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Another Expensive Seiko? Another Expensive Mistake?
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- Опубліковано 29 чер 2023
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Shout out to Zane for selling me the King. Looks like it might need a trip back to the service department though! This watch deserves a better movement, the whole sub brand deserves a better movement. Will it get one? Doubt it! For half price though, it was well worth taking the chance, and it is a wee stunner. Cheers, Jody
You nailed it, Jody: a gorgeous watch with a completely underwhelming movement. Even at your amazing 50% discounted purchase price, I can think of ten other watches I’d prefer to put my $918.46 US toward… As always, thank for the great content!
The movement is crap, but the wristwatch itself looks like a million dollars. Just Seiko problems xD
Couldn’t disagree more. It might have been my lucky straw but my SARB035 with a 6R15 movement is the most accurate watch I ever owned. It runs split second and I never have to set the time as it might occasionally run 1 or 2 seconds late during the day which it will pickup at nighttime when laying flat on bedside table. By no way my other watches equipped with Top Grade Swiss movement can match this performance. I see no reason why the 6R31 when in good order won’t equal this. It is to say that almost 2000US $ for such watch would definitely make me consider some alternatives.
@@lockhandle8276 The 6R movement is perfectly fine. Most people don't understand why Seiko came out with it. It is essentially a 4R35, a workmanlike robust basic movement made with higher end components for the durability of the former with the quality of the latter, a type of movement no other maker makes the equivalent of, to my knowledge.
@@pieterjlansbergen6988 I have a Seiko Turtle that's been regulated to almost (not quite) keep up with my Omega co-ax. The problem with Seikos is that, for the lower price, you get dodgier QC.
@@pieterjlansbergen6988My Sarb033 is running w/in 5 seconds after a service but it was about 30 before IIRC. Sumo I think about +20. Sarx035 gains over 1 minute per day - possibly magnetized but likely not. I also have a 8L in my MM300 that is 9s fast. Most of these above are new to me. Long story short don't expect your future Seiko 6r movements to be as accurate as your current one. Edit - to be fair I also had a sarx015 which I think was within 10s just to round out the data.
Seiko buyers at this point are like the fraternity pledges in "Animal House" saying "Thank You Sir! May I have another!" as they are paddled through the gauntlet.
Yeah exactly this. I saw someone on the release vid for this King Seiko openly trash it for the movement etc. But then they ended by saying that they would buy it anyway to support the brand. TIL Seiko is a football team
Agree, pin and collar etc - they just hate their customers. I've bought my last.
Agreed. Take a look at the recent £400 GMT - which could have been truly outstanding - but spoiled with no sapphire, no screw down crown, a friction bezel (to get around the misalignment issues) and a stamped, sheet steel clasp. If you look at what Pagani etc. turn out for less than £100 it makes you realise that the Seiko model is to screw their customers as much as they possibly can......
That is one of the most witty comments I've read in long time! And it came with a nostalic bonus too! Nailed it! And I'm saying this as a Seikoholic 😂
The Seiko catalogue has many beautifully designed watches, but over the past few years they have priced themselves out of the "Best reasonably priced watch for the money" category. The majority of my collection have Seiko movements in beautifully designed microbrand cases. They are all "affordable", and the QC for all of them has been great. Seiko CAN make a great watch for a reasonable price, but they just don't seem to care anymore.
Profits
I would suggest sending it in with all speed. It seems to me you do have another watch or two, presumably along with a cell phone, so you should manage well enough until it's returned. BTW, I've devised a workable coping mechanism for Seiko's QC through the simple expedient of never buying their watches. No problems so far. 😉
Seiko doesn't make anything value for money anymore hence that mechanism of not buying their watches perfectly fits.
@@traviswalker8933 When you consider that the cheapest Casio has perfect alignment of everything, we can only conclude that Seiko is cynical and blinded by greed and hubris.
@@jozsefizsak the greed is probably the best description for Seiko.
@@traviswalker8933 For sure. It's gotten comical.
From my experience, even if the watch is adjusted there is a strong chance it will be back to horrible accuracy and precision after a month or two. Having owned 4 watches with 6Rxx movements, none of them has maintained any significant degree of accuracy even after getting two serviced and adjusted.
