Grand Seiko against OMEGA
Grand Seiko SBGA211 vs OMEGA 220.10.41.21.01.002
12 published specifications differ between these two, and 2 are identical. Every figure below is what the manufacturer states for that reference; nothing is inferred from the other watch.
What differs
| Specification | OMEGA Aqua Terra 150M 41mm, black dial220.10.41.21.01.002 | |
|---|---|---|
| Case | High-Intensity Titanium, 41.0 mm. Grand Seiko describes the case and bracelet as High-Intensity Titanium, about 30 percent lighter than stainless steel | Steel, 41 mm |
| Thickness | 12.5 mm | 13.4 mm |
| Lug to lug | 49 mm | 48 mm |
| Water resistance | 10 bar | 15 bar (150 metres / 500 feet) |
| Crystal | Dual-curved sapphire crystal, anti-reflective coating on inner surface | Domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides |
| Dial | Described as inspired by snow formations on the Hotaka mountains, produced by a special silver-plating process rather than painted white | Black |
| Bracelet | High-Intensity Titanium, 20 mm band width, 193 mm band perimeter | Steel |
| Clasp | Folding clasp with push button release | Foldover butterfly clasp with comfort setting |
| Calibre | 9R65 | Calibre OMEGA 8900 |
| Movement | Spring Drive, self-winding with manual-winding | Self-winding movement with Co-Axial escapement, automatic winding in both directions |
| Power reserve | Approximately 72 hours (3 days) | 60 hours |
| Movement notes | Stated accuracy ±15 seconds per month (±1 second per day). Power reserve indicator on the dial. Blue tempered steel seconds hand with the Spring Drive glide motion. Listed as allergy-safe metal. Total weight 100 g. | Resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15,000 gauss. Free sprung-balance with silicon balance spring, two barrels mounted in series, and a time zone function. Rhodium-plated rotor and bridges with Geneva waves. Total product weight approximately 148 g. |
What is identical
Worth knowing as much as the differences: these are the specifications you cannot use to tell the two apart.
- Diameter
- 41 mm
- Lug width
- 20 mm
Stated for one, not the other
These rows cannot be compared, because one maker publishes the figure and the other does not. An empty cell is a gap in the manufacturer's documentation, not a gap in the watch — and not a licence to fill it in from the other column.
| Case back | See-through and screw case back | not stated |
|---|---|---|
| Crown | Screw-down | not stated |
| Jewels | 30 | not stated |
| Certification | not stated | Master Chronometer, approved by METAS |
What the differences cost you
Each note below follows from the published figures in the tables above — what they mean for intake, for a listing, and for the handover. Nothing here estimates a price or a margin.
Do not describe these the same way
150 metres on the 220.10.41.21.01.002 against 100 on the SBGA211. Both are more than daily life asks for, so the number is a listing-accuracy question rather than a practical one: quote each watch its own figure, and remember that neither rating survives an unserviced case by itself.
Two different ownership conversations
The SBGA211 is Spring Drive and the 220.10.41.21.01.002 is self-winding. That changes what a buyer needs telling at handover, and it changes intake: a hand-wound watch has no rotor to mask a tired mainspring, and a stopped quartz watch is usually a battery rather than a fault.
Different case materials, different handling
The SBGA211 is titanium and the 220.10.41.21.01.002 is steel. Different case materials mark, polish and refinish differently, so the condition language that fits one will mislead on the other. Photograph and describe each on its own terms.
Different movements to verify and to service
The SBGA211 runs the 9R65 and the 220.10.41.21.01.002 the Calibre OMEGA 8900. Two consequences at intake: the service history that is normal for one calibre is not evidence about the other, and the calibre is the check that catches a movement swapped into the wrong case. Confirm the movement matches the reference rather than assuming it from the dial.
What to check on each
SBGA211
- Watch the seconds hand for ten unbroken seconds. Spring Drive does not tick — the hand sweeps continuously, and any stutter or jump means something is wrong that no photograph would have shown you.
- Wind it fully, note the reserve indicator's position, then leave it face up overnight and read the indicator again. It should have fallen by roughly a third of its range, and a much faster fall is a real finding.
- Run a fingernail across the titanium case flanks. Titanium marks differently from steel — it scuffs greyer and shallower — so judge the finish on its own terms rather than against a steel bracelet you handled last week.
220.10.41.21.01.002
- Test the time zone function properly: the hour hand should jump independently in one-hour steps without disturbing the minutes or seconds. A hand that drags the minute hand with it is a fault, not a quirk.
- Check the anti-reflective coating on both crystal surfaces. OMEGA specifies treatment on both sides, and worn or patchy coating on the inner face cannot be polished away — it needs a new crystal.
- Wind and run it for a full day to confirm the 60-hour reserve behaves. Twin barrels in series should deliver consistent amplitude rather than fading early.
Sources
- Grand Seiko official product page for reference SBGA211 (Heritage Collection; Automatic Spring Drive 3-Day; nickname Snowflake) - Exterior: High-Intensity Titanium; Case back: see-through and screw case back; Glass: dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on inner surface; Case size: diameter 41.0mm; lug-to-lug 49.0mm; thickness 12.5mm; Band width: 20mm; Clasp: folding clasp with push button release; Band perimeter: 193mm; Caliber: 9R65; Movement type: Spring Drive self-winding with manual-winding; Power reserve: approx. 72 hours (3 days); Accuracy: +/-15 seconds per month (+/-1 second per day); Water resistance: 10 bar; Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m; Weight: 100 g; Other features: screw-down crown; allergy-safe metal; 30 jewels; power reserve indicator; dial described as inspired by snow formations on the Hotaka mountains and made by a special silver-plating process rather than painted white; blue tempered steel seconds hand with Spring Drive glide motion; case and bracelet described as High-Intensity Titanium about 30% lighter than stainless steel — retrieved 2026-09-22
- OMEGA official product page for reference 220.10.41.21.01.002 (Seamaster Aqua Terra 150M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 mm; steel) - Case: steel; 41 mm; Dial color: black; Crystal: domed scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment on both sides; Water resistance: 15 bar (150 metres / 500 feet); Movement: Calibre OMEGA 8900; self-winding movement with Co-Axial escapement; certified Master Chronometer approved by METAS; resistant to magnetic fields reaching 15000 gauss; free sprung-balance with silicon balance spring; two barrels mounted in series; automatic winding in both directions; time zone function; special luxury finish with rhodium-plated rotor and bridges with Geneva waves; Power reserve: 60 hours; listed with a 5-year warranty; Re-read 2026-09-23, the page additionally publishes: Between lugs: 20 mm; Lug-to-lug: 48.00 mm; Thickness: 13.40 mm; Case diameter: 41 mm; Total product weight (approx.): 148 g; Type of Clasp: Foldover butterfly clasp with comfort setting; Bracelet material: Steel — retrieved 2026-09-23
Not affiliated with Grand Seiko or OMEGA. Specifications are read from each manufacturer's own published documentation on the dates shown and may change; the manufacturer's current documentation governs.