videos online, maybe because most reviews just gloss over the cases. Having said that, this is probably because the gs case is so nuanced, and this topic alone could be a new video entirely. Ps. After realising the difference in case designs between the SD watches and the 4hz autos, I think the auto ones have the best case design. They look so similar at a glance but the autos like your 317 are much more interesting and balanced, the SDs are almost boring when viewed from the 6 o'clock position!
@@jasonhow8326 It’s my pleasure! Glad I can help. I always try to be the source of info I wish I had when researching. I have about the exact same size of wrist at 7” (my profile is pretty flat) and both watches looked great. So no worries there. Your wrist size will let you have your pick. The thickness is a bit much on one hand but on the other it adds “ruggedness.” Especially if you’re used to wearing tool watches. I ultimately love the thickness, especially after having lived with it for awhile. I know what you mean about the SD watches being a little less interesting in some ways. I know this will be controversial because they are beloved, but I’m overall less drawn to them than the mechanicals. Even just the tech...part of what I love most about watches is this fascinating little bizarre machine that is so old-school but also so superbly crafted. The SD misses this magic for me. I know what you mean about the case design and man I almost went there but I was already cutting the video from 1 hour or so down to the current version. I wasn’t sure if this aspect would be pushing it. I agree it is interesting though, but I find all of this fascinating, much like you I suspect. GS in particular makes incredibly discussion worthy cases. Again, so glad you enjoyed it, and conversely I’ve enjoyed your feedback as well. Hope to hear more about your watch journey!
Awesome watch,thanks for the video. Could the crown act like that so you could leave it unscrewed if your a regular hand winder and won't swim with it? Haven't come across that but scratching my head is all 👍
Thanks! My suspicion is that the crown is another result of GS overengineering. I’ve seen many complains that GS screw downs are hard to operate in one way or another. I think part of it is the theading feels way chunkier than many swiss watches. I think their view is “if it works it works. Beyond that, minor issues of pleasure of operation aren’t worth sacrificing robustness.” I’ll bet that despite it’s somewhat quirky operation it will work the same in 100 years. Whereas I think some really pleasant crowns might get cross-threaded at some point and need fixing. Since the watch is so accurate I rarely unscrew it and even when I do it’s is perfectly serviceable. I respect their way of thinking tbh. It’s extreme beauty meets extreme practicality. Thanks so much for the feedback!
There are a few points during the video where the watch can be seen on my wrist, however a traditional wrist shot can be seen at 9:40. I realize that the video is long and so I could understand someone skipping through it and missing something they are looking for. That said, this is the “long version” so naturally, it’s long.
Super great and objective review. Especially because there are not many detailed review on grand seiko watches. It's a joy to wear this case shape from my experience.
It’s great to hear that this detailed approach is being well received! Thanks for the kind words! The case shape is fantastic, I agree.
Amazing review! I am getting the SBGR315 (silver dial version of this same watch) delivered tomorrow and I am even more stoked after your review! Thanks again and I am now a subscriber of your channel!
You will love it, it’s superb. Mine is still keeping fantastic time, and l love wearing it even more than I did when I reviewed it!
Amazingly in-depth review! Very informative and a pleasure to watch :)
Thank you, so much, for the feedback! I’m really pleased that you enjoyed it!
@Stephen Harlem Very classy thing to do, Stephen :)
I own 3 and will never go back to swiss! I owned so many brands from rolex to iwc. They don’t compare in my eyes to what GS puts out.
snowflake
fall seasons high beat with 62GS case
quartz 9F 60th
these watches are amazing! I love them all
about the flaws... I had a tudor black bay and a rolex gmt batman about 3 years ago and both had visible dust on the dial. Both were sent in for service and cleaned up! I’ll take a flaw under 100x mag vs visible with the naked eye
Fantastic collection! I have to admit the quartz GS pieces speak to me way more than 99% of quartz watches do these days. From the finish and attention to detail and even the two ticks per second movement and long mechanical watch style hands.
I can undertand your way of thinking. I’ll still aim to get some Swiss pieces, but my passions have to be high to overtake the logic of getting of value and objective quality that these GS these pieces offer.
Thanks for watching!
@@automaticreviews6999 your review was perfect. Hit all points! Let me say cost wise!!!!!!! for 11k or less total you can obtain 3 GS covering all their movement ! These days one submariner will run you 10k
@@ripperx444 thanks so much for the great feedback! I tried really hard to do this great watch justice and make a video that might help people thinking about picking one up. I know what you mean about the Sub. Seems crazy to get one when you can have 3 GS watches. The value just isn’t there with Rolex, by a lot of metrics. Still though, The Milgauss is one of those weird kinda “un-Rolex” Rolex watches that I love. I’d be tempted by one.
