I own this watch and agree with everything stated here, it is something special. Another detail to notice is how the crescent moon counterbalance eclipses the o in seiko, skip to 12:40 to see what I mean. It's a nice touch.
The hands contrast stunningly on the dial. Great review ... the more and closer I look at it the more gorgeous and well thought out the design elements become.
Yes, I’m guilty of purchasing this watch after seeing this review too. And totally love it! It’s amazing the amount of comments I get about this when I wear it out.
Mine just arrived. Runs great +1sec/day. If you close the clasp, with the watch face up, press the ends of the clasp down to flatten it more. I've had to do this with all my Seiko Alpinists. It fits much more comfortable on my 7.5" wrist. I have it on the third hole instead of the second, with looks better.
You should review the Seiko SARA015/SJE073. Snowflake dial, legacy credor movement (6L35), and grand seiko level finishing. Sleeper affordable grail that you can still get for around 1200-1500. Case profile is also incredible
I wanted to get a grand Seiko and I was so close to getting one but as time has past I simply can’t afford one in any reasonable amount of time. So coming across this video and how this watch has a unique dial similar to how grand Seiko has unique dials I’ll hopefully be getting this watch soon which will complete my little collection.
Thanks for the vid, Dave. This is definitely a contender. Lots to choose from as an affordable grail at this price point. I've got my eyes on other Seikos, Hamilton, Yema, Zelos, Tissot, Charlie-Paris, Revue Thommen, dare I say Bulova?? That SARX09 has some unique features tho... thanks again for the tip.
I have an orient bambino that if grown to dislike for a hand full of reasons. It was one of the first watches I ever bought, and I’ve never really been happy with it. This may be the prefect replacement for it.
The thing I hate about Seiko is that they make so many interesting models that it's more or less impossible to choose just one You pick up one, and then spot another one that's just as interesting. So you pick up that one too, but spot yet another one you want. Soon your entire collection will be nothing but Seikos
great recommendation. I've always wanted to get a SARB033 but it's way too expensive now, and hard to find. the SARX029 seems a much better choice than the SARB033
This watch is really beautiful to see. I love the rounded edges around the date wheel and hands connection in the center. Really gives it a finishing detail that one has to wonder if it was intentional! I had to look this watch up just to see new iterations (and old). Thanks for doing a review on this
Don't know if I'd call it affordable, and it's a divisive choice, it's the Hamilton Ventura. The Elvis 80 version. But I like that Seiko. Almost a vanta black dial.
Really enjoy the JDM finds on this channel, but the cuts between every single sentence (and even some in the middle of sentences) make for an uneasy presentation.
Couldn't have been too much because you finished the video. Guess some people just like to point things out. Guess its like finding a great watch but still pointing out things you don't like that aren't flaws but things other people may not like or feel is a flaw even though you think it's fine.
Disagree. You have forged your own path - style - of video production. Great production, always entertaining. Nothing you do needs to be fixed. Many thanks 🙏🙏😊😊
That dial is absolutely stunning. This is definitely in the running for my new affordable grail watch. I'm looking for my 1st automatic watch and I could use a black dress watch. Sakura has it for $681, but my only concern is that it's a 7 year old "new" watch. Is that a valid concern?
Just a quick note about your ’59 ALPINIST t-shirt: there's a glaring error in the text: the punctuation mark before the 59 should be an apostrophe, not an opening single quote mark. This is the sort of error that Word and other editors produce because they treat an initial apostrophe as an opening quote. So you should have ’59 and not ‘59! Perhaps you can fix it for any future print runs.
I love this watch. I am no expert but to me it looks perfect. I have 3 grown sons and I want to buy one for each as an heirloom. Unless one of the other Urushi Seiko watches from that range would make a better investment... Maybe someone can help me.
Better than their usual offerings but there is no way I will ever buy a JDM watch due to lack of support if there is a problem. I do not appreciate being treated as a 2nd class customer by anyone.
I am trying to understand what is the difference between this watch and a Steeldive watch for example, from the same category? Both in the technical aspect and in that of the fit & finish, the assembly quality and everything else? Seiko does not bring any advantage with them, except for the name and perhaps a more accurate mechanism. What is outrageous here is that Seiko prices their watches at a very high level without justification.
