The Most Wearable Spring Drive Sports GMT From Grand Seiko - SBGE285 Review 

GS is the only luxury watch brand that gets me excited about their designs and more than that if you go to the shop they will actually sell you the watch.

That perfect sweep of the second hand from Spring Drive just does not get old. It's absolutely mesmerising.

Teddy for your B roll, include some ultra high high definition video in outdoor conditions. B roll that looks like it was filmed inside the showroom leaves us wondering how the watch actually looks in natural light. You buy a watch based on brand's marketing video but then once you walk out the door of the boutique it ends up looking completely different. Outdoor footage also allows us to gauge the effectiveness of the AR coating which is a deal breaker for many of us.

Tried this watch on at the AD and the dial really does come alive in person. Simply gorgeous. I love how they did not carve out the power meter from the dial like they have on other spring drive models. Tried it on back-to-back with the limited edition SBGE275 and I much preferred the weight, look and cleanliness of the SBGE285. I do wish a few of the elements from the SBGE275 could make their way into this watch though. For me personally, I’d love to see this watch with rotatable ceramic bezel and a second set of 24 hour markers on the dial, making it capable of 3 time zones. As is, this watch is still a stunner and is on my short list.

Owner of an SBGE285 here. I was actually in the market for a Tudor Black Bay Pro, and instead fell head over heels for the Mistflake (still think that's a dumb name, however). I wear it almost daily, I love how it sits on my wrist, and the level of build quality along with aesthetic appeal has been top notch in my books.

I have owned an SBGE285 for two days now. I love this watch. It is a perfect daily use watch and it sparks joy every time I look at it.

okay THIS is what I've been waiting for from Grand Seiko. A more sporty piece. THANK YOU

I bent backwards to buy this one, it’s my grail watch and has lived up to expectations. Teddy I aren’t always in alignment - he leans dressier and me sporty. The fact we both love this pieces shows how special it is. GS. Gorgeous finishing. Dial. Spring drive. GMT. Ev9. There’s nothing else like it.

Hello Teddy! I agree that this SBGE285 is a gem. I own and wear it regularly. I wear it with a leather band do to my large wrist and the bracelet not having much adjustment. It really wears as a sleeper watch that people don't pay much mind too, which I like. If there is one thing I have to comment on is the legibility of the hands when looking at quick glances. The hands get slightly lost due to the polishing and grey dial color. It has a mono chrome feel which drew me to the watch but it does make reading the time a bit difficult especially in low light. The watch is still a keeper in my book and it wears so great for relaxed casual wear, which is me 99% of the time. Well done Grand Seiko.

Love my SBGE285. Just picked it up from my AD. It’s my third GS in three months. Maybe 4. This is not good. They’re so addictive!! The dials just mesmerize me. This watch is stunning!!!! I love having a GS that I can wear at night with good lume. This watch is almost perfect. Just needs micro adjustments in the clasp. I love everything else about it

I'm still rocking the original SBGE001 and it's still going strong, so there isn't really room in my collection for this, but I do still think it looks pretty fantastic!

I wish they would take a year off from introducing new dials and and put all their effort into designing an amazing micro adjustment similar to what IWC has along with other brands. Or something similar to glidelock or like the overseas bracelet has. For me, this is the only thing holding GS back. My GS is lovely, but I never wear it as I can't get an ideal fit on the bracelet.

Own this watch. Love the way the polished bezels reflect the light while I drive. The lume is wonderful but doesn't last as long as I'd like. It's very light and I wore it with a Nato strap while on a tennis trip. Played every day 2-3 hrs and it kept time perfectly. A little more WR would be wonderful and then I woudn't worry about it to take swimming in the ocean.

I got the MIDO Ocean Star GMT shown in this video. Gosh! I cannot get it off my hand, and I'm finding myself staring at it, to see it work. Such precision, such quality for the price.

Bought this as my first grand seiko, best gs combination to have spring drive, a sporty case, a white dial with texture

SBGE285 owner here, I am really agree it is the correct direction for GS to make a sport watch, looking forward to have a smaller and lighter GS diver in the future, also a smaller chronograph will be nice (high bit one will be lovely)

Just bought their limited edition blue dial “Peacock” model. Best bracelet so far and the dial is f-n amazing.

That watch is Beautiful 😍 I love the Aesthetics...Every dimension is detailed to perfection.

I bought this watch when it first released in Japan. I couldn’t find any titanium, GMT, spring drives from GS for a while then they released this and it was like they read my mind. I noticed that it looks similar to the Explorer 2 so it would be cool to see an expert comparison.

SBGE285 owner here, and I love it! Had it on my radar since W&W, and pulled the trigger the moment it landed at my local AD. Had previously considered the Snowflake, but also tossed around the SBGE257, as a GMT was missing from the collection. This was the best of both worlds. I understand others’ complaints about the bracelet, but I’m a dial-first guy, so it doesn’t bother me in the least. Wears comfortably and is mesmerizing to look at, especially in natural light.

