Another GS 6146: Grand Seiko 6146-8050

Grand Seiko 6146-8050

The contemporary Grand Seiko logo above reflects Seiko's attention to perfection and precision. Seiko chose the majestic lion as their emblem is an ambitious declaration of Seiko wanting to be the No 1 in watches industry. My apology, kind of carrying away by Grand Seiko 50th anniversary emblem. 

I have written about GS 6146 one or two years back. This is another variant of GS 6146 with a different casing.  It has been out of my sight and out of my mind.... but is a very important bit of my Grand Seiko collection.

This model was made during late 1960's and early 1970's. This watch was traced to be coming out of Seiko factory in 1972. I managed to grab hold of this watch from Philippines. What is unique with this unit of Grand Seiko is its faceted crystal. Another interesting bit is the fact that most vintage Grand Seiko has a white or silver dial, this one is with a black grey original dial. This watch is in mint condition with the original GS signed crown and the gold GS emblem at the back intact. The only disappointment is the buckle and the bracelet is belonging to normal Seiko. It will be a uphill battle to find an original GS metal bracelet. 

Seiko 6R15

This is my first Seiko with the newer 6R15 automatic movement. I bought this as a second hand from a friend's shop. The deal was sealed at 10pm with half the normal retail price for a brand new 6R15. 6R15 movement is used in a lot of Seiko model... these include Alpinist, Landmaster, Marinemaster, Seiko Scuba diver, Seiko Premier, Spirit, etc. 

I view the 6R15 as a higher grade Seiko 5 engine (7S26, 7S36)... in fact looking at some reviews, the block of 6R15 is virtually identical to 7S26 with few modifications. 6R15 movement is a 23 jewels automatic movement with hacking ability. It can also be hand winded and with an accuracy of +25/-15 seconds per day. The power reserve is an impressive 50 hours.

This watch has a clean beautiful look. It is simple and classic. This watch is proudly declared as Made in Japan... but with globalisation and the rise of China as economic super power... I do have my reserves. The dial is white with distinctive Arabic numeric which makes time telling quite effortless. What I don't like is the wording "Diashock 23 Jewels", it really spoils what is a beautiful dial. The case is stainless steel with sapphire glass.

At the back is a Hardlex crystal that enable us to view the semi polished 6R15 movement. The watch is water resistant to 10ATM. The crown of this watch is slightly large and very easy to wind. There is a huge "S" on the crown symbolised Seiko.