Regarding the leather strap you can apply some vaseline on it and use a sponge to wipe off the excess. Let it dry for a day or two and it should look as good as new. Vaseline will help the leather from cracking and rejuvenate it.
Seiko just keep increasing prices for their lower-mid tier models, but they don't have the quality to match it. Hard to justify when Swiss and German brands are offering better value.
My current "affordable" Grail watch is a Longines Conquest 42mm in Black dial on a bracelet. I've never owned a Swiss watch, all my watches currently are Japanese (seiko, orient, casio etc). At $2000 Australian dollars, it's just about affordable if I save really hard.
Well I doubt this qualifys as affordable but if I diligently saved I could eventually afford it and right now that would be the Accutron Spaceview 2020 on the bracelet. It being out of reach for the immediate future kind of what makes it a grail for me but also the fact that I am a sucker for unique quartz movements and you don't get much more unique than the Accutron. A more affordable "grail" I expect to own by end of year is an MTG 3000 series G-Shock. 👍
Great videography, review and taste with this watch. I walked into my local seiko/grand seiko boutique back in late 2019 and fell in love with this JDM 2016 seiko presage saxr029. So much so I bought it from Seiya Japan. I have worn it practically every day working from home and suited and booted in the office. It's a perfect watch for me. The Presage line started in 2016. 1) You are correct the bezel does get scratches but as I love this watch so much I don't mind it. 2) The crown is fine but they change to an onion crown from 2017 onwards with this exact same style watch but in white SARX049 & SAX095 & SARX061 or blue SARX059 & SARX053. 3) The crocodile leather is so soft and subtle but on a wrist at a keyboard everyday the crocodile starts to come off. So I bought the presage bracelet for this 1 year ago and I actually prefer it. You can buy it from gnomon or seiya san from seiya Japan can get it for you. 4) The 6R15 is better than the 4R35 but if you want a higher beat movement with the same black urushi dial and gold maki-e hand set look to the other 2 models that came out with this back in 2016 SARW013 / 6R27 / 28,800 pa/h or SARD011 / 6R24 / 28,800 pa/h but the dials are not as minimalistic as the SARX029. I love this watch 1) Because it reminds me of the Credor Eichi II minimalistic dial and the crecent moon seconds hand at a much more affordable price and of course the combination of a hand painted deep black urushi dial with gold maki-e hands and silver printed roman numerals just works so well together. 2) That the same urushi laquer was used to protect samurai armour and seiko used this in their marketing which you can still find online. 3) The upturned gold crescent moon was used on the helmet of the famous Samurai Matsume Date and I believe seiko didn't use the upturned crescent moon by accident seeing that it ties in with the urushi used on samurai armour. Enjoy this affordable grail as I haven't found one yet to beat it. Cheers.
I'm a big watch guy, but over 1000$, I'd give only to Swiss/German watches. Seikos seem very poverty spec to me, looks even worse. For maybe a super high end Grand Seiko with gold I may pay 500$, rest not more than 10$
Alternatives: SARX019 (identical but with a white enamel dial) and SARW013 (black enamel dial, 6R27, additional power reserve indicator and sub date display, located at 9 and 6 o'clock respectively), the latter being my favourite.
I’ve been interested in this model for a while but never seen a review on it. I normally never buy any watch with Roman numeral markers as they look too formal for my taste but the way they’ve done this is very classy and of course the Urushi dial is the icing on the cake. Incredible to get a hand-made finish like this for that price.
Just ordered one. Looks stunning. I have many lacquerware items as i live in Asia and this will be a great personal addition to my collection. Have been looking at presage for a long time but this one really grabbed my attention. Great review.
If you're worried about the strap being dry, just put some leather conditioner on it. It's not a bad idea to do that anyway before you ever wear it, especially if it's a fine leather. Sometimes the straps are made way before they're ever attached to a watch and they sit in a box somewhere just drying. The same with a pair of nice leather shoes: it never hurts to appply a little conditioner!
Still over $100, but a Seiko SRP765 is far less. A used SARX029 in good condition can be found for around $400-$450. Used with more signs of wear, I've seen the 029 around $300.
The urushi dial with the gold indices and hands is truly stunning. One of the few watches which made me gasp. Lead me to pick up a SARW013 the same evening.