I have the SBGE275, and together with the SBGE285, they are for me the most beautiful GS there is.

To me this reeks of understated, solid quality. A beautiful watch!

Teddy - love your channel. I love my SBGA259. This watch looks gorgeous. Keep up the good work!

Watching the smooth movement of the second hand of this watch says so much about the quality of the movement inside. Another home run by GS.

Just picked this watch up at their flagship boutique while vacationing in Japan. A understated tool watch at a distance but a stunner up close, especially in natural light outdoors. The way all the polished surfaces catch the light and the incredible comfort on the wrist will have this watch in heavy rotation for me. Of course that spring drive sweep is mesmerizing as others have mentioned. Thank you Teddy for reviewing this reference, it was your videos that motivated me to check it out in the metal.

beautiful watch. i still prefer iterations with the PR indicator on the movement side, but that's just a personal note. you're right about SD being a major breakthrough in watch "mechanics" history. another one i was pretty interested about was the appearance of silicon oscillators a few years ago. i was expecting a quick flooding of the market with that technology. instead, after some experimentation from Ulysse Nardin, Zenith, and, last year, the more attainable Frederique Constant, there's still circumspection in the industry i think...

Absolutely stunning!

Just scored the green version (SBGE257), with the gold GMT hand and polished steel case. Even by GS standards, it's a stunner. **Chef's kiss**

I usually don’t like these super one tone grey watches, but this is a very good looking watch. On the watchlist it goes👀

My Spring Drive is the watch I keep going to the most. I love it.

Love this brand!!!! Lovely piece too!!!!

Very nice looking watch…Grand Seiko is killing it!

Love it...if I was t in a reorganisation mode I'd add this in a heart beat

Coming back for more just to appreciate this Masterpiece by GS once again.

This might be one of the most beautiful watch I have seen. Up there with Zenith.

I like the look of this GS and would love to own one some day, but until GS spends ample time perfecting their bracelets (instead of it being an afterthought) with an on the fly micro adjustments and a tapered bracelet, I will admire their Zaratsu polishing and Spring Drive technology from afar.

This is exactly the watch I am focusing to buy, great watch, very beautiful and good to use for daily purpose.

I got the SBGJ255 a few months ago and to me it blows the SBGE285 out of the water. Both are titanium GMTs but the 255 is thinner, lacks a bulky bezel insert, and has a better hour hand. To be fair, the 255 is dressier and has the Hi-beat moment. However, I prefer both of those options as well.

Teddy, I looked to purchase the SBGE285 or SBGA211, my old eyes couldn't distinguish the hands from the mist/snow faces without my reading glasses. I bought the SBGE255, and my eyes could determine the time (without reading glasses) on the beautiful sunburst blue dial. I believe the SBGE255 is an overlooked GMT, and I loved to see a review.

A Quartzamatic? Best of both worlds....I see why these watches are so well respected!! I'd buy one.

Beautiful watch, thank you.

New grail watch. I just got a Tudor Black Bay GMT and will be saving up for this one

This thing is absolutely amazing.

This one is super nice. I really like the grey tones.

Great watch, light, hypnotic movement, and allout beautiful.

Mercy this is a gorgeous watch!

Spring Drive is the one for me... love Seiko.

This is the first GS sports watch that actually does it for me. Even at GS9 in NYC, the sports watches that were on display there pale in comparison to the rest of their line. This though? This is a winner and yes, “a step in the right direction”.

Gorgeous watch. Grand Seiko is impressive.

I'm not usually a fan of sports watches, but this one is nice.

Overpriced at $8k, the extra spec this offers are the Ti case and Spring Drive. But a vast improvement over the GS Sport GMT with its mere four plots of lume at the meridian indices. For $5.5k you can get a Seiko LX Skymaster SNR033 (polished) or SNR035 (black) with Spring Drive, Ti case, and the added feature of a rotating 24 hour bezel. GS seems to be taking incremental improvements to a torturously slow one step at a time while Tudor leaps two steps forward. Al the while keeping their prices more affordable with the BB Pro and winning all the current sales for GMT.

Brave move from Seiko. Different bezel and GMT compilation. Beautiful.

Grand Seiko is one of my favorite brands. When will they trickle the tech down to Seiko? I love my Seiko Astron GPS dual time.

I have the SBGM247 normal automatic, it is absolutely wonderful. I don't like the spring drive charge meter on the dial, makes it too busy, other than that this one is also beautiful.

I've considered buying this one a few times but what holds me back is that I know the spring drive tech is still improving. When I get a spring drive watch I want it to be as accurate as possible and some of their newer variants are +-1 sec a day now.

Awesome watch for sure, would be on my list for sure.

Tried this on for size. An awesome watch. Fits me perfect, the finishing was so nice. But... I cannot understand/justify the price point relative to other GS models. Thanks for sharing.