By contrast I've a few cheap Swatch watches with basic or elabore ETA2824 movements which have started at +5 to +8 and slowed to +2 seconds which they've maintained for 4 or five years of occasional use.
I shifted my collection toward Citizen for the past year.
Most of them are Promaster (with Eco-drive), thus I don't have to worry anything about the movements and what not.
Once I got over being "mechanical-snob", somehow I found peace of mind lol.
Btw, Citizen have alignment issues for
I love eco drive but also still love mechanicals. I can love both, wear both
I have a $130 Citizen Eco Drive and it still hits the markers dead on. Seiko can learn a thing or two
I love Citizen but you got to go semi vintage to fint the good stuff. 90% of modern Citizen is just meeeehh.
@@TheMainCore I like the idea of the Eco Drive movement, but Citizens designs are a clusterfuck mess 99% of the time, there are very few clean designs.
I still don't get how almost all Casios (even their Edifice line) at
The 6R family of movements have been the most wildcard aspect of Seiko automatic watches.
Those timegrapher numbers point to needing a service, not only a adjustment. Though claiming warranty could likely result in them swapping whole movements simply for another gremlin to pop out of the gear train in the new one. Rinse & repeat.
If that's fully wound, then the amplitude number is one I've only seen on very old movements. Agree it's very poor. You'd be much better off with a $30 NH35 movement.
I’ve had watches with the 6R15, 6R35, and 6R35A(the first 6R35 movement) I know there were problems with 6R15. But the two that I had were fine other than accuracy) I have a timeGrapher and in my experience they are no more accurate, and in some cases less accurate than 4R movements. In my opinion, Seiko needs to develop a 28,800 bpm movement comparable to the ETA.2824 or Miyota 9000 series. They’re smaller and thinner allowing for slimmer cases! I wouldn’t be interested in this watch if the retail was $1000… 1800 is totally absurd IMO…. Thanks, Jody.
Yeah as someone else pointed out those timegrapher numbers are service time numbers. I have seen unserviced 50 year old watches with better numbers than that. I’d definitely take it to Seiko under warranty. What a massive shame though as I’ve always loved these king seikos. The 6R family seems to be a disaster. I have a SARB033 that for the first two years ran around +10 seconds now suddenly losing minutes per day. Seiko needs to address these movements, especially before sticking them in $2000 watches.
My SARB033 is the same. I lose minutes / day but I didn't the first year or so. What's the fix? Get it regulated? Get it adjusted? A full service?
@@NekoIan66 sadly it’s gonna need a full service. It’s something with the balance assembly in the 6R’s that makes them either run poorly out of the factory, or run well for a while then just fully crap out. Rethinking it I would actually not send it to Seiko as it’s possible they’ll just replace the bad part with a new one that has the same issue. A watchmaker that knows about Seiko architecture should be able to identify and correct the problem for a long term solution. Sad that we have to go that route with watches that are really not even that old (or brand new in Jody’s case) but it is what it is I guess
@@ichris2011 It would cost far more to fix the issue than to just replace the movement, unfortunately. And at such price difference, it just doesn't make sense to pay for a competent watchmaker to 'fix' the issue-the issue might be the movement design, anyway, in which case not much can be done short of reconstructing it and fixing the design issue, which would probably end up costing many times more than the watch itself.
@@zwerko it depends on how much you like the watch really. If you just replace the movement there’s a good chance you will encounter the same issue either immediately or at some point down the road. I know from experience when serviced by a competent watchmaker familiar with Seiko, the 6R can run very strongly and consistently. I wouldn’t trust a new movement or repair work from Seiko as any type of long term solution. Like I said, depends how much you like the watch. If it were a brand new watch like Jody’s I would send it to Seiko for warranty repair at no cost and then sell the watch on at a discount (disclosing its repair history of course) when done and get something else. Something like a SARB or old school Alpinist that has been discontinued for quite some time I believe might be more worth investing a bit into its performance
I have a Seiko Prospex Alpinist with green dial. While I love that watch I can't get over the fact how unreliable the 6R35 movement can be. Yes you do get a 70 hour power reserve which is nice but then having to constantly reset the time can be annoying. For a $700 watch like Propsex Alpinist the 6R movement is fine. Certainly not a $2000 watch though. If I'm going to buy a $2000 watch I would rather get a Longines, Rado, or Oris watch instead.
