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SBGX115 vs. Tudor North Flag

11K views 68 replies 38 participants last post by  arogle1stus 
#1 · (Edited)
I know posting this in the Grand Seiko forum it may be a one sided vote, but any help you can provide would be helpful. I am struggling between these two. Looking for a daily wear, stainless steel bracelet in the medium luxury price range. These two fit the bill quite nicely.


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#6 · (Edited)
As stated they are so different its hard to compare with out just pointing out the huge differences.

The quartz will be lower maintain and significantly more accurate over its life time, but its a quart sweep. The GS execution was impressive when I tried it on and the brushed bracelet / 42mm size is perfect.
The note flag looks like a fun everyday wearer though the power indicator isn't of much use on a daily wearer as its always fully charged ( i have one on my diver).

The note flag will wear smaller and lighter..... if you have small wrists that may be important.
Plus it has a date function.

The dive bezel gives the practical benefit of a timing function which I find useful.

Id sit on the purchase another month and see which one sings to you when you go back in to look at them again.
 
#10 ·
I actually like both watches a lot. I'm a big fan of no date divers and I like the integrated h link bracelet on the north flag. Tried on the north flag and it fit me well. Tough choice but in the end I'd go with the Tudor for its unique looks. Not everyone's cup of tea for sure.


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#12 ·
What specifically are you drawn to on the Tudor? Are you a "shirt and tie" everyday dresser? 14mm may get hung up if you wear tight cuffs. Any way you look at it both are pretty classic while the yellow accents of the Tudor has a more contemporary style. Good luck!


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#16 ·
What specifically are you drawn to on the Tudor? Are you a "shirt and tie" everyday dresser? 14mm may get hung up if you wear tight cuffs. Any way you look at it both are pretty classic while the yellow accents of the Tudor has a more contemporary style. Good luck!

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The yellow accents drew me in at first, then the movement which from many accounts is excellent and reliable. The fit is really great. My shirt cuffs are pretty tight, most watches don't fit. The SBGX115 does have a huge clasp so they both will have the cuff issue. The NF does wear pretty close to the wrist. Other concerns for the NF would be maintenance costs, and the corners are so sharp I am concerned with denting it.

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#14 ·
I have the SBGX115 (also the SBGX117) and it's a wonderful watch. The quartz is always running, so you can just pop it on your wrist and go. It's perfectly accurate and I never have to reset the time. The dial is clean and has great depth. The finishing work is phenomenal. The numbers are huge on the bezel, so it's easy to read. This is my favorite watch in my small-ish collection.

My only complaint, and personal preference, is that the ratcheting clasp on the bracelet is freaking huge. This bracelet doesn't feel a well made or wear as nicely as other GS bracelets. I ended up taking off the bracelet and replacing it with a Hirsch brand strap.

Buy the SBGX115!

Jeff
 
#15 ·
From my view, both are daily wearer and robust in the same price point. I like their looks, movements, brands. GS clearly wins in term of finishing & accuracy and Tudor in term of bracelet fitting.
But I can easily decide that I will go with North Flag than SBGX115 because GS diver is too big for my 6.25" wrist and I know I'll be annoyed after wearing it for a period (161g vs 198g).

If you could not decide even after trying both watches many times (that means you really like both watches), just take someone with you and listen their opinions. I tried on this way every time I'm confused.
 
#17 ·
Denting will happen on an everyday wear. I think you need to accept that it will happen. The Tudor may start to look "old" while the Seiko may develop "character" [emoji6]

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#19 ·
I have a Tudor Black Bay (Blue ETA) and love it (prefer it to the North Flag, but that's a matter of taste). It is currently +3 spd which is very good, but the GS is 10 seconds per year! No maintenance, meticulous finish (the Tudors are nice, don't get me wrong). The white face on the SBGX115 makes a good contrast to the black face Tudor. I'd be horribly tempted to get both, although I gather it's not an option for you. Too bad, it'd be a nice instant rotation of watches! If I had to chose I'd go for the GS (first) for the reasons Windingman sets forth above. Good luck!


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#20 ·
For simple aesthetics... every day you will be better off with the Tudor - black dial, smaller, no bezel, might be thinner too.

I think the GS (even as quartz) is "better", but for what you're asking...

Get an automatic GS with black dial. WAY more bang for the buck than the Tudor - approximately same price for the non-hi-beat.

Or say forget it, I have space on my credit card, go black Hi-beat! (Not my watch, but it's my wrist)

Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap


-MLJinAK.
 
#22 · (Edited)
I've nearly bought a North Flag, but felt it was redundant to my Explorer II. It is an excellent watch with an excellent manufactured movement and fantastic quality and finish. Saying the GS finish is better probably is not accurate given the Tudor is finished as a tool watch where the GS is a bit blingey for a diver. I think this is my favorite GS sport watch looks wise, but I can't own one due the the way quartz movements react with my skin in the humidity here(I actually get burns). As others have pointed out these really don't get shopped against one another. More the way I see these two is which will you buy first, given the spread in purpose and implementation of each? Maybe someone can offer a detailed objective review based on ownership of the GS? I present this as a trusted source of a review for the North Flag from a very objective owner who did have a few GS including a quartz dress model:
Tudor North Flag

Just trying again to provide objective information to help you decide.
 
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#36 ·
I think this is my favorite GS sport watch looks wise, but I can't own one due the the way quartz movements react with my skin in the humidity here(I actually get burns).
If you don't mind me asking, how does that happen? I've never heard of anything like that before, and I can't figure out how a quartz movement would react differently than a mechanical when insulated in a case.
 
#23 ·
I looked at the NF for some time, and one thing that once I noticed, I couldn't un-notice, is the plastic or ceramic ring separating the steel bezel from the rest of the case. In pictures, it can look like a shadow, but on the wrist it's noticeable, and detracts from an otherwise excellent case design (opinions on integrated lugs/straps aside).

Also, I'm a fan of power reserves, but only for longer power reserves. At 70 hours, you're barely making it through the weekend, so it could be helpful, but not to the degree that a power reserve is helpful on watches with a 100 hour+ power reserve.

On the flip side, the yellow gives a nice flare.
 
#33 ·
You definitely made the right choice! I have been paying lots of attention to this model lately. I was intending to possibly get a Rolex Explorer 1, as I am looking for a sportier watch. But seeing this GS has almost made me lose interest in the Rolex, although it is sportier than the Explorer 1.
Congratulations!
 
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