Monthly Archives: October 2012

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Based in Le Noirmont, Switzerland is a boutique factory by the name of Paul Picot S.A.  The workers there pride themselves on thorough designs and high quality traditional watchmaking, while still managing to throw some innovation in the mix.  Today, we are introducing the Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG.

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

This Paul Picot is a very clean and colorful watch without being overbearing on the color.  It’s crisp silver dial along with blue applied numerals and indexes really pop and give the dial a nice depth.  I’m a big fan of blue indexes on white/silver dials.  To me, it is very eye catching.  The silver and blue on this watch is definitely attractive, but what really draws the attention to this timepiece is the multicolored day of the week wheel.  The day wheel utilizes the 7 colors of the Rainbow, each color representing a different day of the week.  While it’s not a tremendous complication, it is still very cool and adds tons of character to the timepiece.

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

The fit and finish is very nicely done using brushed finish on the case sides, with a high polish on the bezel and the edges of the case, making for a great little detail.  The 40mm case is not large, but wears larger than you’d think due to the slim bezel.  The case back is closed and has a nice amount of space for engraving.

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

The strap is a very high quality Louisiana Gator and is almost a grayish-blue color.  This piece could easily work well with a suit, or more casual, matching very well to jeans.  I don’t think it is necessary to match my watch to my clothes, but this one (even though rich in color) still works with just about anything.  The strap is topped off with a custom Paul Picot tang buckle.

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

The Swiss automatic movement is most likely an ETA 2834-2, a 3 hand with date and big day feature, modified in Paul Picot’s factory.  Unfortunately, Paul Picot does not list the specific movement used, but this would be my 1st guess.  Judging by other movements I have seen from Paul Picot, the quality and finish will be superb.

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

AZ Fine Time is one of very few, if not the only current authorized dealer for Paul Picot in the US.  We actually used to carry the brand a few years back, but there was a lack of distribution that prevented us from carrying them.  Now, with a solid distribution, the brand is back in full force and we are very excited to have them, once again.  From our previous years of experience, we know Paul Picot makes very high quality timepieces, at reasonable prices.  Retail on the Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG is $2640.  If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 1-800-486-3996.

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

Paul Picot Gentleman Classic 40mm P2052.SG

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Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Seiko‘s history with dive watches dates back to 1965, when they produced Japan’s 1st dive watch.  Back then, diving was a relatively unusual sport that not many people partook in.  Since then, the evolution of sport diving and the evolution of Seiko’s dive watches have come to full speed.  The reputation Seiko has for a great dive watch is hard to surpass, and today, the new evolution of luxury and sport has come into one beautiful new limited edition.  The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Originally announced as a limited edition of 150 at the Basel Fair March 2012, the piece has been highly anticipated and adored by customers.  So much in fact, due to the high demand, the initial quantity produced has been adjusted  to 200 pieces for the world, coincidentally matching the pieces water resistance.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

The Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver SBGA071 is stainless steel case and bracelet, using Seiko’s impeccable Zaratsu (Katana Blade) polishing technique.  The mirror quality finish can be found on the case sides as well as middle links of the bracelet.  The case is 44.2mm wide, 14mm thick and has a solid case back engraved with with the watches 1-200 serial number.  The crown is fairly large, and makes for very easy smooth setting, but is also guarded  by a crown protector in case of any potential damage that can occur in diving.  Should the crown be opened, there will be a red stripe exposed to help prevent you from jumping in the water before screwing down the crown.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

The bracelet on this piece is quite special.  Not only does it have a unbelievable finish, but also has an elaborate expansion clasp for going over a wet suit.  The ratcheting expansion is extended by pushing back on the locking mechanism of the clasp and pulling on the side of the bracelet where it extends out.  When pushed back, you can extend the clasp to the desired position and it will lock in place when released, which makes for a quick and easy adjustment.  On top of that, there are micro adjustments on the clasp to add even more comfort.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

The movement utilized is Seiko’s in-house manufactured and developed 9R65 Spring Drive caliber.  There is much to be said about Spring Drive, all being great.  For such a utility watch, only the finest movement is worthy of being inside of the timepiece.  Spring Drive’s immaculate accuracy, durability, and 74 hour power reserve are the perfect fit for this diver.  The gliding motion is mesmerizing, not to mention incredibly accurate.  Rated at +/- 1 sec a day, the performance is most likely to fall within a 1-3 sec a month deviation, judging by customer feedback and personal experience.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

The lume on this piece is very powerful.  Helpful in the darkest of settings and made to last long throughout the night (or in really dark waters).  The proprietary Lumi Brite luminescence is the same utilized in the highly acclaimed Seiko Space Walk.  This is some of the brightest natural lume you can find in the watch world.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

So what really sets this apart from it’s counterpart (SBGA029) is its beautiful blue dial. The blue ranges in shade from a very dark navy blue to a lighter royal blue, depending on the lighting.  Its color has more of a glossy finish compared to the prototype we saw in Basel, which ended up giving the piece even more gorgeous look than expected.  This along with the black hard coated uni-directional bezel adds a nice contrast and subtlety.  Some other nice attributes are the gold colored “GS” and “Seiko” logo on the dial.  There is also a matching gold second hand, that has a tail end in a sky blue color with a lumed dot, making it easy to read the seconds in the dark.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Retailing for $8,000, it is not inexpensive, but well worth every penny.  Grand Seiko lives up to the Seiko slogan “Dedicated to Perfection” in every way imaginable.  Perfection is something that is unattainable in most eyes, but when it comes to Grand Seiko, it is difficult to find imperfection.

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Grand Seiko Spring Drive Diver Limited Edition SBGA071

Thanks for reading!

Check out our video review…

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