Grabbed the SARX029 after seeing this video - arrived yesterday - absolutely stunning watch and when the light catches that urushi dial, you can see the "pooling" of the lacquer on the surrounds of the date window! Thanks for the heads up, definitely didn't want to miss out on this one.
I’ve purchased several wonderful watches I did know about beforehand - thanks to your terrific reviews. I will be buying this JDM. Thank you for your wonderful reviews . Most appreciated. 🙏🙏
One thing and this is incidental to why Seiko uses a 3hz beat rate (longer power reserve) but on most high end/ high horology watches they use much larger balance wheels and a slower beat rate. Standard for high horology is 2.5 to 3hz (18000 to 21600 bph). High end watchmakers do it for a number of very interesting, chronometric reasons as well as for the aesthetic of a slow beating balance wheel. BTW Awesome review Dave, really captured that dial in all of its glory.
This is why Seiko is great.this watch is class. My father gave me his 1977 Seiko5 ... I love it. It is still working with a +2 spd without any service.
Fantastic watch, superb review. You should do way more like this. The 'I got this design-by-numbers watch for free' type review has its place (and pays some bills) but this is on a whole nother level.
I own this watch and agree with everything stated here, it is something special. Another detail to notice is how the crescent moon counterbalance eclipses the o in seiko, skip to 12:40 to see what I mean. It's a nice touch.
Cool! Starting a little early at like 12:34 will let you catch the transition at 12;40 a bit better
That is an amazing detail. Thanks for pointing that out!
Dude, that shot with the light flickering from a fireplace was next level! Great job.
The hands contrast stunningly on the dial. Great review ... the more and closer I look at it the more gorgeous and well thought out the design elements become.
It's the outstanding craftsmanship on the dial that makes me still wanna buy Seiko watches.
Yes, I’m guilty of purchasing this watch after seeing this review too. And totally love it!
It’s amazing the amount of comments I get about this when I wear it out.
I bit as well, I only pull the trigger on very good high Q values like this. Good video, good watch, I’m certain.
Mine just arrived. Runs great +1sec/day. If you close the clasp, with the watch face up, press the ends of the clasp down to flatten it more. I've had to do this with all my Seiko Alpinists. It fits much more comfortable on my 7.5" wrist. I have it on the third hole instead of the second, with looks better.
You should review the Seiko SARA015/SJE073. Snowflake dial, legacy credor movement (6L35), and grand seiko level finishing. Sleeper affordable grail that you can still get for around 1200-1500. Case profile is also incredible
Great review--the watch is an absolute beauty! Would like to see a 38/39 mm version.
I have one, great watch. Bought it Wako store in 2018. Later got a Presage bracelet that fits it perfectly. Superb on the bracelet.
I wanted to get a grand Seiko and I was so close to getting one but as time has past I simply can’t afford one in any reasonable amount of time. So coming across this video and how this watch has a unique dial similar to how grand Seiko has unique dials I’ll hopefully be getting this watch soon which will complete my little collection.
I just recieved mine today. Wow! Handsome watch. In the sun it just pops. A forgoten gem!
Thanks for the tip.
Actually just found this for $543. Still a bit too much to show the wife when cars need fixing…
I have seen it preowned for ~$350 in Japan recently so that could be an option if you don't mind buying preowned.
where did you find it for that kind of money?
Please share the purchase web-site
Who needs a car when you can have a watch to tell you how long it will be before the next bus is scheduled to arrive.
Hard to find, or from a well known source? Just asking from Australia, where pricing is almost double this price, converted to USD.
Thanks for the vid, Dave. This is definitely a contender. Lots to choose from as an affordable grail at this price point. I've got my eyes on other Seikos, Hamilton, Yema, Zelos, Tissot, Charlie-Paris, Revue Thommen, dare I say Bulova?? That SARX09 has some unique features tho... thanks again for the tip.
That dial application is amazing! truly beautiful with the handset and numeral printing.
Thanks Dave. You are so right. I got one, it’s on the way.
I normally hate Roman numerals on watches but this looks good.
Great review. You did this watch justice, it's absolutely stunning.
My friend just brought this to me from his trip to Japan. This thing is awesome. Even my Carrera pales besides it 😮
Geez....that is an absolutely stunningly beautiful watch ⌚ 😯
I have an orient bambino that if grown to dislike for a hand full of reasons. It was one of the first watches I ever bought, and I’ve never really been happy with it. This may be the prefect replacement for it.
