Most Expensive Seiko Watches Around

Grand Seiko SBGD205 Spring Drive Watch

Grand Seiko is the pinnacle of Seiko engineering and their most expensive watch to date is this spring drive masterpiece – the Grand Seiko SBGD205.

Where do you start with a watch that has the most expensive of everything? Well, let’s start with the dial. It is an 18k gold-based dial with diamond dust meant to reflect the snow found on winter mornings in the Shinshu region of Japan. Around the dial are baguette diamonds and blue sapphires, just to add to the extravagance of it all.

The case is made from platinum and measured a bold 43mm across. So, although this is truly a dress watch, it is not for the slim of wrist.

Oh, and a Grand Seiko Spring drive of calibre 9R01 is inside, with only 56 jewels and a measly 8-day power reserve. Yes, I am being sarcastic!

As with any masterpiece of this caliber, there were only 10 made, so it is very limited indeed. This only adds to the cost which is somewhere around the $200k mark, if you can get your hands on one!

Grand Seiko Spring Drive SBGZ001

Another slightly less expensive (insert cough) Grand Seiko is the SBGZ001J, which was released with a limited edition of 30 pieces for the 20th anniversary of the Spring Drive movement.

It is yet another stunning example of the craftsmanship that the team in the Micro Artist Studio of Grand Seiko.

It features the upgraded 9R02 movement with 84 hours of power reserve, thanks to their Torque Return System. And, it is encased in a 38.5mm snowflake platinum case, as is fitting of a limited edition Grand Seiko Snowflake (upgrade).

Even more stunning is the snowflake pattern on the dial, and the diamond cut 14k white gold hands and hour markers around it. Something you will certainly not see every day.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Snowflake SBGA211

The more well known Grand Seiko Spring Drive Snowflake is perhaps one of the most iconic Seikos of them all. It is also a hell of a lot cheaper at around six thousand dollars. No, not cheap, still crazy expensive. Just cheaper than the models above.

If you are not familiar with Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive technology, it uses a combination of a standard watch mainspring found with a super-accurate circuit (IC) control system of an electronic watch.

The movement in this watch also has a 72-hour power reserve along with an indicator on the bottom left of the watch, as you can see in the image above.

This Snowflake model features a titanium case and bracelet which are both light and strong. Some of the more notable features include the blue steel second hand that moves with a smoothness even better than a high-beat sweeping hand watch.

The dial has a ‘pure as driven snow’ white face to provide clarity and contrast to the striking hands and hour markers.

Seiko Prospex LX SNR029J1

I wanted to throw in a non-Grand Seiko in this list and this is probably the next most expensive after those. It is quite a unique watch, even if it looks similar to almost any other dive watch out there.

First, it has Seiko’s Spring Drive system, with a calibre 5R65 movement, so it is highly accurate and expensive right out of the gate. On top of that, it has a titanium case and bracelet complete with Diashield hardening to guard against the material’s natural tendency to scratch.

Further, this is a watch that was based on the original 1968 300m dive from Seiko and they asked a famous designer (Mr Okuyama) who has worked for Ferarri, to put his touches on the watch. Making it both more modern and timeless.