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Rolex vs Grand Seiko is an unending battle on Watchbox Reviews! In this installment, Tim Mosso compares the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Milgauss 116400GV to the Grand Seiko SBGR101. Both watches are automatic, water resistant to 100 meters, feature three hands only, and sports stainless steel cases with bracelets to match. Which semi-sports watch will prevail? Luxury watch Versus starts now!
Each Rolex Milgauss of the current generation traces its origin to the 2007 re-launch of the model. Although on hiatus since 1988, the Milgauss never truly was dead; Rolex was waiting for the right moment to reboot its technician’s watch. That moment arrived with a rapturous response; no model among the red-hot 116400 generation was more coveted than the green crystal Milgauss “GV.” While the initial waitlists and markups have long subsided, the Milgauss GV remains the signature model of this product family.
Rolex fits the Milgauss GV with a green sapphire crystal atop a matte black dial. Details include white gold indices and hands plus an electrifying orange “lightning bolt” seconds hand. The indices feature super luminova, and the enlarged 3, 6, and 9 o’clock hour indices feature super luminova with an orange tint. The dial base features white and orange printed alongside the applied indices.
A 40mm Rolex 904L stainless steel case with fixed bezel grants the Milgauss an unexpected formality for such a specialized technical reference. The watch works equally well within the confines of a CERN particle accelerator or a black-tie gala. With a matching Rolex Oyster bracelet, deployant clasp, and Easylink tool-free adjustment, the Milgauss wears with comfort and confidence.
Inside the Milgauss, Rolex fits its in-house caliber 3131. This automatic movement features a 48-hour power reserve when fully wound, and stop seconds (hacking) enables precise setting. The COSC certified Swiss chronometer sits secure inside a soft iron paramagnetic cage that guides magnetic field lines around the movement. Additional antimagnetic features include antimagnetic escapement components and a Parachrom Blue oxidized niobium-zirconium Breguet overcoil hairspring. The Rolex Milgauss is rated for 100-meter water resistance.
Grand Seiko’s SBGR101 is considerably younger than the Milgauss; this Japanese luxury watch arrived for the 2015 model year. At 42mm, the stainless steel Grand Seiko is larger than the Milgauss by a significant margin, but the two watches wear remarkably similar on the wrist.
Each SBGR101 includes a stainless steel case that is hand-finished via Grand Seiko’s “Zaratsu” tin-plate polishing technique. The mirror-smooth metal surfaces are polished by hand against the rotary plates of Sallaz machines, and the result is a shine that decisively tops the Rolex. A matching stainless steel bracelet with trigger deployant clasp keeps this apples-to-apples comparison on track.
The dial of the SBGR101 comprises only three hands and applique indices, but the appearance presents a stark contrast with the Rolex. A bright lacquer black base appears glossy and bottomeless; the hour indices are diamond-polished and gem-like in their luster. Grand Seiko’s dauphine hands are finished to match the indices, and the watch’s designers eliminated luminescent paint in order to maximize the purity of the dial furniture. The result is a dial that appears far more expensive than that of the Rolex at half of the price.
Inside this Grand Seiko automatic, a manufacture caliber 9S61 keeps the beat. Its 72-hour power reserve tops the Milgauss’ 3131 by a large margin, and its six-position adjustment permits chronometer like precision of -3/+5 seconds per day. Hacking seconds (stop seconds) matches the Rolex. The 33-jewel Grand Seiko caliber can be viewed underneath a sapphire display caseback, and the SBGR101 matches the 100-meter water resistance of the Milgauss.
For complete details, watch the full review!
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