The term best affordable grand seiko would’ve never appeared in anyone’s search history a decade ago. Quite frankly, barely anyone knew the existence of Grand Seiko, and if they did?
“Are you out of your mind? Why are you spending more than a few hundred dollars for a Seiko?” Now imagine telling them that Grand Seiko’s cost upwards of a few thousand dollars. Oh and for a few thousand dollars you’re only getting a quartz. That was the consensus back in the day before Grand Seiko became a household name. Back then, those who understood and appreciated the watchmaking philosophy of Grand Seiko bought into the idea of quiet luxury. There was a saying:
“You buy a Rolex to impress others, but you buy a Grand Seiko to be impressed.”
Considering how Rolex has been creating superficial scarcity in its allocations over the years, it’s safe to say that the statement did and still holds true.
Nowadays, Grand Seiko regularly gets its flowers, with enthusiasts, bloggers, and YouTubers raving about the brand’s timepieces. And it’s true, Grand Seiko’s have amazing finishing and the dials are always oh-so-mesmerizing. They’re not cheap, but what if I told you there’s Grand Seiko’s out there for less than $1000?
History of Grand Seiko
Seiko, known as “Seikosha,” was born in 1892, eleven years after Kintaro Hattori began his journey as a watch repairman in central Toyko. In 1913, Seiko created its first wristwatch, the Laurel. It wasn’t until 1960 that the first Grand Seiko was born. The intention? To design and build the best wristwatch a small team of elite Seiko watchmakers could, and that’s been the philosophy ever since. The result was their Caliber 3180, which was Japan’s first-ever watch to reach the then-COSC standards. Remember, at this point, quartz wasn’t invented yet!

Seiko single-handedly almost wiped out most of its competition with its invention of quartz between the 70s and the 90s. Grand Seiko wasn’t far behind with the 95GS in 1988, creating a fully in-house quartz movement that was accurate up to +/- 10 seconds per year. They then spent the next few years perfecting their ideal quartz watch with all the possible technical upgrades. And you know what’s the worst part? Most of their releases were Japan-domestic models (JDMs). Unless you were a Japanese resident, you wouldn’t know of their existence, let alone their quality.
During the mid-90s, Grand Seiko developed the 8J55 movement. One of the first watches to adopt this movement is the SBGF009. In my opinion? One of the best affordable Grand Seiko’s you can buy for your money.
Grand Seiko SBGF009 Dimensions
Case size: 36mm
Lug to lug: 42mm
Thickness: 9.2mm
Lug width: 18mm
Case: All polished with zaratsu finishing
Dial: Textured “baby” snowflake dial
Crystal: Flat sapphire crystal
Movement: Grand Seiko 8J55
Water Resistant: 150m / 15ATM
Strap: Leather strap
Case
When Grand Seiko started gaining popularity, the term “Zaratsu Polishing” became equally as popular. Some probably bought a Grand Seiko just to see all this hype around Zaratsu polishing. Now, not to burst anyone’s bubbles, but Zaratsu polishing is just the German art of Sallaz polishing. Sallaz, is the polishing machinery bought by Grand Seiko in the mid-century. And Zaratsu is the Japanese pronunciation of Sallaz. Being the master craftsmen who are the Grand Seiko watchmakers, they eventually developed their technique using the Sallaz polishing machinery. That’s the Zaratsu Polishing we know and love today.

While being an affordable Grand Seiko, the SBGF009 still manages to showcase the polishing masterclass from Grand Seiko. With extremely clean lines and crisp edges, the case on the SBGF009 is simplicity at its finest. You’ll find that across all Grand Seiko watches, it’s “quiet bling” that’s truly made for the eyes to admire. It’s undoubtedly shiny, but that’s the mirror-like polishing at play and trust me you can immediately tell the difference. It makes the finishing on a Rolex look boring and this is 1/7 of the price.

Even though the signed crown doesn’t screw down, the SBGF009 still has an impressive 100m water resistance rating. I love how slim the entire case is, no unnecessary protrusions anywhere. The caseback is simple, with the old-school double-logo signature in the middle with some texturing alluding to the dial. See? It’s always the tiny details with Grand Seiko, regardless if it’s their entry-level or their luxury tiers.
Dial & Hands
Now to my favorite part of the SBGF009, the snowflake-textured explorer dial. Imagine the Rolex Explorer and the GS Snowflake had a baby, that’s the SBGF009 in a nutshell. I don’t know how Grand Seiko did it, but the SBGF009 is part dressy and part sporty, which makes it a perfect casual everyday watch. While the textured snowflake dial isn’t as refined as the SBGA211, it’s certainly deserving of its spotlight. I mean where else can you get a textured dial done to this standard under $1k?
The “baby” snowflake on the SBGF009 is subtle but immediately draws you in for a closer inspection. From far away, it appears to be an extremely reflective white dial, but you’ll realize right away there’s something more to it. Unless you’re under direct sunlight, you won’t notice the granularity of the texture, which I appreciate. Nothing drives me crazier than a dial that screams “HI I AM A TEXTURED DIAL PLEASE LOOK”.