I purchased the brown dial version from the Seiko boutique in London last year and think it is a beautiful looking watch. Bracelet fits my wrist very well and had it adjusted by the boutique . Accuracy is better than your model appears to have but does lose on a daily basis within the stated tolerance but I find I wear in preference to other , more expensive watches as I really like the looks of it.
Always watch your presentations Jodie, enjoy the content and your presentation
I'm beginning to suspect that Seiko has decided that anybody who really wants to know what time it is will just look at their phone.
So why people with phones ask people who are wearing watches "Hey, what time is it?" Instead of looking at their phones?
Anyone who wants to see a pleasant watch with no misalignment, will also look at their phone
@@xpusostomos those watches already exist. You have to look at the right places, possibly your phone will aid in that too.
😂😂😂😂
@@traviswalker8933 presumably if it's a Seiko to have a laugh at how far off it is!
Great review, Jody. :)
I give them credit for at least putting sapphire on the watch. I was half-expecting it to be Hardlex. :) And at least it didn't have alignment issues. But you're right that it deserves a much better movement.
Kinda ridiculous you have to pay $1000+ to get sapphire on a Seiko.
This is a truly great watch. A friend of mine just got the red one, he's totally in love and haven't touched any of his vast and expensive collection since he got it. Honeymoon phase sure, but still. (And this is the first watch that have made any of my rich watch-friends even look at Seiko. This was a great move by the brand!)
Beautiful watch.
Terrible movement.
Oh by the way. I would definitely bring it back for a warranty repair, I feel that though the watch is unmarked, it might have had a shock, maybe hitting a wooden floor that wouldn't scratch the case. There's definitely a movement problem that may only get worse if left unresolved.
Completely agree - I've got a knackered 4R that no amount of 'regulating' will fix. Send it for warranty repair; if nothing else it will allow the onward sale with a clear conscience.
Back on the channel after losing interest in watches for a few years and its good to see you still pumping out quality content. Love the channel Jody! Just got a Heimdallr from my dad which reignited my love for watches. Good to be back.
Hey mate! Welcome back to the rabbit hole 🤣 thanks for finding me again. Hope the accent is still the same but the camera work is a little better than last time.
@@JustOneMoreWatchsurprised your watch collecting survived marriage... I guess the channel is doing ok 😅
So you've fallen off the wagon then eh? Welcome back!
I love it. I have considered buying one many times. I have a vintage 1970 King Seiko and adore it.
But at the price they are wanting for this new version, even second hand, with that movement, I struggle to see it entering my collection.
Oh and that beat error is terrible. I would be taking it into Seiko.
I would definitely take the watch back to the Boutique. I get amazing service from the Seiko Boutique nearest to me in Pretoria. They also have regular sales throughout the year. And I strongly agree with you that seeing the watch is person is best before buying. Cheers.
Now you've got me looking at vintage King Seiko again, THANKS FOR THAT
Definitely a great looking watch. If a movement loses accuracy at low power by that much, usually its in need of a cleaning and/or lubrication. Being the watch is practically new im guessing it left the factory with a lack of lubrication.
You got that right Jody. I have quite a few Seiko's including some of the old classics plus one Seiko 5kx which is lined up perfectly. But this, along with some of my more expensive Prospex watches, I have bought exclusively from the authorised Seiko store in my city. I can then physically check the alignment before opening my wallet and my man in the store even has a timegrapher and will check and adjust the movement if needed. Anything more than 5 spd and he does it. I will never buy a Seiko online. A tip. If the store price is a lot more than the online price, I suggest you show that price to the seller and you will often get it discounted to close the gap. It's ok to pay a bit extra for peace of mind and a local warranty which in Turkey we get 3 years even though 2 is standard.
