Going for a ‘Spring Drive’ with Grand Seiko
Jamie WeissEarlier this year, Australia (and New Zealand) joined the ranks of only a few countries around the world to boast a local Grand Seiko GS9 Club chapter – truly exciting news for Antipodean lovers of fine Japanese timepieces. For those not in the know, the GS9 Club is Grand Seiko’s exclusive owner’s club, which is open to anyone who’s purchased a Grand Seiko from an AU/NZ boutique, salon or mastershop as of March 23, 2017. Originally exclusive to Japan, GS9 Clubs have been slowly opening across the globe, with our New York-based editor Zach no stranger to the US GS9 Club’s events. Now, we Aussies can get in on the fun.
Grand Seiko decided to kick things off in style for their first Australian GS9 Club event, which Borna and I were lucky enough to join in on. Fittingly titled the ‘Spring Drive’, Grand Seiko worked with a local supercar hire service to plan a luxurious and high-octane trip up, which took us north of Sydney to the lush Hawkesbury River through some leafy and very twisty roads. We got to drive an Audi R8 V10 plus Neuberg Edition, Ferrari 488, Lamborghini Huracán EVO and a McLaren GT… Borna and I are still debating which one was our favourite, but what we can agree on is that the drive was fantastic (and even better with a Grand Seiko on one’s wrist).
A Japanese-inspired lunch by the water awaited us after our drive, during which we had the chance to check out sought-after Spring Drive references, including an SBGD213 – one of only eight in the world and one of the most luxurious watches in GS’ repertoire. Then we headed back to Sydney for a private yacht party. We’d never been on a yacht before, so that was pretty luxe. It was also a great chance to catch up with and meet some of Australia’s biggest Grand Seiko enthusiasts – a truly passionate and diverse bunch. We’ll have a more in-depth write-up on the day coming out soon, so watch this space.
Back over to you Zach. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Jamie
Watch meme of the week: it’s called fashion darling
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This is all too true on a Sunday afternoon beer run to the grocery store, white tee, shorts, and flip flops yet armed with my Piaget Altiplano 900P. Leave me alone, and let me enjoy the honeymoon phase 😂
Wrist shot of the week: a super Citizen, snapped
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If you are immersed in watch Instagram, then your algorithm is feeding you one wrist shot after another. Breaking up my feed, however, was a wonderful breakdown of the Citizen Eco-Drive One Super Titanium courtesy of @watchaddictwt. He has been sharing shots of his latest #NWA a lot recently, but his latest post does a great job of visually overviewing the watch and how it wears in the context of their 6.2-inch wrist. Great breakdown.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: Bausele Sydney Diver Sand
The Bausele Sydney Diver is an absolutely cracking tool watch that’s a bit of an international collaboration: designed in Australia and assembled in the United States by military veterans using Swiss components. Typically, Bausele watches contain a piece of Australiana embedded into their signature hollow crowns, but the Sydney Diver’s crown at is filled with natural American soil – visible through the transparent crown cap – from military forts throughout the US. Integrating this distinctive Bausele feature into a design that met the stringent MIL-W-46374F specifications was a challenge, but thankfully not an impossible one. This sand colourway is particularly tasty.
Order now in the Time+Tide Shop. Price: A$2,150
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
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5 French watch brands you’ve never heard of but should know
Watch media tends to focus on more established and well-known brands – typically from Switzerland, Japan, or Germany – but at Time+Tide, we also love discovering new brands. In the inaugural episode of The Lineup, Marcus and Zach discover five neat and intriguing French watch brands we (and likely you) have never heard of. French watchmaking may not be in the spotlight as much, but these brands will hopefully turn your attention towards what it can offer.
Letting go of a grail: Why I am selling my near-perfect Omega Speedmaster
D.C. never thought these words would come out of his mouth: “I am letting go of one of the holiest grails in my collection, my near-mint Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch.” Head here to find out why.