High quality video, High quality watch. Thank you.
Thank you!
Thank you for a truly impressive review. Your discussion of "perfection" in Grand Seiko watches, the clasp, and bracelet all provoked a great deal of thought on my end.
Regarding the lug width: have you attempted to fit this watch with a 20 mm strap to see if it fits by chance? Some 19 mm lug width watches can accept 20 mm straps - albeit just barely. As a SARB033 owner looking to upgrade to this watch, I am very curious to know if this is possible.
Thanks so much for the kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
The lug width: I actually had a section on this that I cut out because I was undecided on what the exact facts were and decided to leave it with the “official” information. What is “official” is even somewhat unofficial because the stated lug width is more likely to be found on sites like Hodinkee rather than GS’s actual site, which oddly omits specific specs such as this. This watch is supposed to have a 19mm lug width but my measurements seemed to indicate closer to 19.3. That said I was somewhat unsure if my calipers were to blame or some sublety of angle or something. So rather than making a long video even longer I cut it out.
So could it fit a 20mm? It might be a bit snug but possibly yes. I’d test it but I actually don’t currently have a 20mm strap in leather or fabric. I have 22, and 21. I have 20 in milanese, but nothing flexible enough to attempt this. Is a hole in my collection.
Sadly, there was a crazy 50% off ABP sale when I was prepping to get a GS and so I bought a 21mm aligator which is just awesome, but I changed models last minute and was left without a leather strap to fit it. I wear it on bracelet quite happily though.
As for the ABP, luckily I have a Tissot Seastar with a 21mm lug width and it pairs *really* well, and I previously had nothing in 21mm to use with it, so that aspect worked out.
In the future I’ll get another leather strap, preferably alligator and if I do I’ll try to make a video about it.
Great review. I have the 309 and love it. It has the brushed bracelet and is 42 mm.
Thanks! I very strongly considered that same model and in fact I was sure I was gonna get it. The 317 just won me over for a variety of reasons in the moment. Chief among the is I felt like I had to remove the 309 from contention because there was a flaw on the seconds hand large enough to see without effort or magnification. Not a terrible one but it was positioned badly, imo.
I have had one GS with a flaw in the hands and had the AD swap it out. Otherwise, I could not be happier to have this 309. I considered the Rolex Explorer 1, but decided on this.
J. C . Can’t blame you. The 309 is fantastic.
Great in depth review about my favorite brand ... I have two grand Seikos haha .
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it! Can’t blame you for getting two, I can think of many models I’d love to have, from this amazing brand.
+++You have obviously put an enormous amount of time into your review and have excellent well-thought out opinions.
You have done your homework and it is evident. Be proud of this and project confidence in this. I don't believe I have watched anyone else who has done as thorough of a job as you have done. Be proud of this.
NOW the critique. These are my thoughts, only because I believe you could probably be one of the best watch reviewers on TH-cam. The critique may sound harsh. That's the way a critique usually sounds. It's a critique. I truly believe you could be one of the best. This critique comes from someone who has had to give multiple speeches to a wide range of audiences in the military and while teaching over about thirty years. We never did a speech without a script. Explanations still garnered an outline so you knew where you were going.
I hope you take this critique of your review as coming from someone who truly ENJOYED your review and just wants to give you constructive criticism.
1. I believe your review may be the most unbiased review I have watched. (Yup, it's a pun.) Too many reviews sound like the watch manufacturer is paying them. You sounded honest. I believe you sounded honest because you DIDN'T sound like you were trying to apologize to the manufacturer for your negative comments. So many reviewers do this. They must be a used car salesman in their full time job. Your negative comments are your comments. Stand by them. Don't apologize.
2. I truly love the little comment windows that you put up to reiterate something you just said. Great idea. Fantastic idea.
3. Excellent idea to show other watches as you made comparisons. Loved this. Explanations with pictures. "Let me draw you a picture" You really nailed it when you did this. I was convinced.
4. Your review is very thorough and thought out. This is maybe the most thorough watch/Grand Seiko review I have watched.
The next comments are done only to help and to not make you feel bad.
5. Slow your speech down! IF you read slowly from a script, and left out all the ums (fillers for dead space) etc., you would probably have the most PROFESSIONAL review on TH-cam. You have too many speech patterns that are just fillers which again make you sound unconfident. You need to slow your cadence down a little. Speaking fast projects a lack of confidence in both yourself and your product. You sound as though someone is mugging you and you're trying to reason your way out of giving them your wallet. This fast speech cadence makes you sound nervous which is tiresome.