Perfect opportunity for Seestern or San Martin to homage this watch and make improvements and sell for a fraction of the price
Agreed - price is too high. Nice watch if it worked. Maybe try to demagnetize as it seems to be dragging. If that doesn't work, definitely take it in for a service. Shocking amplitude.
As a lifelong seiko fan I was excited when they announced they was bringing the King Seiko range back but the moment I read the specs on the movement like most other people I literally sat back in my chair and said WTF-Seiko. Seiko seem to really be pushing hard to lift the price point of the Seiko and Grand seiko brand and the King is taking over from where the GS range used to sit as a starting price point but that movement just is not good enough and really is questionable even in a 1k watch. When other brands including well known ones offer a swiss made sellita 4 hertz movement for the same money or sometimes less I just don't know what game seiko is playing at now. At least the new models are coming with the 6L35 movement but then they are also asking $5200 for those models which places it really close to the GS automatic watches starting price.
I recently purchased a Seiko Lord Matic from the 70s for $100. Initially, it was running +15spd. I decided to have it serviced, which cost me approximately $50. When I received it back from the watchmaker, they mentioned that there were no signs of a previous service and it was still running +15spd. It has been a few weeks since the service, and now it's running at +2.4spd. So, for a total of $150, I now own an authentic Seiko vintage watch with a rich history. Considering my experience, I personally wouldn't recommend investing in the new Seiko vintage reissues until they implement significant improvements in their movements.
I did the same with an old King Seiko. Runs at a second a day.
Thanks for sharing your experience 👍
Seems In keeping with Seiko's "less for more" policy that started with the 5KX. I'd like to say I'm surprised but can't. Be interested to know what Seiko would do with that one though 🤔
A while ago I was choosing between this and the Grand Seiko SBGM221. I think I made the correct choice in getting the GS. I still like this model and its bracelet though.
I have a Mini Alpinist which is one of the cheapest ways into the new 6R movement.
-Saphire
-No bezel/chapter ring to be misaligned
-good 3 link oyster bracelet
-200m WR
400€ used with warranty!
This King Seiko looks fantastic, but so does the Mini Alpinist, and has similar or better specs for a fraction of the price.
Grand seiko is not free from qc issues either. I got one brand new from a local boutique here in the philippines (sbgp003) and it has a spec of silver metalic dust under the crystal visible when hit by direct sunlight.
And the slga021 i got brand new from the seiko boutique in ginza japan has a slightly wobbly crown when unthreaded.
Both are not deal breakers and i still kept the watches. But just wanted to let people know that GS is not free of qc issues.
It's a really pretty watch that's very appealing. Since it's under warranty, I'd send it an detail the issues with the movement and ask it to be replaced. If they agree, you've at least got a working watch that you can sell on if you choose. I'd be tempted to keep it though.
You can probably find actual vintage ones for way cheaper. There are some really nice quartz Seikos from that era with very similar cases for cheap. But I found out why they are cheap - if the movement goes you may be in trouble. Really nice cases tho.
Bought a seiko alpinist earlier this year, it was running +40 seconds a day. Terrible. I ended up regulating it myself with my phone and an app.
however! there's a 10-30 seconds a day VARIANCE depending on the watch position 🙂 meaning it could run +15 seconds a day dial facing up, or -10 with the dial facing down
I'm kind of used to it by now, having owned a few automatic seikos, but jeez.
I just picked up my first two Seikos from the post office today and I've always thought that watch reviewers were being overdramatic when they complain about the quality of the bracelets, but this is the first time I've heard a watch bracelet make a creaking sound like a rusty bicycle. I own seven Vostok Amphibias and none of their stock bracelets ever did this. They still suck, but I didn't pay Seiko prices for them.
Given a budget, should the movement be a more important factor when purchsing a watch, or the design and looks?
Both should complement each other. An expensive watch should be equipped with a commensurate movement. Which Seiko has, yet here, they use one from a lower rung of their watch lines.
GS and KS competed with each other, back in the day, so at the very least, they could have used a much higher spec movement in the new KS line.
I have no problem with a 6R in a Presage. I DO have a problem with it in a KS costing 3 to 5 times as much. This is a Cash Grab by Seiko due to the growing popularity of vintage KS on the secondary market.