I own 3 rolex and I can honestly say not one of them has a dial as sexy as that it's so deep and rich stunning
Seiko & Grand Seiko have the best dials. No competition
The entire presage lineup is great value for money
Wow, yeah this is a really nice piece for the $. I’ve been looking for a special Seiko. Thanks for the review! 😎👍🏼
Seiko will never hurt you it does what it says
That's a beautiful watch! Can you do a short update video on it 1 year out?
Stunning watch! Thanks, Dave.
The thing I hate about Seiko is that they make so many interesting models that it's more or less impossible to choose just one
You pick up one, and then spot another one that's just as interesting. So you pick up that one too, but spot yet another one you want. Soon your entire collection will be nothing but Seikos
great recommendation. I've always wanted to get a SARB033 but it's way too expensive now, and hard to find. the SARX029 seems a much better choice than the SARB033
If the leathers too dry use a leather conditioner or leather cream, it should bring the leathers suppleness back.
This watch is really beautiful to see. I love the rounded edges around the date wheel and hands connection in the center. Really gives it a finishing detail that one has to wonder if it was intentional! I had to look this watch up just to see new iterations (and old). Thanks for doing a review on this
Very interesting synopsis young, great review.
look for a SRPD36J1 i love this watch sooo much. One of best looking dress w. ever
That's a lovely case.. all round stunner.
Great selection, Dave.
Don't know if I'd call it affordable, and it's a divisive choice, it's the Hamilton Ventura. The Elvis 80 version. But I like that Seiko. Almost a vanta black dial.
07:55 upper left corner of date window. Hmmmm
Really enjoy the JDM finds on this channel, but the cuts between every single sentence (and even some in the middle of sentences) make for an uneasy presentation.
Indeed to much cut in this video
Couldn't have been too much because you finished the video. Guess some people just like to point things out. Guess its like finding a great watch but still pointing out things you don't like that aren't flaws but things other people may not like or feel is a flaw even though you think it's fine.
Disagree. You have forged your own path - style - of video production. Great production, always entertaining. Nothing you do needs to be fixed. Many thanks 🙏🙏😊😊
Too easy to make critiques these days. Let's just enjoy the content offered fro free and appreciate all work behind the editing.
@@richardwhatley6505 they gave constructive feedback, you are listing judgements based on assumptions
how much handwork does it take to create a dial, cant be that big of a deal...
That dial is absolutely stunning. This is definitely in the running for my new affordable grail watch. I'm looking for my 1st automatic watch and I could use a black dress watch. Sakura has it for $681, but my only concern is that it's a 7 year old "new" watch. Is that a valid concern?
Just a quick note about your ’59 ALPINIST t-shirt: there's a glaring error in the text: the punctuation mark before the 59 should be an apostrophe, not an opening single quote mark. This is the sort of error that Word and other editors produce because they treat an initial apostrophe as an opening quote. So you should have ’59 and not ‘59! Perhaps you can fix it for any future print runs.
cant decide bewteen this or my sarx033 as my affordable grail both beautiful not too expensive, ill never spend car money on a watch lol
I love this watch. I am no expert but to me it looks perfect. I have 3 grown sons and I want to buy one for each as an heirloom. Unless one of the other Urushi Seiko watches from that range would make a better investment... Maybe someone can help me.
Beautiful - thanks for sharing
Beautiful watch no doubt
I think the zen garden Presage series look a lot better (and is also cheaper).
Wow, really beautiful.
Spotted Diamine Oxblood in the background, can we get a fountain pen video as well? :) I'm a fountain pen enthusiast myself, in addition to watches.
I'm just getting into them! A friend of mine hooked me up with some pens and bottles of ink.
Better than their usual offerings but there is no way I will ever buy a JDM watch due to lack of support if there is a problem.
I do not appreciate being treated as a 2nd class customer by anyone.
According to the serial number of this watch, it must have been made in January 2019 ;)
The Seiko Alpinist is a nice watch
Nice TWSBi fountain pen.
I am trying to understand what is the difference between this watch and a Steeldive watch for example, from the same category? Both in the technical aspect and in that of the fit & finish, the assembly quality and everything else? Seiko does not bring any advantage with them, except for the name and perhaps a more accurate mechanism.
