Grand Seiko
 

Hey all, I'm looking to go to Japan for my honeymoon next year and am planning to pick up a nice Grand Seiko while I'm there.

Does anyone have any good stores they recommend?

Also, feel free to share your GS pictures!

Isn't that like JPY 5 million, or something equally insane?

I'm sure there's some in that price range, but that's WAY out of my budget lol. The ones I'm looking at are about 300K yen

I did go here a few years ago. If it is not still around, I would think any of the big department stores would have them.
Seiko Dream Square

There is also a dedicated Grand Seiko store in Ginza.

It's located in the Wako Department Store which is part of Seiko.

グランドセイコーフラッグシップブティック 銀座

住所 〒104-8105 東京都 中央区 銀座4-5-11 和光 本店 1・2階 Tel 03-3562-2111 営業時間 11:00am - 7:00pm

Wako Department Store at Ginza is operated by Seiko. They do have extensive selections of Seiko watches because of that, including Grand Seiko. Wako Département Store has watch collections which they do not display at store floor but is available for view and purchase in back room. (I have been to the back room at Wako.) I do not think they have a specific criterion who will be invited to the back room. If you have a specific watch you are looking for, and if the watch is not in the display on the store floor, then good chance you will be directed to the back room.

Official GS boutiques will have the most inventory and also carry the boutique exclusives. Wako in Ginza might be worth a visit as part of Seiko history/lore. You'll also find GS in many department stores. Many department stores will have some sort of 5% off guest card/promo for tourists (separate from and on top of tax free) that you can pick up at a counter before shopping.

If you're looking at the lower end of the GS line (probably mostly quartz and mechanicals with some spring drive), Bic Camera/Yodobashi/etc. may carry them.

Depending on if you care about new in box vs depreciation w.r.t. value and ease of resale, you might be able to find some solid deals at second hand stores that deal in watches and luxury items. The couple times I've purchased second hand items from Japan have all been great, with very reasonable prices and the items in exceptional condition as the collector culture is strong there. This is probably going to affect the quartz GS the most as those generally aren't in high demand if you ever wanted to trade up.

Thanks for the recommendations! I'm not sure where exactly we'll be going when we get to Japan, but if I'm in the area I'll definitely check these out.

Yeah I'm actually looking at one of their quartz models as a nice entry to the brand.
I actually don't mind a second hand watch either. I've heard great things about the second hand industry in Japan, especially for cameras (which I'll also be checking out!).

Thanks for the recommendations though! I'll look into Bic Camera and Yodobashi!

There are a number of places, including Grand Seiko Boutiques in Tokyo. Some of them have more exclusive options than others.
I purchased one at the boutique on the Ginza and the experience was amazing.
Probably the best discussion I have seen about buying a Grand Seiko is at Buying a Grand Seiko in Tokyo

I love mine and I'm actually wearing it now

Just a heads up on the second hand resale shops -- their pricing is not that great but deals can be found if you look long and hard enough. Post COVID my wife and I have been amazed at just how the prices are for resale watches -- they were high before but now they are approaching the levels of new! I'm partial to Breitling and while my wife is looking at the resale LV / Chanel stuff I'm walking over to the watch case! It's a great way to find unique or special watches -- but just be warned you won't get a warranty and the prices may not be as sharp as you might think -- Japan is a different animal entirely with resale! Yes the quality is high and authenticity is verified -- just be prepared for some sticker shock...

Also -- the entire watch industry has seen a massive increase in value -- the waiting lists for new rolexs can be years long -- and the used ones being sold I have seen priced above the cost of a new one!

This is great to know, thanks!
Yeah the resale market has been booming lately, but I figured for less sought after pieces (like the 9F quartz Grand Seikos) wouldn't spike that much. At least I can buy these at retail, unlike some other brands :rolleyes:

If you decide to head to Ginza to look for a GS, you can also pay a visit to the Seiko Museum
https://museum.seiko.co.jp/en/

And if you want to look for a second/used watch, Nakano Broadway has a good number of second hand watch shops
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3069.html

The Seiko museum actually looks super cool, thanks! I'll definitely check that out when I'm there