I don't get it...
Seiko themselves sells a Pressage Sharp Edged with a hi-beat gmt movement for less. What cocktail time where they having when they decided the King Seikos price?!
I can't get over that movement. Just the principle of it .... The push pins are ridiculous enough and in that price bracket, i would have thought more watchmakers using butterfly clasps would have implemented in the fly adjustment by now. I've seen the trope of mechanism that works for that. It's simpler than trying to do it with a divers clasp. Elegant too and probably the only way to ensure a proper fit with a butterfly clasp and that type of bracelet.
The color is great. I like the style on the size. The bracelet looks amazing. I feel like they over did the sunburst. The The dial surface..... Lack of texture... Too much sunburst.... It lets it down a bit. They Make many more expensive looking dials on cheaper watches.
It has quite a bit going for it I have to admit. The movement just kills it for me though. Sort of the last straw.
That is one of the better-looking red dials I've ever seen. Awesome watch Jody.
I reckon Your right!
Poor Old Seiko needs some new Blood.
Such a beautiful time piece ❤
I thought the 6R35 in my Prospex Alpinist Deep Lake was bad, gaining 1 second a day out of the box now gaining 20 - 30 seconds after a year. The workhorse Orient movements are usually much more accurate, Seiko need to have a word with them.
That's awful. I've just got a new automatic Seiko that's only gaining about a second a day, but I hope it doesn't start creeping up to that sort of inaccuracy.
Definately send it in for fix, no matter the long wait. They need to be made aware of the shortcomings, and perhaps if enough owners do the same things will improve or change.
Been thinking of this watch, it is stunning, but I cant buy it with that movement, rather get a GS quartz for just a little more money. Good video! Thanks!
I agree
The look of the watch doesn't reflect the price..
You obviously haven't seen it in person
Great review. I was quite disappointed when I saw one in Malaysia, earlier this year. Not that it isn't a nice watch, but the price for what you get 🥱 I personally wonder how it would hold up against the presage sharp edge with the red dial 🤤
A few months ago I realized I no longer have any Seikos-I didn't plan to, it just happened that through a combination of exchanges & gifting I pretty much de-Seiko-ed my entire collection (I only regret giving away the SARB017, tbh). So, I went on a hunt for a nice Presage or ProSpex to keep in the collection 'permanently'... Many stores visits and ten online purchases/returns later, I've given up. They really, really need to step up their QA game.
Great looking watch and build quality too. But yeah, that movement! In this price range Seiko should at least be offering their 8R series caliber…which I believe the first limited edition had a couple of years ago.
I have the 6R35 in my Alpinist Ginza (the favorite Seiko in my collection) which I still wear on a regular basis a couple of years after purchasing it. Back then the movement was gaining around 10 secs a day, which I thought was good for a Seiko, but now it seems to be nearer a minute!
With their economies of scale, they should really do something about this. There’s a lot of strong competition for them now, with many great microbrands out there, even fellow Japanese horology giant Citizen, have been improving their mechanical offerings over the last few years as well. So Seiko should at least try and be more competitive.
PS. Why can’t Seiko finally master the watch bracelet? (Even with their GS brand) They’re gradually improving, but everybody else seems to have already mastered it, even in the affordable categories 🤷♂️
That one is a stunning. Bracelet wouldn’t bother me too much as I would probably put it on a piece of leather. The movement maybe old but I personally like the 6R. That time graph is unacceptable though. I would send it straight back to seiko. It’s there problem don’t let them get away with it.
i'm consolidating my collection. I bought a universal geneve polerouter after selling a vintage tank, a vintage LeCoultre and a Lorier. I was thinking of picking up this King Seiko but I'm torn since the beat rate is slow and I feel like they're charging a lot for considering the more affordable seikos are so good. My other choice would be an Oris Pointer Date.
If under warranty Seiko will regulate for free if it’s out of spec - my 6R35 is now within COSC after being returned. happily it was only about a week on turn around. See in person and have a warranty if you can.
GS you can buy used and years old with confidence. Spring drive seems bomb proof.