What is outrageous here is that Seiko prices their watches at a very high level without justification.
Regarding the leather strap you can apply some vaseline on it and use a sponge to wipe off the excess. Let it dry for a day or two and it should look as good as new. Vaseline will help the leather from cracking and rejuvenate it.
I put some Saphir Renovateur on it, since I have that already for shoes and watch bands, seemed to help a little!
Do you have a video with other affordable grails?
Sarx053 I payed $1050 not sure if it's wroth it sekio Enamel
👍👍👍Nice Watch and Elegant 👍👍👍
Is it worth 1350 aussie dollars at Seiko Boutique???
What's that in real money? 😛
Yes it is. I instead bought direct from Japan and paid a 20% mark up to $1,550 because of customs tax etc. Oh well
Beautiful.
Es muy elegante pero prefiero el sarb 033, saludos 👍
I can’t get this watch on Amazon USA. Anyone can help me get this watch
A good Leather Crème is wise investment for hydration of fine Leather , like this strap … 🖤
Is there any gold material in this watch?
Hello, can you review some watch with the Miyota 8315? It has 60 hours power reserve. I saw it as a recent movement in the market
38mm, a different crown and slightly thinner would have made this close to perfect and not added to the cost.
Wrist size?
Seiko just keep increasing prices for their lower-mid tier models, but they don't have the quality to match it.
Hard to justify when Swiss and German brands are offering better value.
Great watch.
I would love it in 38mm. The perfect size for a dress watch
Wow...WOW!!!
My current "affordable" Grail watch is a Longines Conquest 42mm in Black dial on a bracelet. I've never owned a Swiss watch, all my watches currently are Japanese (seiko, orient, casio etc). At $2000 Australian dollars, it's just about affordable if I save really hard.
Well your Longines is Swiss lol
@ChromeMan04 yes, and it's a grail watch, as in I haven't got it yet haha
Well I doubt this qualifys as affordable but if I diligently saved I could eventually afford it and right now that would be the Accutron Spaceview 2020 on the bracelet. It being out of reach for the immediate future kind of what makes it a grail for me but also the fact that I am a sucker for unique quartz movements and you don't get much more unique than the Accutron.
A more affordable "grail" I expect to own by end of year is an MTG 3000 series G-Shock. 👍
How to get one in india,?
Hey, love your content. Kindly have a look at SEIKO SBTR017. A green and gold spirit quartz chronograph, for $120. Looks and feels stunning!
SARX019 white dial.
The only thing approaching a grail watch with just the Seiko name on it is their version with the spring drive movement!
They could have put this one in an 18K gold case and sold it for $10,000 easy.
Seikos hit and miss quality control has stopped me buying any more of them
what a beaut
Great videography, review and taste with this watch. I walked into my local seiko/grand seiko boutique back in late 2019 and fell in love with this JDM 2016 seiko presage saxr029. So much so I bought it from Seiya Japan. I have worn it practically every day working from home and suited and booted in the office. It's a perfect watch for me. The Presage line started in 2016.
1) You are correct the bezel does get scratches but as I love this watch so much I don't mind it. 2) The crown is fine but they change to an onion crown from 2017 onwards with this exact same style watch but in white SARX049 & SAX095 & SARX061 or blue SARX059 & SARX053. 3) The crocodile leather is so soft and subtle but on a wrist at a keyboard everyday the crocodile starts to come off. So I bought the presage bracelet for this 1 year ago and I actually prefer it. You can buy it from gnomon or seiya san from seiya Japan can get it for you. 4) The 6R15 is better than the 4R35 but if you want a higher beat movement with the same black urushi dial and gold maki-e hand set look to the other 2 models that came out with this back in 2016 SARW013 / 6R27 / 28,800 pa/h or SARD011 / 6R24 / 28,800 pa/h but the dials are not as minimalistic as the SARX029.
I love this watch 1) Because it reminds me of the Credor Eichi II minimalistic dial and the crecent moon seconds hand at a much more affordable price and of course the combination of a hand painted deep black urushi dial with gold maki-e hands and silver printed roman numerals just works so well together. 2) That the same urushi laquer was used to protect samurai armour and seiko used this in their marketing which you can still find online. 3) The upturned gold crescent moon was used on the helmet of the famous Samurai Matsume Date and I believe seiko didn't use the upturned crescent moon by accident seeing that it ties in with the urushi used on samurai armour. Enjoy this affordable grail as I haven't found one yet to beat it. Cheers.
