Seiko watches review | Is Seiko A Good Watch?
Seiko watches have been around for a long time, so it is about time we began asking critical questions about the brand.
With many digital watches up and back, why would anyone want a mechanical Seiko watch instead?
Seiko watches are exceptional and long-lasting. Their movements are pioneers for the quartz watch industry and can be found in a large percentage of Japan-made watches.
The brand uses only the best materials for its watches and comes with mouth-watering prices.
How is Seiko these days?
For over 100 years, Seiko has been popularized for its high-quality timepieces, which are incredibly durable. They offer extensive product lines with great accuracy and reliability.
Seiko still has a strong reputation which it has always held since its inception. Frankly, the only issue with Seiko these days is the complaint about quality control that customers have been making.
Word on the street and in Seiko watch forums is that Seiko made in Malaysia watches seem to have less quality control than their made-in-Japan watches.
The brand has not confirmed or denied this theory, but collectors with both models are still pressing on this point.
But generally, Seiko watches are doing quite well in the market.
Are Seiko watches good?
Seiko may not be Audemars Piguet or Vacheron Constantin, but if I were to pick an excellent Japanese watch brand, it would be Seiko.
Seiko is one of the world’s trustworthy manufacturers. They make everything in-house, from mainsprings to quartz tuning forks.
It is a wonder how they handle every bit of production themselves and still manage to be affordable.
Seiko experiments with new materials, energy sources, and new movement geometries. Seiko continues to push the boundaries of timekeeping. They were the first watchmakers to use titanium to build the case and bracelet of their dive watches as protection from corrosion.
Most Seiko watches Are Not luxury
Seiko watches are stunning and of high quality, but not all of them can fit into the definition of luxury.
With a Seiko watch, you can expect a sturdy watch that will last a long time, made with the best materials.
A watch can be termed luxury if:
- It is manufactured with high-quality and exotic materials.
- It features an in-house movement,
- It is assembled in-house,
- It is pricey, and
- It May sometimes contain many complications.
Seiko watches are made with cheaper but suitable quality materials, the manufacturing process is partly outsourced to cheaper countries, and is affordable.
Seiko may not be a luxury watch brand, but its sub-brand, Grand Seiko, focuses on making luxury watches.
Where does Seiko watch rank?
Determining where a watch ranks differ for many people. Some may rank based on quality, design, affordability, and popularity.
But for this review, we will rank Seiko watches from the angle of where they stand amid other watch brands.
Seiko watches rank between entry-level watches and mid-level affordable watches.
A sub-brand of Seiko – Grand Seiko ranks among high-level luxury watches.
Price range – are Seiko watches expensive?
Seiko offers a wide variety of watches with superior quality at every price point. Seiko has good-value, low-priced watches.
Suppose your budget is $50 or $1500; Seiko has a quality watch that is good for your money.
There are plenty of Seiko watches to meet your style and budget preferences. With Seiko, you will not be disappointed in any matter of the timepiece you opt for.
The brand creates high-end and affordable timepieces to ensure a perfect and accessible Seiko model for every collector.
The brand does not compromise on the quality of the movements and materials of its watches. Instead, costs are reduced by exclusively using in-house movements.
How did Seiko start
Seiko was started by Kintaro Hattori as a small clock and watch shop. The shop sold and repaired timepieces of all sorts. It was through small beginnings like this that built up the brand’s watchmaking expertise.
Over the years, Seiko has become more popular and is one of the most collectibles in the horological industry. The brand has grown a loyal following over the years due to the reliability and quality of its watches.
Seiko was the first brand to launch a battery-powered, or better still, the world’s first quartz watch.
The Astron was launched in December of 1969. Seiko’s quartz watches are still some of the best on the market.
Seiko makes its watches In Japan And Malaysia
Seiko makes its watches in Japan and Malaysia.
The bracelets and the cases are not necessarily made in Japan but can be sourced from their subsidiaries in China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
The lower-end movements are made in Malaysia or Hong Kong, but higher-end ones are strictly made in Japan.
Cases are made in Hong Kong, whereas bracelets are made in China.
Seiko’s Build Quality Is Really Good
Seiko is commended for its high-quality watches.
The brand is focused on creating affordable timepieces with exceptional value for money.
The brand produces quality watches through sound movements and reliable materials. This increases the overall quality of the watch.
The build quality of even the cheaper models is excellent.
Seiko Uses Quality Materials
Seiko watches are made with different types of materials.
You may not expect diamonds and precious jewels in a Seiko watch, but you will not be disappointed in what you find.
Seiko uses:
- Precious metals: Titanium, Ruthenium, Palladium, Platinum, gold fillings, Silver 850, Yellow gold, white gold, Rose gold, etc.
