tag Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Seiko has little place in watches forums. Its watches are functional and reliable. They are a favorite of divers and of the layman for daily use. Most use quartz movement - nothing very fancy nor romantic... But still, Seiko deserves recognition and has a significant place in watch history. It is older than many swiss firms, including Rolex. Before pioneering quartz watches in the 50's, it beated many swiss watchmakers in their own turf, at the Observatoire de Genève's competitions. Then, developing in 1969 (a few monthes after Neil Armstrong brought omega's Moonwatch to the moon) the first quartz watch, Astron, it almost destroyed the swiss watch industry. We can add to Seiko's successes Kinetic movements, thermic movements... and the most recent, Spring Drive. Detractors say spring drive is a hybrid watch. Actually I'd rather call it a genuine mechanical watch with a quartz component. For a detailed technical review, check out this article: http://www.timezone.com/library/rdnotebook/200509073623 Swatch's research company ASULAB has developed a similar (if not even identical) movement called the High Precision Mechanics calibre. No watches using this calibre are for sale. Facing chinese competition, Seiko is seeking to move upmarket. The Spring Drive's design is epurated and classy. The movement is also used in the new MarineMaster: ... and in its luxury Credor range: But who's going to pay 3,200€ for a Seiko?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r11co Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 But who's going to pay 3,200€ for a Seiko?! If exactly the same watch said Rolex or IWC on it, someone would.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Any chance of reducing the width of the pictures to 640 or 800 pixels? I love Spring Drives, but the scrolling makes it hard to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sevomd Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 That Marinemaster is Schweet!!! Its only in the Us where Seiko is looked upon as an inferior watch. This is because aSeiko markets their watches in the US and EU for tool watches. I would rate the Grand Seiko's with any mass production watch in the world. The spring drive just ups the ante in my opinion. Eddy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M5Man Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Seiko's are a nice watch, and the springdrive is amazing but it just doesnt do anything for me. My grandfather wore one for years, maybe that's it. I look at it as an old man watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TiberiousT Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 What is this about Seiko enters the high end market? Maybe enters high end Western Markets is more correct. Grand Seikos have competed with Rolex et al for years. In Japan. Who is going to pay 3200 Euros? The boutique in Paris that carries Spring Drive is back ordered. Or So I read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted June 30, 2006 Report Share Posted June 30, 2006 Who is going to pay 3200 Euros? The boutique in Paris that carries Spring Drive is back ordered. This watch is still near the top of my Gens I Would Buy list. None of the shops I've tried in Paris have even heard of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Category 5 Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 You must admit...when you ask someone to see their watch more closely (thinking it's a higer end brand) and notice it's a Seiko, you still give them a nod of respect. The bottom line is, Seikos are excellent watches...functionally, and aesthetically. The fact that they are Japanese, priced reasonably (instead of charging for prestige), and marketed in department stores, and low end mall jewelry stores makes some enthusiasts look down on the brand. Watch the spring drive video on their site though...it's amazing to see a TRUE sweep hand in motion. The Credor spring drives even have a wonderfully quaint bell sound alarm and hour announcement. ...but give me an Omega first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubFrog Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 That Spring Drive is nice. ...so is your avatar...I'll take one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tag Posted July 1, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 This watch is still near the top of my Gens I Would Buy list. None of the shops I've tried in Paris have even heard of it. Have you tried Seiko center? They should have it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kanerich Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 (edited) Seiko has been selling expensive high end watches for decades with their Grand Seiko and Marinemaster lines. Who buys them? Well, GS is the third most popular luxury watch line in Japan after Rolex and Omega. "Discovering" that Seiko makes serious, high end watches is like "discovering" there's a place called Guangzhou in China that produces a lot of stuff. Glad you found out about it, but . . . a little late to the dance to be claiming to be the host. As far as the lack of prestige of the Seiko name goes, I imagine there are more people (especially outside of the US) aware that Seiko makes excellent high end watches as are aware of obscure prestige brands that are beloved by WIS's. The average schlub is not going to be impressed at all by an A. Lange and Sohne or Blancpain as he will never have heard of it. Something like a Glycine or Anonimo might as well be a Casio to people uninterested in watches. Edited July 1, 2006 by kanerich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fkhill33 Posted July 1, 2006 Report Share Posted July 1, 2006 Who is going to pay 3200 Euros? A whole lot of WIS's! As already explained by a couple of the previous posts, Seiko have been selling their Grand Seiko for YEARS now! The quality and workmanship of these watches have been compared with Rolex for years now and every single review I've read have said the Seiko are better. A true WIS doesn't look merely at the brand name but further into the movement and workmanship. Trust me, Seiko have won ALOT of respect for this new movement and is worth every cent of the $3000+ price tag. It won watch the prestigous *2006 watch of the of year* award @ TimeZone where it beat watches there were $300,000+. Theres only 1 shop in Australia that sells the Springdrive, I've tried it and it is bloody nice. It is a pretty big watch, must be around 43mm and is pretty thick! As discribed workmanship is as good as any of the more expensive watches I've handled. The second hand sweeps asoooooooo smoothly. The basic model sells for $4400 I think in Australia and in my honest opinion worth every cent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadog13 Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 the marinemaster looks just ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 Have you tried Seiko center? They should have it. I spoke to a Seiko AD and they also said that it would only be available in the Seiko Centre, so I'm off to take a look later. Thanks for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gander Posted July 3, 2006 Report Share Posted July 3, 2006 (edited) A little light reading. More about high end Seiko. Here is a post about a visit to the Shizukuishi Watch Studio which is on Higuchi's community board. Roachman's private collection I want this GS and a bit of Seiko History http://www.timezone.com/library/cjrml/cjrml0023 http://www.timezone.com/library/cjrml/cjrml0024 Japanese Catalogs as PDF http://www.seiko-watch.co.jp/purchase/catalog.html Everyone should have a Seiko . Edited July 3, 2006 by gander Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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