Love this watch. My daily is a Submariner Date, but this could easily join the collection and become my international travel watch. And I travel a lot. Absolutely epic movement, a masterpiece.

Looks nice, wait till you see it in person, way way better looking.

I still think the Seiko SNR051 with the spring drive movement is one of the best looking GMTs ever….I know, it’s big, but it’s a “small” 44.8mm due to the 50.9mm lug-lug 😏

This is insane, best GS I've ever seen honestly

I love my Longines Zulu Time!

Great review as always Teddy. You said that you don’t think GS have perfected the GMT just yet. What would that perfection look like?

This is a very beautiful watch. the monotone colors really work together in a very unique way.

Tried one on at Mayor's definitely my Holy Grail

I went into Mayors jewelers to try on the SBGN027 39mm. A beautiful watch but to small for me. The sales person handed me the SBGE285. It felt amazing at 122g.

Love the black dial version.

Ever since this got released SBGE285 has been my favourite. But I got the SBGA211 anyway since its more iconic and cheaper.

Grand Seiko is killing it! Wish I could buy them all 😢

This is a BEAUTIFUL tool watch.

Very nice piece 🤩

Geez....that is one beautiful watch.

Beautiful watch

Finally, Teddy learns how to Tie a Tie ;-)

Very beautiful watch, personally though I wish Seiko would hide those power reserve indicator to the back. I know they have done that with their other dress watch.

GS Night Birch Titanium with a Spring Drive... utter necessary. 🔥

I wish this model also had the GS logo in gold, a heat-treated blued second hand, a recessed power reserve, and a rotating bezel. It would have made this watch PERFECT.

This one looks amazing

I have this watch and it is the perfect watch EXCEPT for the lack of micro adjust or on the fly adjust on the clasp

Drop dead gorgeous.

Anyone that owns a sbge25* (like I do), one of the smaller sports spring drive watches from GS, will tell you. The millimetres they shave off lug to lug or thickness are quickly negated by that chunky 22mm with protruding end links and little no taper. Not talking about the clasp, which is barely average but is just accessory to this, but a 22mm to 18mm bracelet would help. My sports GS are all on straps, that’s what makes them truly wearable.

Beautiful. I wish the bracelet tapers to smaller mm 22-18mm plus micro adjustment. then Voila!

I love so many of these watches! I just wish they had more options available in a larger size

Hey Teddy I love the videos. I've been doing my research looking for an idea for a first watch that brings some kind of quality on the inexpensive side. I'm looking at a couple hundred bucks and I've been drawn to Seiko as far as my research concludes they bring excellent quality for the price. Wondering if you have any recommendations for a young Padawan starting their collection. Much love ♥️

Goddamn that is a sharp suit, Teddy.

I love it, if it didn't have the same bracelet as my current GS. They need to make more bracelets...

Great review!!! Absolutely beautiful. Do you agree with Mr. Wonderful that Grand Seiko is the best value for money.

Off topic -- Teddy, I owe you a big apology. About a month ago you did a video on Louis Erard and featured his collaboration pieces with Alain Silberstein. I posted a critical comment about how you didn't make clear that the watches were 178 piece limited editions that long ago had sold out. Nevertheless, because of your video I signed up for an alert in case there was a new release of the watches, and lo and behold last week Louis Erard released a new US limited edition of the watches. I managed to snag one (I tried to get it through your store, but it already was sold out, so I got it from another retailer), and it just arrived today. I got the La Semaine, which is a killer. Before your video, I had no idea these watches existed. Now I have one, and it will take pride of place in my collection. This is precisely what your channel is all about. Thank you, Teddy, and happy and safe holidays to you and yours. PS, I have now busted this year's watch budget, so a Grand Seiko will have to wait until next year.

Stunning piece. Would love too have one. Any chance Grand Seiko will be added to your site Teddy?

Nice video! Why GS refuses to design a micro adjustment for their bracelet boggles my mind. With all of their design and engineering chops, you'd think they'd come up with something already. This watch is nearly perfect if came equipped with micro adjustment.

amazing watch

Smooth...lovely.

Who came up with the mist from the mountains color 🤣🤣🤣 . Love the style of this watch 👍👍👍 love the sensible large date window 🎉

Wow that watch looks great

Fabulous looking thing.....,

That's a stunner...

Lookin good!

Of all the luxury watches I covet, Grand Seiko is near the top of the list. However, since its a bit out of my price range, and don't have the restraint to save up, I settle for the Seiko Presage and Seiko Astron lines - both of which do a reasonable approximation of the look of a Grand Seiko for a fraction of the price. I just watch these videos because they are like horological erotica 😉

need that micro adjust for sports watches imo. Living in Florida means I cant wear a bracelet a lot of the time if there isn't micro adjust

Senator teddy ! You got my vote