- Regular metals like Stainless steel, Chromium, and Aluminium.
- Base metals/Alloys, e.g., hard cobalt alloy, rigid light alloys, SPRON 100, 510, and 610.
- PVD coating for color maintenance
- Non-metals like resin, ceramic, laminated glass, plastics, wood, etc
3 Types Of Movements Are In Seiko Watches
Seiko watches use three types of movements, namely:
1. Japanese Quartz movements,
As pioneers of quartz watches, Seiko had enough time to improve and do better. Seiko quartz watches are well known for their superior accuracy of 5-10 seconds per year(!).
Quartz movements use the vibrations of a quartz crystal to cause ticking. An added benefit is they are self-winding.
2. Spring Drive movements,
Seiko’s Spring Drive movements are superior to other mechanical watches because instead of the standard 40 hours of power, it offers 72 hours of power.
It provides equal accuracy to quartz watches.
Unlike its simple counterpart, spring drive movements are more complicated. You can wind them manually or automatically.
3. Kinetic movements.
Kinetic movement is a more eco-friendly caliber of Seiko’s automatic models.
They generate energy from the wearer’s wrist and convert such energy into power. This is part of Seiko’s efforts to be eco-friendly and minimize battery waste.
They have an oscillating rotor (like the one in an automatic movement) that generates a small electrical current that charges the battery. It’s a simple mechanism and can be found at affordable prices.
A Seiko Watch Will last long With Some TLC
Seiko’s watches are known to last long and stand the test of time, especially models with mechanical movements.
Some Seiko timepieces have been used as heirlooms in families because they can last long.
The longevity of Seiko watches can be increased through regular service and maintenance. Good cleaning and repairs will be required every few years.
The jewels used in Seiko watches also increase the lifespan of their mechanical watches. These jewels are used in mechanical movement systems. They reduce the effects of friction typically between moving metal parts.
Seiko watches are also water resistant, so they can be used close to water bodies and survive water-based accidents.
Seiko Is A reputable watch brand In The Watchmaking Industry
Seiko, as a brand, has a good reputation in watchmaking.
They provide genius designs and offer every customer a high-quality timepiece with remarkable accuracy and reliability.
They are also well regarded within the diving community, as the brand has a great series of dive watches built to professional diving standards.
Seiko is so reputable that many other watchmakers feature its movements in their watches.
Who is Seiko for?
Seiko makes watches for everybody. Professionals, laborers, students, sportspeople, and fashionistas.
The brand’s target market is ‘everybody’ and ‘everyone’ from different walks of life.
People Who wear A Seiko Watch
Seiko is the official timekeeper for many sports and has signed many ambassadors. Some of these are:
1. Tennis player Novak Djokovic
2. Japanese track star Ryota Yamagata
3. American soccer player Hope Solo,
4. Barcelona Football Club also signed an ambassadorship deal with Seiko in 2011
Celebrities that wear Seiko watches are Kristen Stewart, Ed Harris, and Sigourney Weaver In the 1986 movie, Alien.
All these people are wealthy, so we cannot assume they bought a Seiko watch because that was their only option financially. Therefore, we can say Seiko watches appeal to both the regular guy and the famous.
Celebrities wearing Seiko watch has also brought publicity to the brand.
Some Good Seiko models
With years of experience, Seiko has produced watches in every category: diver, mountain explorer, chronograph, GMT complication, etc. Seiko also specializes in releasing special edition watches.
But among this sea of options; here are a few significant models;
Prospex PADI Turtle 200M Automatic Ref. SBDY093
This limited edition watch was birthed through a collaboration with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI ).it was launched in 2016.
It has a caliber 24 jewel, 4R36 automatic movement vibrates at 21,600 beats per hour, and has a 41-hour power reserve.
Presage Cocktail Time “Negroni” Ref. SARY163
It was designed to be a dress watch and has lived up to that.
The 4R36 automatic movement vibrates 21,600 beats per hour. The 24 jewel movement has a 40 hours power reserve.
Prospex 1975 Professional Diver 1000m Tuna Ref. SBDX035
As revealed in the watch name, this watch has a 1000 water resistance.
The caliber has a power reserve of 50 hours and operates at 28,800 beats per second. The watch is made of titanium and has a rubber strap.
It is a functional piece with anti-corrosive properties. It is also very accurate.
So, Is It Worth Buying A Seiko Watch?
A Seiko watch is a great place to start if you are very traditional and looking to start a watch collection.
Their watches are low maintenance, offer both style and durability and join technical precision with high performance.
They have good value for money and are prevalent in the watch community. To summarize, Seiko watches are worth buying, so do not be skeptical about doing so.