BTW- I’d put the 8L35s and 55s and 5R65s as the watches just below a GS, not a king with a 6R. The retail on the kings is nutty, but you’re right, I tried one on and liked it way more than I thought I would! Gorgeous
Movement accuracy, the achilles heel of new Seiko. Still can’t quit them though.
Great looking watch, so nice not having a date window. Mechanical watches in this price range are tricky, it is unacceptably slow, but just within spec so the warranty may not cover regulation and at that price doing it yourself is a risky business.
I just picked up a brand new King SPB-291J with the beautiful lavender colored dial. The dial is the big winner. The lavender is very subtle at the edge, but very intriguing. There is no question the Kings are the level between the Presage and the GS. Great lines and polishing and the bracelet is one of the best Seiko has put out (which you acknowledged). Your concerns about the the movement 6R31 may be a bit over reaching. I have read some articles stating some tweaking has been going on over the last year or so, and many reports have been written stating the accuracy is closer to -5 to +5 seconds. We'll see how that plays out. Seiko is a brand that has been here for well over a century and has a proven well regarded history. I also own 2 vintage kinetic style models , one of which is the SMY-001P Diver and the bezel lines up perfectly with the indices and the second hand is right on the hash marks. Bottom line, this King Seiko is a keeper for me.
I ended up going with the 600 piece limited edition 39mm Chrysanthemum dial king seiko. It has the 4hz movement, and is worth the money. The finish is amazing. I have watches from Grand Seiko, Rolex, Breitling, etc, and it holds its own in my collection.
The accuracy needs to be fine tuned for sure. Other than that , it ticks a lot of boxes.
Prefer my Rado Golden Horse- also maroon dial. A good price on the Seiko though....
The Seiko boutique doesnt offer discounts (on Grand Seiko at least) unless it's a 'pre-owned' watch which can also be a display model that has some blemishes from well, being a display model. They do offer discounts on those but you'll be out of luck getting a discount otherwise.
Lovely looking watch, but Seiko have done it a huge disservice using a 6R31 movement. These movements are unregulated from the factory, but worse, they are not properly lubricated. They often run okay out of the box, but within a year (and often less) show poor performance. A full service and regulation will have them running as they should . . . but come on, Seiko! This is bad enough on an SPB317 (the rather handsome new Slim Turtle), but it's absolutely unacceptable for a King Seiko.
They should have used a no date version of the 4S movement - a renamed caliber 52, the last movement used in a KS. There's a brilliant opinion piece on this on Beyond the Dial - Google 'Why the 2022 King Seiko Relaunch was a Misstep' if you fancy a dive into a bit of Seiko movement history.
Just had mine delivered with the brown dial. Great looking watch was lucky to pick it up for under £1000 brand new.
I only have one Seiko - the Presage Mojito, and after @ six months of ownership, it gains about 15 per day. I binned the bracelet on arrival and usually wear a black leather strap. It's very comfortable and garners some compliments when I am around those who notice such things. I am planning on getting one of the new Presage Classics due out this June - the Araigaki. Unless I hit the lottery, those few Grand Seikos I would love to have will just be a fantasy for this old man. ;-)
Pretty watch and that bracelet is a good modern take on the 70s designs. Shame about the movt, its not a cheap watch and you like it as a keeper so I would take it into seiko to get sorted or if you don't wantvthe wait take it to a watchmaker to to get sorted (though that will cost you)
I was at the London boutique last week. These really look nice under glass - they’d be a great watch with a better movement and maybe a pair of half links. Probably a little small for me though. Passed on the Road trip GMT (for now) and ordered the cream Bambino v6 from Amazon when I got back to the states.
As for what to do with this: How expensive is a replacement movement? Maybe a 6R15 or if there’s a no-date equivalent in that precious gen…
I sent my SPB143 in to Seiko twice under warranty to “fix” it’s poor performance. Both times, the watch was running poorly again after a few months. Then I sent it in a third time and strongly suggested the watch needed a new movement. They put a new movement in it, and now it finally runs strong and very accurate.
Lovely, I think this will stay in your collection it just looks so good from all angles. Pity about the accuracy but you can get that sorted and it out does the SARB for looks.
