Why This Quartz Watch Costs More Than Swiss Automatics

• Grand Seiko’s SBGP017 features the Calibre 9F85 quartz movement, accurate to an astonishing ±5 seconds per year.
• The dial captures the “sea of clouds” phenomenon over Japan’s Shinshu mountains.
• This quartz watch is more impressive than many Swiss mechanical counterparts.

It’s easy to dismiss quartz. The word alone tends to conjure images of cheap battery-powered watches bought at airport kiosks or mass-market fashion brands with little horological merit. The so-called Quartz Crisis was effective at dispelling any notion that quartz-powered timepieces could still carry prestige.

For the Swiss, it was an existential threat; for collectors, it became shorthand for ‘less than’. Even today, “quartz” feels like a dirty word in certain circles; code for disposable, mass-produced, and lacking any soul. But the Grand Seiko SBGP017 is none of those things. It’s a watch that flips the entire quartz narrative on its head and has a higher price tag to match.

Released in 2022 to mark the 55th anniversary of the iconic 44GS case design, the SBGP017 is a timely reminder that quartz doesn’t have to mean compromise. In fact, when executed like this, it can outclass the entry-level Swiss automatic models for accuracy, finishing, and sheer presence with aplomb.

The SBGP017 runs Grand Seiko’s Calibre 9F85, a movement accurate to ±5 seconds per year. That’s not a typo. While your average Swiss automatic (think a base-level ETA or Sellita) boasts ±15 seconds per day on a good run, the 9F85 will keep ticking along without too much fuss.

It’s a hand-assembled, thermocompensated, twin-pulse quartz calibre with a backlash auto-adjust mechanism that eliminates seconds-hand shudder. It even allows independent hour-hand adjustment without stopping the watch, which is a novel feature for frequent flyers that get more use out of their passport than their driver’s licence.

But where this timepiece truly stands out in the often misunderstood world of quality quartz timepieces is that the movement is sealed for life, lubricated and protected in a way that allows it to function flawlessly for decades with no servicing.

It’s quartz elevated to the status of mechanical haute horlogerie, with the inherent beauty of one of the watch world’s most celebrated designers. At around $5,800 AUD at the time of release, this piece now retails for north of $8,000 on the aftermarket.

Inspired by the “sea of clouds” that forms over the Shinshu mountains where Grand Seiko’s diligent designers ply their expert craft, the SBGP017’s textured blue surface captures a fleeting natural phenomenon in permanent form. Depending on the light, it shimmers from soft powder blue to almost silvery grey, with a blued second hand cutting across like a bird in flight.

At 40mm wide and just 10.7mm thick, the SBGP017 wears beautifully and confidently. It doesn’t scream luxury, but it manages to capture Grand Seiko’s guiding principles with considered and careful design.

Compare that to your typical Swiss entry-level automatic: often machine-assembled, questionably regulated, with a steel case that may be stamped rather than finished, and a dial printed rather than textured. Yes, it ticks the “mechanical” box, but is that enough in today’s market?

The SBGP017 is a statement piece, not just for Grand Seiko purists who are often the ones in the know. But because it’s a confident release from the Japanese watchmakers that attempts to prove quartz, when done right, can be not just equal to, but better than its mechanical rivals. And if you still think quartz isn’t worth it, this watch might not be the one for you. In fact, that’s kind of the point.