Seiko Movement(s)

[MJP]

In general

I used to have a Seiko that was the most accurate watch I ever owned.

I'm between buying a:

and a:

But I was curious how Seikos quality matches up with the common movements in the reps

Edited September 13, 2006 by MJP

[Guest tbn]

In general

I used to have a Seiko that was the most accurate watch I ever owned.

I'm between buying a:

and a:

But I was curious how Seikos quality matches up with the common movements in the reps

Genuine SEIKO movement is MUCH better than reps.

I have one vintage seiko automatic been running fine over 10 years.

[gs430]

The Seiko pictured has a Quartz movement with alarm. It will be superior in quality to ANY replica movement. The IWC rep shown has had a good history of reliability even though a high percentage seem to have 'wobbly crown syndrome'.

I'm guessing the price will be close between them. You have to decide if you are willing to take a chance you will get a a reliable replica or want to go with a product with proven reliability. Seiko has made the Seiko 5 models for over 40 years with the 7S26 automatic movement and some of the originals are still running. And, they usually sell for under $100.

Just remember, one of our leng-time dealers has described quartz watches as having no soul. There is no substitute for listening to an auto wind watch run or winding your mechanical movement watch every day before wearing it out of the house.

[Watchmeister]

Apples and oranges. You won't gp wrong with either but for totally different reasons. Are you looking for a rep of a multi-thousand dollar watch or a Seiko?

[longshot]

Apples and oranges. You won't gp wrong with either but for totally different reasons. Are you looking for a rep of a multi-thousand dollar watch or a Seiko?

Exactly right!

I used to be a huge Seiko collector and still have a number of vintage Seiko automatic chronos and divers and I have a Marine Master 300m auto diver that I believe is a superior watch to a gen Sub for under $2000. But the watch you have pictured is a low end quartz Seiko. The quality control and fit and finish will be excellent, it will be accurate and durable and it's a nice looking watch in person. But comparing it to a rep is just comparing apples and rye bread

For a treat sometime, do a google search on Seiko Credor Phoenix chrongraph. Stunning watches and probably my next 'gen' buy!

[Pugwash]

Just remember, one of our leng-time dealers has described quartz watches as having no soul.

dealer or member?

The Seiko will be more accurate and reliable than a genuine $10000 Rolex Daytona, but that's not the point.

[MJP]

I get it. So all newer Seikos are quartz so there is no comparing the movement. We here deal with windables.

Is that my head getting beaten in the emoticons? Real-brand comparitively-priced watches just don't exist here, eh? Is that how the dealers like it?

"Am I looking for a rep or a Seiko?" Both! Whatever looks cool, that I want to add to my collection! It's not all about fronting an expensive watch for me. It just so happens that most of the really great watches are expensive, so I have to go for reps.

Edited September 13, 2006 by MJP

[crystalcranium]

I get it. So all newer Seikos are quartz so there is no comparing the movement. We here deal with windables.

Is that my head getting beaten in the emoticons? Real-brand comparitively-priced watches just don't exist here, eh? Is that how the dealers like it?

"Am I looking for a rep or a Seiko?" Both! Whatever looks cool, that I want to add to my collection! It's not all about fronting an expensive watch for me. It just so happens that most of the really great watches are expensive, so I have to go for reps.

Seiko makes both mechanical watches and quartz watches that are either battery driven on driven by the electrical current produced by a small generator driven by a rotor. The mechanical 726s 17 to 21 jewel automatics are usually regulated to +- 30 sec/day. This is about as good as it gets for mass marketed mechanical watches. A quartz crystal regulated movement can cost as little as a few cents and will be accurate to +- 0.5 seconds/day. Hence the apples/rye bread comparison. The quartz revolution in the 1970s almost destroyed the Swiss watch industry. The consumer re-discovered the attributes of fine mechanical timepieces, (beyond simply what the hand position represented), just in time to save some of the oldest and finest watch making companies.

The vast majority of replicas discussed here are mechanical. They are usually Chinese made copies of well proven Swiss movements. We buy, trade and discuss them because we are facinated by the technology, not just the thrill of getting something that is 95% accurate to a premium priced luxury item for 1/20th the price.

I'm not sure what you are looking for in your post

[Pugwash]

I get it. So all newer Seikos are quartz so there is no comparing the movement. We here deal with windables.

Not true.

Seiko makes digital watches, automatic mechanicals, soul-less quartz robots, mechanical quartz kinetics and ... the king of modern movements, the Seiko Spring Drive.

If you want a Chrono, you're probably getting quartz. If you want a diving watch, you have a choice between quartz and auto.

My Seiko Diver (SKX031K2) is an Automatic. It cost me $65 on eBay and is waterproof to 100M. Shocking quality for the money.

[Russtang]

That exact Titanium Seiko has been my daily beater for probably 5 years now. Before that it was a polished steel model.

The Titanium model is extremely light. The movement has been operating flawlessly since new (still on original battery!). The alarm function is nice too.

Been wearing a soulless Tag Link Quartz lately. I'll bust out the autos once and a while, but my dailies have almost always been quartz chronos. Accuracy and reliability are key for me.

Russ

[kanerich]

I get it. So all newer Seikos are quartz so there is no comparing the movement. We here deal with windables.

Is that my head getting beaten in the emoticons? Real-brand comparitively-priced watches just don't exist here, eh? Is that how the dealers like it?

"Am I looking for a rep or a Seiko?" Both! Whatever looks cool, that I want to add to my collection! It's not all about fronting an expensive watch for me. It just so happens that most of the really great watches are expensive, so I have to go for reps.

Here is an excellent review of the Seiko Black Monster (I have an Orange Monster), especially of the 7S26 movement. IMO (and others) you cannot buy a better watch than the Seiko Monster at its price point, rep or gen.

http://www.thepurists.com/watch/features/8...7s26/index.html

However, like crystalcranium, I'm not really sure what it is you're trying to say. Do people here prefer $150 reps to $150 Seikos? As far as I can tell, probably. This is a rep collectors' forum. Here's the website you want to visit if you want the opposing point of view:

http://www.pmwf.com/cgi-bin/Forum/webbbs_config.cgi

Lots of people here have low to mid end gens, reps, and high end gens . . . so it's not that we're all blind to the merits of gens and reps of all prices. The relative merits of reps vs. high end gens vs. low to mid end gens (Hamilton, Tissot, Seiko auto, Zeno, O&W, etc.) have probably been debated dozens of times on this board. It's not exactly a revelation that Seiko and others make good, inexpensive watches (as well as excellent, expensive watches). Mechanical watches, no matter how expensive, are put on the trailer by quartz, and the atomic wave watches make both irrelevant from a timekeeping standpoint. It's not ignorance of these facts that causes us to buy reps. We know all of these things, they're just not very relevant points to any issue at hand. You may as well go on a website for fans of vintage muscle cars and point out that a Honda Civic Si could smoke most of their cars, get twice the gas mileage, pollute less, have more air bags, etc., and then get mad that the other members don't seem all that awestruck or grateful to receive this information. It's just not news or even a newish topic for discussion.

Edited September 13, 2006 by kanerich

[MJP]

I'm not sure what you are looking for in your post

Information, V-ger. Thank you for that info that was good educational reading, that was part of what I'm looking for. I didn't want to get to off subject, I know this is a rep site, sorry. I'm not touting the merits of one over the other by bringing the subject up by the way, kenerich. Your anology is incorrect. I am just unfamiliar with the kinds of movements in different watches. I don't tear 'em apart. Besides, I ride motorcycles!

P.S. That site site you linked is a nightmare. I can't tell what the f*** is going on.

Edited September 13, 2006 by MJP