The King was not entirely kiboshed by quartz - and I suggest folk grab an old King Quartz - as they are small and beautiful in their own right! Plus they are usually a great price.
Have you tried to de-magnetised the watch before doing anything like sending it back, people think a magnetised watch speeds it up but it can also slow them down.
Nice bracelet but I am now not a lover of butterfly clasp due to digging into the wrist and irritating me
I wish it had a liittle bit of lume on the hands like the sarb had, thin enough not to lose the dress vibes, but for check the time in the night
I'd happily wear that watch. I'll never spend that much for a Seiko, though. I have 2 watches with 6R movements, both of which run with good accuracy.
Two times lucky!
I've had a number of Seiko watches that run painfully slow near the end of their power reserve. It makes the power reserve length irrelevant and unusable. Par for the course, I'm afraid, for Seiko.
Seiko really either needs to push the 6L35 down a bit in price or come up with a newer in between movement with more accuracy for King Seiko. You definitely are paying for the finishing here and it's quite nice. I've tried this watch on in person. I have a slightly bigger wrist than you and find it a touch smaller than I'd like. I do like the slightly bigger SPB155, so it's really not far off on sizing. I think I'd like the new 39mm models, but have not made it up to my AD since those were announced. I would love to hear that the 6R55 movement in those is more reliable, but am not holding my breath for anything beyond the 2 additional hours of power reserve.
King Seikos from the mid 70s can be had from just a few hundred bucks. Get a nice bonklip strap and you have a cool vintage watch with a hi beat movement. Not this Seiko cash grab.
I have this watch and i love it. They just released a new version with the 6l movement. It’s 39 mm with date 🥹 also cost about 3000 euro 😅. So i’m going to keep this one. Love it more then my higher end watches and it got me looking into the vintage pieces and the lovely history of seiko. My vintage 44-9990 is running beautiful!
Beautiful watch, just a shame they put a 6R in it. I recently purchased a Seiko Astron Solar GPS, I got a discount, but I feel that it was worth the price. I’m beginning to think that maybe it’s good to go quartz or spring drive when buying Seikos.
I have one. Seiko sells dials and Tissot sells Powermatic 80 movements for a third the price, more than accurate enough for grab-and-go watches.
I like the definition of the hands, I got a titanium eco-drive Citizen thats barely legible.
I have a Pagani PD1734 that kinda looks similar. Looks ok.
I have an SPB297 62MAS and I love it, but the hands are ever so slightly out of alignment and it drives me mad. Can hopefully get it fixed at first service. In other news I've just modded a Steeldive Willard that I got in the Ali sale, and the bezel on that lines up perfectly!!
go through the warranty / service process and document it. i personally love the look of the watch, but iirc the bracelet is pretty much adjustable in 1cm iterations which is more than a bit ridiculous & combined with the inaccuracy (even within spec) of the "cheap" movement. it is a no no for me. 2nd hand in a few years not impossible though. lovely bit of jewellery.
I have 2 Seikos in my collection with 6R movements, I've not noticed the issue with the accuracy falling behind but then again i rotate too often to have spotted it - maybe I'll invest in a timegrapher! Either way, I'm nervous! One of those watches is a special edition slim turtle with awful hand alignment - unless you're buying vintage you might as well accept QC issues with Seiko nowadays. 😢
Sending it back for servicing will create half a years extra video excerpts and has to be the way to go . Did you know about the issue beforehand ?
I think poor QC is now a Seiko trait. I'd be even afraid of having a fake if it didn't have any QC issues 😂
I would regulate every couple of months.
I am presently selling a Mitch Mason Chronicle, which is similar in dimensions and specification, although I think the Miyota 9039 in my watch is better than the 6R movement. Of course, the Mitch Mason is a fraction of the price. The 6r movement in my Alpinist was also very poorly regulated when I bought it, so I had the back off myself. It now runs reasonably accurately, but the positional variance is pretty awful. After all, it's just an NH35 with a longer power reserve !!
I agree, the brown and red would be my choices, but I could get a Monta Noble for roughly that amount with a higher beat movement.
