SBGA475 - Steel Snowflake in 39mm First Reaction

[lanteanflux]

A couple weeks ago I saw a listing for a steel 39mm snowflake and had to do a double take. A what? Where were the media releases for it? Is it even real?

I’ve always liked the snowflake but have been held back by the 41mm size and titanium. I don’t mind the power reserve or date now, with the Omiwatari dials making me realise it’s just too empty without them.
You can get a snowflake second hand for 4K USD these days so I’ve been pretty close to just buying one for that price, given it’s 80% there. Well I’m glad I waited... I’m sure they will do a production version at some point but the risk they didn’t was too much for me and after years of humming and hawing on the original I quickly pulled the trigger on this one.

First reaction is that the 39mm size is great, though the thickness issue remains and is perhaps even more obvious due to the smaller size. The steel makes the watch have more lustre and a cooler temperature and weight, which I really like. I’m not sure whether the blued rim is a net positive yet, but it matches the seconds hand and makes the whole watch look more luxurious as the combination of the steel and the blue rim make the watch glisten on every wrist roll. Perhaps for still photos the old snowflake is nicer, but in live motion this is better (like a Royal Oak wrist roll…). The bracelet looks better than the original for me, but it’s my first GS so I can’t compare more generally. The lack of taper is odd but overall it’s functional and the push button quick release is fine and the clasp snap is nice.

The fact the power reserve is not indented I think is a positive as the dial is smooth throughout but it does make it look rather flat versus the 3-dimensionality of the original one. The difference in the hour markers is a wash for me. I’m not sure if the date font is different. The lugs apparently are 19mm which is definitely a minus.

Overall happy to have a GS and a snowflake finally and ready now to find a strap!









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