Rolex vs Grand Seiko isn’t a battle—or is it? See where the battle lines are drawn between these two luxury brands on tonight’s episode of “Watches Tonight.” Plus, Tim Mosso is ready to share watch collector wrist shots on YouTube’s only live luxury watch evening show.

An Unlikely Rivalry (4:35)
As Rolex watches become speculation-level commodities and Grand Seiko’s audience grows, an unusual competition is forming between these giants of eastern and western watchmaking. From Seiko Spring Drive dive watches to the Rolex Submariner and all fault lines in between, there are many potential battles afoot whose spoils are the hearts, minds, and wallets of watch buyers.

Rolex (5:03)
Rolex of Geneva is the most famous name in watchmaking, and it's a transcendent name in the world of luxury. Even consumers who have never seen a Patek Philippe or De Bethune know the Rolex crown and the status it confers. But the rocket-like ramp of demand for Rolex watches and their scarcity at dealers have led many collectors to hope that the phrase "2021 Rolex watches" means the delivery of Daytonas, GMT Masters, and Submariners ordered in 2020, 2019, and even 2018.

Grand Seiko (7:07)
The door has opened for a formidable Rolex replacement -- and rival -- to lay down a challenge. And Japan's Grand Seiko is ready to duel. While not an obvious nemesis for Rolex -- Grand Seiko makes 45,000 watches per year -- Seiko's premium brand offers quality, technology, and design that can rival the best from Geneva. With the money of Seiko Epson's billion-dollar empire behind it, Grand Seiko is a small brand that can afford to operate like a major luxury group. As with Rolex, Grand Seiko is a fully integrated manufacture that builds every part of a watch including cases, dials , movements, hands, shock protection springs, and even lubricants. Lacking nothing, Grand Seiko's prowess in engineering and design matches its resources.

Grand Seiko was launched internationally in 2010; it launched the Snowflake that year. In 2016, it introduced its first high horology watch built at the Seiko Micro Artist Studio. 2017 brought a new focus on the Grand Seiko brand, and watch dials were redesigned to remove the standalone "Seiko" text. A new Grand Seiko Corporation of America opened in 2018 to market and sell watches in the enormous US marketplace; the well received "Kira Zuri" dials were launched to mark the occasion.

A Luxury Duel (16:51)
While even the $5,900 Rolex Oyster Perpetual 41 spikes to over $17,000 on pre-owned watch markets, Grand Seiko's comparative value takes on new meaning. For $5,800, a watch collector can own the celebrated titanium Grand Seiko "Snowflake," The SBGA211; for $6,200, one can own the colorful SBGA407 "Skyflake." Notably, both watches can be found in stock at Grand Seiko dealers and purchased immediately. With the 2020 arrival of new Spring Drive 9RA5 and Hi-Beat 9SA5 movements, Grand Seiko fielded yet another competitive advantage and potential challenge to Rolex's market mastery. And unlike Rolex, Grand Seiko embraces the use of display casebacks that permit admiration of its movements.

Grand Seiko isn't ready to run away with the game -- at least not yet. The Grand Seiko brand still creates too many micro-editions and special editions to challenge the elegant simplicity of Rolex's collection. Many Grand Seiko watch cases remain too large to be practical, and constant redesigns can prove confusing to casual consumers. Perhaps the biggest substantive difference Rolex and Grand Seiko is the clear superiority of Rolex bracelet and clasp construction.

2021 won't witness any serious attempt by Grand Seiko against Rolex's market share, profits, image, or volumes. But if only a few thousand additional watch collectors open their mind to the merits of fine Japanese watches, Rolex vs Grand Seiko could become the year's most captivating underdog brand narrative.