Up Close: Grand Seiko Spring Drive “Blue Snowflake” SBGA407
One of the all-time best-selling Grand Seiko watches is the Spring Drive “Snowflake”, which gets the name from the its distinctive textured dial. And until recently, the snowflake dial was only available on models with bracelets, save for a few pricey limited editions with gold cases. That changed last year when Grand Seiko debuted the Spring Drive “Blue Snowflake” SBGA407. It combines the famous dial with a more classical case, and a good deal of practicality – date, Spring Drive accuracy, and a surprising 100 m water resistance. On the wrist While most Grand Seiko watches are pretty discreet on the wrist, the “Blue Snowflake” makes a statement due to its colour. The styling is most definitely old school, but the pale-blue dial is both modern and unusual; it’s an unorthodox colour for a man’s watch, especially one that leans towards the dress-watch category, but it works. And the “Blue Snowflake” is also a manageable but modern size. The case is a bit over 40 mm in diameter, and fairly thick, while the bezel is narrow. The result is a watch that wears well and has a good presence on the wrist (with one caveat that is common to Grand Seiko watches on straps: the band has odd proportions, with one side being unnecessarily long). The snowflake story The original “Snowflake” was the Grand Seiko Spring Drive ref. SBGA011 (now known as the SBGA211) that made its debut in 2005. While it did have a titanium case and bracelet, which was fairly uncommon a...
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