Personally, where the Zaratsu polishing really shines, both literally and figuratively is in the indices and the handset. The 3,6,9 and 12 indices are almost interactive in how well they are polished. I’ve never experienced applied indices that play with lighting this much. In darker conditions, they blend into the dial and can get quite difficult to read. But as soon as the light hits on an angle? They come to life with a reflective hue and you just can’t help but stare. Same thing with the “Seiko” and “GS” logos, finished to a standard that is unheard of for a sub-$1k watch.
The 8J55 Quartz Movement
If you’ve even remotely across the modern Grand Seiko quartz, the 9F movement shouldn’t be a stranger. But! What if I told you there’s a legendary quartz movement before the 9F that’s considered one of the most robust quartz movements ever made? Paired with the SBGF series, the 8J55 movement was much more stable and accurate movement. Based on Seiko’s internal information, it seems like the 8J was an expensive movement to produce, and wasn’t as cost-effective for Grand Seiko. Compared to the 9F, the 8J55 costs about 30% more to produce, and uses harder-to-produce parts.

It’s been speculated that the 9F movements were less accurate, and overall less robust and protected from external environmental factors. The 8J55 movement found in the SBGF series was made for everyday Japanese use and was designed to withstand all kinds of abuse. Now I’m no watchmaker, but after 20 years, the 8J55 in my SBGF009 still hits every marker and is extremely accurate.
Comfort & Wearability
Can a watch be too thin? The SBGF009 is practically suffering from its success in catering to skinny wrists. If you didn’t know, the reason why most JDMs wear smaller is due to the average Japanese wrist size. With the listed 9.2mm thinness, it feels like a feather on the wrist and it’s just so light. I remember the first few longer outings with the SBGF009 I had to keep checking whether it was still on my wrist. It’s borderline uncomfortable how comfortable it is. I wish it was a teeny-bit thicker so there’s a little more heft to it.

When I first got the SBGF009 I wore it absolutely everywhere. I had no regard for the fact that it’s a 20-year-old watch, which by definition classifies as vintage. From taking it to humid mountains in Scotland to wearing it into the office, I didn’t hesitate at all. After all, it has 100m water resistance, and I trust the 8J55’s robustness under weather conditions. I wouldn’t recommend taking it swimming or near the beach though. It isn’t exactly beach-vibes and it doesn’t have a screw-down crown.
Best Affordable Grand Seiko?

There are plenty of affordable Grand Seiko’s out there – just look up SBGF or SBGX and down the rabbit hole you go. The SBGFs are marginally more affordable than their younger SBGX siblings and their newer 9F movements. So when it comes down to the most affordable Grand Seiko, it’s hard to argue against the SBGF series and their “superior” 8J movement. For my personal preference, I’m digging the explorer-style dial on the SBGF009. Not to say the other SBGFs aren’t quality, but they’re just a little too dressy for me.
All for under $1000, it’s pretty hard to argue the value proposition that is the Grand Seiko SBGF009. No, you’re not getting the premium Zaratsu finishing and their legendary Spring Drive movement. What you are getting, is a timepiece from a period where things were crafted with expertise, and built to last. Compare this to any other sub-$1K Seiko and you’ll immediately feel the difference.
Imagine a world where an affordable Grand Seiko can be had for the price of a modern Seiko Prospex. Good news, you won’t have to because you’re in it.
Grand Seiko SBGF009: Closing Thoughts
Aesthetics: The combination of the explorer-style dial and Grand Seiko’s expertise in crafting textured dials make the SBGF009 a charming timepiece. Paired with an extremely well-finished case; you’ve got to witness Zaratsu polishing in person to experience the sharp angles and crisp lines.
Comfort: At 36mm it’s every 6-inch wrists dream and I have but one complaint. I wish it was slightly thicker or that it was a little heavier. It was easy to forget the SBGF009 on my wrist at times given how lightweight it was.
Price: The SBGF009 can be found between $700 and $1K, which is a fantastic value. Hence why it’s one of the best affordable Grand Seiko out there.