Introducing: The Grand Seiko Spring Drive 8 Day Power Reserve, A Rare Example Of Japanese Haute Horology From The Famed Micro Artist Studio
I think every hardcore watch nerd dreams of owning a piece hand-crafted by Seiko's Micro Artist Studio in Shiojiri, located in Japan's central Nagano region. The Micro Artist Studio is a tiny subset of the Seiko manufacture that is the absolute elite unit, responsible for hand-crafting not only the incredible Eichi II, but also the Credor Minute Repeater and Sonnerie. Today, for the first time, we saw a Grand Seiko that was given the Micro Artist treatment, and it did not disappoint. 1 OF 3 First, one must understand that the craftsman in the Micro Artist Studio are top, top tier. They are the group that visits no one short of Mr. Philippe Dufour with some regularity, and the group that Mr. Dufour to this day holds in extremely high regard. This is true high-end finishing of the highest order, an until now, this has been reserved for Credor product. I'd always wondered why we never saw an insanely high-end Grand Seiko, and now we have. 2 OF 3 Eve

My 15300 is back...
...with the 3rd year warranty sticker :-) also got this nice travelcase with the watch, great service....

Would you sell these (5) for that (1)?
So I've been bitted by the AP bug pretty bad lately and have started to crave for one of the new 42mm ROOs, either the Safari or the Navy I think. In the last year, I added a stainless steel AP Diver and stainless steel 44mm Ceramic... these two watches are definitely part of my top 3 watches and now I feel like I need (want) a third AP. But that will cost me a pretty penny... in order to afford the third AP, I would need to sell part of my collection. So if you were me...Would you sell the 5 watches on the right hand side of the pic below (PAM305, PAM183, Zenith Defy T-Open, B&R 01-96, and B&R 01-97 (plus probably a bit of cash) to get 1 of the new AP 42mm ROOs (either Safari or Navy pictured below)?

Paying in Advance for the SS Daytona
Has anyone paid in advance for the SS Daytona to be able to be on a priority list instead of just a list of interested customers?? I was told by my local AD that this is a new approach. They cant guarantee a delivery date BUT when one becomes available the customer will be notified and it is also a way to gauge the seriousness of the people that want it. I just want to see if anyone has heard of this tactic and or has experience it and would love to hear the outcome. Thanks in Advance.

Still waiting on a stainless ceramic Daytona...
...so I got the white gold instead. Oh boy, was that the right call. Incoming below.I've got to say, the WG Daytona on Oysterflex is the perfect juxtaposition of old and new. It embodies everything that made the classic Daytona a smashing hit and wrapped it up into a 21st century package. The weighting and fit of this watch is absolutely perfect - it's heavier than one might imagine. It literally fit my 7 wrist perfectly right out of the display case with no adjustment. The OysterFlex bracelet is the most comfortable Rolex bracelet I've ever worn, hands down.And the dial...oh man. Quite possibly the best modern Daytona dial to date. It can vary from silver to a more gold hue, depending on the lighting. The black panda subdials and ceramic bezel create the perfect contrast to the light dial. Also, even though this watch is gold, it is so extremely versatile. You really don't need to worry about scratching the bezel or bracelet, which leaves just a few surface areas exposed.