Grand Seiko SBGF021 quartz watch Black Dial 2008 8J56-8020

SPECIFICATION

Reference: Grand Seiko SBGF021
Movement: Quartz 8J56
Age: May 2008
Case Size: 38mm
Case Thickness: 10mm
Lug to Lug: 44mm
Lugs: 19mm
Condition: Used Seiko watch
Box & Papers: No
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Warranty: 12-Months Warranty

 POINTS TO MENTION

• In fantastic pre-owned condition, with light wear from use
  
• Case and bezel have some very light marks and scratches
  
• Black Tatami mat dial
• Movement inspected for peace of mind
• New battery fitted
• GS signed screw down crown
  
• Paired with its original signed stainless steel bracelet that fits up to a 7 3/4 inch wrist
  

THE WATCH

The 8J56 is a high-accuracy quartz movement developed for Grand Seiko in the mid-1990s. It belongs to the 8J family of calibres created exclusively for Grand Seiko models during a period when the brand was heavily investing in precision quartz technology. Positioned as a premium quartz offering, the 8J56 helped reinforce Grand Seiko’s philosophy that quartz could be executed with the same seriousness and refinement as mechanical watchmaking.

Technically, the 8J56 is a thermo-compensated quartz movement, as a result its a very accurate quartz watch. The movement generally uses between five and seven jewels to reduce friction in key areas. It also features hacking seconds and, importantly, an independently adjustable hour hand, allowing the wearer to change time zones without stopping the movement or affecting accuracy, this sporty number also comes with a screw down crown.

A BIT OF TRIVA

One fun detail is that the 8J56 was one of the early Grand Seiko quartz movements to feature an independently adjustable hour hand — a feature more commonly associated with GMT or high-end travel watches. This meant you could jump the hour hand forward or backward in one-hour increments without stopping the seconds hand. At the time, that was a surprisingly sophisticated feature for a quartz watch.

Another interesting point is that the 8J56 was thermo-compensated, meaning it actively measured ambient temperature and adjusted its rate accordingly. Quartz crystals naturally drift with temperature changes, and most standard quartz watches do nothing to correct this. The 8J56 essentially “self-monitored” its environment — part of Grand Seiko’s push to prove that quartz could be engineered to an obsessive standard.