6. Quit sounding like you are apologizing for your own likes and dislikes. You are entitled to your opinions. This is what your channel is about. Your opinions. And quite frankly, I believe your opinions are very well thought out. I'm sure others will agree.
7. You also need to quit saying the same thing three times. Say it once and move on but give your comments a little more slowly. Change up your cadence. Speak more quickly (but not too fast) when talking about a positive and slow down for negative or vice-a-versa. Slowing down your speech will project confidence. Speaking too quickly detracts from projecting a feeling of confidence. (Think fast talking car salesman. Everyone believes they are lying.)
8. 39:15 We know it's your personal OPINION. This is what your channel is, your opinions. You don't have to say this.
++++I agree with your philosophy of wearing a watch. They are meant to be worn. They will garner little bruises from life. To enjoy life, and our watches, we must live life. Great philosophy. Don't apologize. Stand firmly for what you believe.
Project confidence.
9. I love your Lows, Mids, and Highs. What an awesome way to categorize your comments about the watch. Don't keep apologizing for your comments. This takes up too much time; My time and your time.
10. Get that lyrical tone out of your voice. (YOU sometimes project up at the end of a sentence like it's a question when it isn't) It makes you sound like a high schooler who is trying to convince dad he didn't wreck the car. You are reviewing a $4000+ watch. Don't speak like you're the bank president, speak like you OWN the bank . Now that's confidence.
11. If you quit repeating things and quit saying the ums( filler speech patterns), read from a script, AND you slowed down your speech, you could probably get your review down to less than 15 minutes which I believe may be the sweet spot for reviews. (Less than 10 would be ideal) Not too many people want a review that goes 39 minutes. A script will allow you to be succinct which allows you to speak more slowly and thus project MORE confidence. Only don't sound as though you are reading from a script. Read the script out loud several times to get the feeling of how you sound and how you can make it even more succinct. Succinct is the key. We are intelligent listeners, well, most of us are, and saying it once is usually enough.
Blessings.
Thank you for the compliments and criticisms! I very much appreciate the feedback and rest assured I have considered and discussed much of these elements with others. It’s an evolving process, for sure, and expect to see some changes along the way, hopefully for the better. Glad to have honest and substantive feedback from viewers like you. You put a lot of thought into it and I’m grateful!
?
Hi, lovely review, thanks. I see you mentioned the lug width as 19mm but the current specs on their site is 20mm. Have they changed this since you did this review? Thanks.
@@BenLowen thanks! Great question. They didn’t used to list the lug width on site and so around that time I wrote to them, and they said it was 20mm. The measurement based on my calipers feels like somewhere in the mid to high 19’s. So it’s “20mm” but then again I think that’s probably often the case, and the only reason I noticed was the lack of info initially available on the site. A 20mm will fit. Hope this helps!
Love your detailed review and the way you speak, thanks!
Im actually considering getting one of these and was wondering if the dial of the sbgr309 is the same as the 317? Im looking for a gloss with sunburst dial and its hard to tell if the 309 is the same.
Will appreciate it if you know!
Thanks so much for the feedback! Actually, as it happens my original plan was to buy the SBGR309 so I actually do have some info for you. The dial is finished the exact same way. The main differences are: the watch is 42mm and has the larger 9S68 movement, which is *really* cool to look at through the larger display caseback. Similarly, though shaped the same, the hands are proportionately longer, and I *love* they way they look. That seconds hand on the 309 looks a mile long, in the best way possible. The bracelet is a more subdued and traditional look, almost Oyster-like but with the same love-it-or-hate it flex and lack of micro adjust I described here. Other than that I’d say the main differences are that dial accents are slightly less refined on the 309. While the dial itself is the same, there is no partial hour marker next to the date window at 3 o’clock and there is no tiny “cap” on top of the hands stack. Oh and worth noting: the SBGR309 has a wider (but still hard to find) 21mm lug width.
I personally think the 309 is an absolutely awesome watch and it was such a close call for me. It came down to the loupe, in a way, oddly. A similar tiny flaw as I described on the counterbalance was visible near the tip of the seconds hand on the 309, except that it was actually noticeable to me with the naked eye, and it was far from terrible but seemed like it might annoy me. Also, that issue had me trying on both several times and both the AD and my wife thought the 317 looked better. I had to admit that despite traditionally gravitating to 42mm the 40mm did seem to look really good, and due to it’s thickness, especially, didn’t seem too subdued and “dress-like” instead of that GADA sports-dress look I wanted (though 40 isn’t small anyways). That said the 309 is essentially the same thickness and an advantage is that it creates an illusion where the appearance of the watch seems slightly thinner, due to the proportionality. For some, this might please their eye. Oh and a larger diameter also tolerates a looser fit, imo, in terms of how a watch looks as it slides up toward the forearm and so that can help with the lack of microadjust, imo.