Good looking watch, reliable movement (Rather a working Honda motor than a unreliable Ferrari motor) if they have normal +/- fresh out the box. RRP is to high, don't get me wrong. If you like it, and can get it under a 1000, I see no problem.
Would I buy it? I would go Christopher Ward, Baltic or maybe even Mido.
If you are anything like me, wear the watch poorly regulated while it has it’s novelty phase in your collection. After a few months, when your attention shifts to another style or color, send it back to Seiko when you won’t miss it for a few months. By the time it comes back, you will likely be excited to add it back into your watch rotation and it will be keeping proper time making you feel even happier than before.
I have 2 Seikos, one with 7s and other with 4r, they are good and all that, but they simply are not a good timekeeping devices. 7s especially is pretty much unusable since it cannot be handwound.
I am a fan of Seiko, having had a Seiko 5 new in 1983, I still have some 5's from the 80's. Modern Seiko's in the upper bracket are good but realistically I can buy a used Longines for the same money as a new prestige level Seiko. I think the modern higher end Seiko watches are nice quality and the designs are good plus those with cases at 41mm size are a decent size over the old seiko 5's at 37mm.
Chances are the movement wasn’t lubed up properly from the factory, have had a similar issue with a couple of 6R35’s
I bought a brand new King Sumo but returned it necause the crown action was horrible. Gritty, notchy and it just felt wrong. Well the replacement was just the same! A screwdown crown that felt like somone had partially stripped the threads. It went back for a refund. Seiko really do need to sort their QC.
Or for an adjustable clasp, assured quality & a selita movement, plump for a Christopher Ward Sealander.
No question, send it back on warranty with your time graph readings and description of the problems.
Just bought a dress KX and today noticed it has some junk floating around on the dial :( right as I was installing my jubilee bracelet. 😢
Thanks Jody, very informative as always.
Received a red cocktail time SARY163 from Buyee this week for GBP320 after taxes and postage, so very interested to hear about the King Seiko and compare. I've put a GBP60 bracelet on mine which is better than the King Seiko one. So Hardlex vs Sapphire is now the only big difference for a price less than half of Jody's price, which was half retail.
Love that dial color, very unique. Rado has a Captain Cook almost same red dial and 37mm as well.
Thanks for sharing Jody, very cool watch.
Pin and collar, nope, for the price. Considering that 99 percent of watches are CNCd, stamped, and laser cut/engraved, very little labor was involved in the final price. It didnt grab me, or my wallet.
I really like these. The movement and the 12mm thickness on a 37mm watch are the issues that prevent me from buying one.
What a beautiful case and bracelet on this one, nice choice with the red, it's a stunner.
Beautiful watch!! Still love my Seikos! Just can’t help myself!! Send it back to them for regulation!! It would make a interesting follow-up video here in 6 months!!
@Just One More Watch Personal I would just get a citizen NB1050, I don't think you've reviewed it yet but I really recommend it 👌shouldn't pay more than 400 dollars hopfully 😀
@ that price and movement, I would rather get something in the Alpinist range at about AUD 1100 SPB 241?
Ooof, the male endlinks are absolutely atrocious (to me) why would I want a nice compact lug to lug to be increased? Why would I want the longest link in a bracelet to be hanging off the case like a…? Why would I want to see the inside edge of a link because the pivot point is hanging off the side of the watch? Forget the price point, I will never buy a Seiko with male endlinks, I can’t stand them.
As for service, do some research on that. The service center in the states scratched my crystal AR, got finger prints all over the movement, and left a few eyelashes on my dial, all in the process of making it run worse than when I sent it in. Sent it back after that and it was the same thing. I had to pay a local watch maker to clean it up. In my opinion, a Seiko warranty is useless stateside.
And all that to say, the next watch I’m looking to get is a Seiko, no other brand gets away with this, damn them and their charm.
The 6R movement in my SPB 243 runs quite accurate with -6sec/day but I also noticed it looses it near the end of its power reseve
gorgeous piece, pity about the QC on the movement: but if 20 minutes with the caseback off will sort it, not the worst problem in the world
no way i'd buy Seiko at RRP nowadays though
Hi Jody, they should pop in an NH movement and include it in the afordable Presage line for ca. $400-$500. Regards