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How About A $5,000.00 Seiko?


TwoTone

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The design of this watch is quite elegant. What kind of movement is a spring drive? 5 K for a Seiko though ? :g: Looks like they are exploring new markets.

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The design of this watch is quite elegant. What kind of movement is a spring drive? 5 K for a Seiko though ? :g: Looks like they are exploring new markets.

Not at all ;)

Seiko has made watches in this price range and higher for decades. The Grand Seiko's and Credor Phoenix models are as good or better than any watch in their price range (IMHO). I have a Seiko Marine Master 300m diver and with the same movement (but non decorated) as in the Grand Seiko's it every bit the equal of a Sub at roughly half the price. The 600m (actually tested to 750m) Springdrive diver is an amazing watch and would cost 2-3 times the $3k price if it had a Swiss label. But the high end Seiko's have only ever been sold in Asian markets and are even hard to come by there.

The Springdrive movement has been around for a few years but is just now filtering down into sportier watches. It is a mechanical handwind or auto movement with no battery that is regulated by a crystal. It has a 72 hour power reserve and accuracy of better then +1 second a day from a mechanical movement. I have a friend who has one of the 600m divers, his gains 8-10 seconds a month :)

Here's a review by Ty from SCF:

http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=msg...d=0#msg_1276772

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I want that 600m diver!

It's an amazing watch. Bigger than my 300m MM, the bracelet is awesome (but then again the bracelet on a $150 Seiko Monster is better then a Sub bracelet :p ) and the sweep is just mesmerizing. I had an old Seiko 600m Professional 'Tuna Can' auto diver with the 36,600bph movement and the sweep on the Springdrive was visibly much smoother. It just glides around the dial :D In my opinion the only thing Seiko did wrong was the white GMT hand (oh yeah did I mention it's GMT too?). It can be hard to tell the time at a glance soemtimes.

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Its a fantastic movement and when they put it in a watch design that suits me I'll get one, I'm so enthusiastic about this movement. The moonphase is an outstanding design and it is 40 mm according to the Seiko website. This is one of the most advanced mechanical clock innovations to come along since the tourbillon IMHO. The sweep is really just a glide. Speaking of the SpringDrive, how about a brand new Seiko $129,000 Credor Sonnerie, a repeater that is settable! Only 5 made. http://people.timezone.com/mdisher/seiko/0602/sonneriepr.htm

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I'm sure it's a great watch. But buying a $5000 Seiko is still like buying a $100.000 Fiat.

I love Seikos though... and have owned many. Great quality. Orange Monster is one of the best "value for money" watches available. They just don't have the "brand prestige" (at least not yet). But then again neither did Lexus when Toyota put the first ones out.

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This post is very informative and is a great example of what makes this forum so cool. The wealth of info on watches here is nothing less than outstanding. :3a:

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In terms of quality and function, I'm sure the Seiko is an amazing watch.

However, if I suddenly had $5000 to spend on a watch, I can assure you that a Seiko would not be on my list.

Then again, I'm not someone who would normally spend that kind of money on a timepiece (hence my membership here.)

With that said, I'm sure there are high-end buyers who are more drawn to the technology of the spring-drive, rather than the name on the dial.

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I'm surprised to find Seiko fans here.

My Orange Monster with the rubber band ($100 on ebay) is my favorite watch for weekend activities.

I also spent $400 on the limited edition titanium Seiko 5 200m diver that came out this or last year. It is a bit too large for my tastes, but I really like the design, especially the bracelet.

The 5 movement is pretty accurate on my two watches, and I have all the faith in the world that I can beat the daylights out of a Seiko and it will keep on ticking. Toyota was a good analogy. I own two of them. My reps are more like those Ferrarri kits that fit over a 280Z chassis.

By-Tor: Rush rules! Also, thanks for posting the Tag bracelet tutorial, I used it for a watch I got from Josh. Now my favorite watch.

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When you get to the point of genuine watch collecting, there are many markets involved. There's the one who are into the traditional realm, strict conservatives who only like square and flat brands like Patek Philippe, Breguet, Vacheron Constantin.

However, there's the other market of the people who enjoy daring and innovative design and technology. Brands like Urwerk, Richard Mille, Vianney Halter, Hd3, F.P. Journe, Haldimann, Roger Dubuis, and even Audemars Piguet is included in these realm. The goal of these companies is radical innovation. And innovate they did, Richard Mille invented the world's light mechanical watch, Roger Dubuis introduced an amazing microrotor chronograph movement, and AP introduced a shockproof tourbillon called the "Concept Watch". AP is a traditional brand, but what makes its stand out is how daring their brand new designs are. Anyways, entry to this realm is very expensive, and many pieces start at $50,000+

There's only so much money one can spend on watches, and when one wants innovation, but for less, they will go for this Seiko, and a lot of seasoned WIS have a lot of praise for the Spring Drive and especially the Sonnerie. The Spring Drive is a very special, innovative and accurate movement with a lto of devleopment and technology. $5,000 for a watch of its calibre is considered a steal by some people, as it you think how much a Swiss brand would charge for a piece like this, would be at least $10,000+

I mean, you cannot bash Seiko. They make longlasting and reliable watches, and who's to say that their technology sucks and is more worthless than the Swiss? I know, it's the stigma attached to the brand that "Seiko" is a cheap watch, but it's the technology and innovation, that they were able to create the Spring Drive is what truly makes it worth the money.

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It's funny how well marketing works ;)

Seiko is older than Rolex or Omega or many of the Swiss brands (1881)

Seiko produced the first automatic chronograph and it was column wheel movement with the 6138 and 6139 in 1969 decades before Rolex had a column wheel chrono

Seiko invented the quartz watch

Seiko produced the first all titanium watch

Seiko prodiced the first quartz dive watch

It was because Seiko brought watches that beat every Swiss maker in teram of accuracy that the COSC decided to only offer chronomoter certification to 'Swiss made' watches. Grand Seiko's actually meet a much higher accuracy standard than COSC

Seiko (and Citizen, there is some argument about it) both produced quartz watches with one second a year accuracy

Seiko has always made every single component in their watches in house including mainsprings and all lubricants and crystals and dials and...

The Springdrive is only the latest in a long history of innovation for Seiko

When the quartz revolution came and old line Swiss makers were goiing bankrupt and being bought up by Swatch and others Seiko was still producing hundreds of thousands of mechanical automatic Seiko 5's and divers a year and selling every one and turning a profit :)

It's such a shame they don't have the prestige and class and history of a company like Panerai or Rolex or Swatc... er Omega :whistling:

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