Let me know how you’re enjoying the 309, when you get it! I just love the 317 more and more with time!
@@automaticreviews6999
Thanks once again for the detailed info! Ive been scouring the web for information to compare the 309 against the 317, but its hard to find much let alone a comparison. You might have just posted the first sbgr317 vs sbgr309 mini comparison on the internet 😂?
I have an average sized wrist (around 7" give or take) and tried on the 42mm sbgr211, and magically it fits really well due to the lug to lug and design. Consequently this has implanted the idea of a full sized gada watch for me in the form of the 309... I totally agree with you about how the 42mm dimensions negates the 13mm thickness a little. Ive been shying away from GS automatics for a long time due to the thickness until I tried on the sbgr211, then I realized its not bad at all. That said the 317 proportions look great too, I think my first impression might have been from a high beat older case design that looked really, really thick from the sides.
Shame about the visible defect on the 309 you saw, the 317 sure has its own sets of advantages though especially the additional marker by the date window and capped seconds hand (I didnt realise this!). Im still tempted just by the classic 40mm dimensions alone. Its really a tough one and I think it might boil down to the preference of the bracelet, stock availability or defects as well. It will be a couple of months but Ill let you know when/if I get the 309/317 🙂.
In the meantime all the best with the channel! I like how you have a shorter version for casual viewers and a detailed one for potential buyers. If I may say so, if there is one segment to add that I might appreciate as a potential buyer in your detailed reviews, it would be a highlight of the case design/details from various angles... I only recently noticed that GS has different case designs for the same style of cases between spring drive and auto watches (e.g. snowflake and this 317 is the same design style, but different proportions of bevelling, slope angles, etc) despite having seen tons of videos online, maybe because most reviews just gloss over the cases. Having said that, this is probably because the gs case is so nuanced, and this topic alone could be a new video entirely.
Ps. After realising the difference in case designs between the SD watches and the 4hz autos, I think the auto ones have the best case design. They look so similar at a glance but the autos like your 317 are much more interesting and balanced, the SDs are almost boring when viewed from the 6 o'clock position!
@@jasonhow8326 It’s my pleasure! Glad I can help. I always try to be the source of info I wish I had when researching. I have about the exact same size of wrist at 7” (my profile is pretty flat) and both watches looked great. So no worries there. Your wrist size will let you have your pick.
The thickness is a bit much on one hand but on the other it adds “ruggedness.” Especially if you’re used to wearing tool watches. I ultimately love the thickness, especially after having lived with it for awhile.
I know what you mean about the SD watches being a little less interesting in some ways. I know this will be controversial because they are beloved, but I’m overall less drawn to them than the mechanicals. Even just the tech...part of what I love most about watches is this fascinating little bizarre machine that is so old-school but also so superbly crafted. The SD misses this magic for me.
I know what you mean about the case design and man I almost went there but I was already cutting the video from 1 hour or so down to the current version. I wasn’t sure if this aspect would be pushing it. I agree it is interesting though, but I find all of this fascinating, much like you I suspect. GS in particular makes incredibly discussion worthy cases.
Again, so glad you enjoyed it, and conversely I’ve enjoyed your feedback as well. Hope to hear more about your watch journey!
Loved your review, thanks for sharing (:
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed!
Awesome watch,thanks for the video.
Could the crown act like that so you could leave it unscrewed if your a regular hand winder and won't swim with it? Haven't come across that but scratching my head is all 👍
Thanks! My suspicion is that the crown is another result of GS overengineering. I’ve seen many complains that GS screw downs are hard to operate in one way or another. I think part of it is the theading feels way chunkier than many swiss watches. I think their view is “if it works it works. Beyond that, minor issues of pleasure of operation aren’t worth sacrificing robustness.” I’ll bet that despite it’s somewhat quirky operation it will work the same in 100 years. Whereas I think some really pleasant crowns might get cross-threaded at some point and need fixing. Since the watch is so accurate I rarely unscrew it and even when I do it’s is perfectly serviceable. I respect their way of thinking tbh. It’s extreme beauty meets extreme practicality. Thanks so much for the feedback!
Good job.
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it.
A watch review without a wrist shot...... no words
There are a few points during the video where the watch can be seen on my wrist, however a traditional wrist shot can be seen at 9:40. I realize that the video is long and so I could understand someone skipping through it and missing something they are looking for. That said, this is the “long version” so naturally, it’s long.