I've just received my first Seiko watch, a SBGX083.Grand Seiko is a line of high end watches from Seiko Japan. A few things got me interested in their quartz watches:- One of the most accurate and high quality quartz movements with a long history. The movement is rated for 50 years before service needed. +- 10 secs/year which is more than enough accuracy for me. The 9F movement is about as nice as it gets for quartz and happens to look cool, too- "Under the radar" brand, but still a very special watch. Reminds me of a Lexus or Acura - high reliability and quality without the "me too" image- Minimalist, relaxing design that I couldn't find in any other brand. Every detail of the watch reinforces the quiet simplicity of a well made object, including the movement of the second hand which, while not as flashy as the smooth spring drive, moves from marker to marker with a satisfying confidence.The SBGX083 in particular won out for me because I wanted something more casual and sportier then my only other watch - a Cartier tank solo large (which I greatly enjoy and will still wear but is more suited to dress). I wanted something I could wear for a lifetime in any situation. The SBGX083 has a slightly sportier look then the standard black dial SBGX061 quartz from GS, it has crown guards, slightly larger diameter, and a red-tipped second hand. Still, it's on the dressy side of sporty.So the brand really suits me and I have been having fun exploring the Japanese site reading as best I can the marketing info there.The Japanese Grand Seiko site seems to have a lot more information and cool photography, videos, and marketing writing.I always like to hear about others' experiences with the buying process, so I will detail my own here.As I mentioned, Grand Seiko is a product line that is not readily available in the U.S., outside a couple of specialty shops, so it is often necessary to order with a store that ships from Japan.Higuchi is a watch shop in Oita that specializes in Seiko and other Japanese brands. They offer sales to other countries via email and PayPal.I chose to order from Katsu at Higuchi due to all of the praise I had seen online. This went well, as I expected, although the process is clunky... The web site is very much someone's hobby project and is almost unusable both from an interface (broken links, buttons that aren't clickable, etc) and from a buying process/understanding standpoint. I had to PM someone who had ordered from him before to figure out what the process is. Basically, I had to look at the catalogs linked from his site, or just know what model I wanted, then send him and email through a contact form requesting the price in USD. He then replied with a price, usually within a day or so. I put him through a number of price requests before deciding on the SBGX083, and he was very patient in his replies.Higuchi's prices seem to be based on the Seiko MSRP with a small discount applied, which is then converted to USD. I did do some price comparisons with Seiya, another popular shop in Japan. Katsu matched the price for this watch because Seiya was actually lower. The USD is strong right now so the price came out to be very good.I finally made the PayPal payment on March 2 and received notification that the watch would ship March 6, and a tracking number would be provided. I was a little surprised that it would take the whole week, but not a big deal. That date (a Friday) came and went, so I sent an email asking about it on the 7th. Katsu responded with the tracking info a day later and as it turned out it did actually ship on the 6th. By the 10th it arrived at my door in DC. About 3 business days.Higuchi included a handmade card in the box which I thought was a very nice touch.Overall this is a fantastic watch and lives up to expectations. It fits my wrist perfectly. I don't like huge watches... I have tried on watches in the past that sat very high or overwhelmed my 7” wrist, and this does not feel that way at all - it's very comfortable to wear. I don’t think I would want any smaller - at 38.5mm it is not a large watch, but it does wear larger than the SBGX061, so I am glad I went with the larger 083.I’ve already shown the box and packaging presentation, which was top notch.The bracelet is the most comfortable I have ever worn. Every edge is smooth and comfortable to touch. The clasp closes in a way that stays closed and won't pop open when my wrist flexes.As others have said again and again, the metal elements, polish and overall presentation of the watch is excellent. It feels like an object of worth and quality. The hour markers and hands are extremely well polished and easy to read. The red tip on the second hand is a nice little touch. The sides of the case are highly polished and it really feels nice.The only drawback I have to report [EDIT: it seems this has drawn a lot of attention - I want to point out that, 2 days later, I have decided it's really a non-issue... the alignment is so close it really doesn't matter] is that I do have the second-hand alignment issue that many others have complained about with quartz watches. The hand is just behind each marker (evenly all the way around it seems) by about one marker width. It’s noticeable to people like me who are a little OCD about spacing/design, and so I am not sure how much it will bother me over time.I think I have two options... Katsu has graciously offered to replace it if I send back to him. Unfortunately this looks like it will cost me over $40 in postage. Or, I suppose I could ask a local watchmaker to look at it. Since the offset is the same all the way around it might be possible to adjust the hand slightly. It may not be worth doing anything - it isn’t very bad. Even if that doesn’t get resolved, I am very happy with the watch. I am leaning toward doing nothing.Update: Katsu at HIGUCHI has graciously offered to replace the watch, so I have sent back to him and will update when I get the replacement. He has been very quick to help, I can see why everyone recommends him.