A friend leant me this watch awhile back and the dial was so impressive. Congrats on picking up this beautiful piece!
I watched your review before buying it!
Whenever I read JDM I think, this is going to cost me too much money, while simultaneously view it as a great deal! 😂
I'm a big watch guy, but over 1000$, I'd give only to Swiss/German watches. Seikos seem very poverty spec to me, looks even worse. For maybe a super high end Grand Seiko with gold I may pay 500$, rest not more than 10$
@@NoName-bb2pu you're a watch snob in other words.
@@WatchmakerErik Bro, I can't agree more, is a humongous insult to many Seiko die hard fans around the world.
@@NoName-bb2pu lmao tell me you know nothing about watches without telling me you know nothing about watches
@@HRM.H if you know the brands I own you'll fall off the chair
Alternatives: SARX019 (identical but with a white enamel dial) and SARW013 (black enamel dial, 6R27, additional power reserve indicator and sub date display, located at 9 and 6 o'clock respectively), the latter being my favourite.
Just got the sarw013-amazing bang per buck!
Sold. I have to add this to my collection. Great video. Beautiful time piece!
Your life in Japan has filled in so much information that others have missed. Excellent.
I’ve been interested in this model for a while but never seen a review on it. I normally never buy any watch with Roman numeral markers as they look too formal for my taste but the way they’ve done this is very classy and of course the Urushi dial is the icing on the cake. Incredible to get a hand-made finish like this for that price.
Just ordered one. Looks stunning. I have many lacquerware items as i live in Asia and this will be a great personal addition to my collection. Have been looking at presage for a long time but this one really grabbed my attention.
Great review.
If you're worried about the strap being dry, just put some leather conditioner on it. It's not a bad idea to do that anyway before you ever wear it, especially if it's a fine leather. Sometimes the straps are made way before they're ever attached to a watch and they sit in a box somewhere just drying. The same with a pair of nice leather shoes: it never hurts to appply a little conditioner!
Now...is there a $100 alternative to this watch 😭
Still over $100, but a Seiko SRP765 is far less. A used SARX029 in good condition can be found for around $400-$450. Used with more signs of wear, I've seen the 029 around $300.
The urushi dial with the gold indices and hands is truly stunning. One of the few watches which made me gasp. Lead me to pick up a SARW013 the same evening.
Grabbed the SARX029 after seeing this video - arrived yesterday - absolutely stunning watch and when the light catches that urushi dial, you can see the "pooling" of the lacquer on the surrounds of the date window! Thanks for the heads up, definitely didn't want to miss out on this one.
This watch is awesome. Hopefully I'll be able to afford one before they are all gone.
Even with their prices rising, Seiko still punches well above its weight. Enjoyed the review here.
it's almost 8 years old watch....
@@deividasnavickas well the original post was a general appraisal of Seiko's current quality, not restricted to this, or any single Seiko piece.
I’ve purchased several wonderful watches I did know about beforehand - thanks to your terrific reviews. I will be buying this JDM. Thank you for your wonderful reviews . Most appreciated. 🙏🙏
One thing and this is incidental to why Seiko uses a 3hz beat rate (longer power reserve) but on most high end/ high horology watches they use much larger balance wheels and a slower beat rate. Standard for high horology is 2.5 to 3hz (18000 to 21600 bph). High end watchmakers do it for a number of very interesting, chronometric reasons as well as for the aesthetic of a slow beating balance wheel. BTW Awesome review Dave, really captured that dial in all of its glory.
Same. The daytonas smooth travel is cool but my seagull 1963 with 21600 the red chrono hand is so cool to watch ticking around.
Yep, I much prefer a lower beatrate. Longer lifespan and less waste of parts.
This is why Seiko is great.this watch is class.
My father gave me his 1977 Seiko5 ... I love it. It is still working with a +2 spd without any service.
Always love to hear these stories!
Fantastic watch, superb review. You should do way more like this. The 'I got this design-by-numbers watch for free' type review has its place (and pays some bills) but this is on a whole nother level.
Seiko for me is the best watch brand for this reason. For the price you can't beat them
Credor style handset, especially the second hand
$750 for a $500 seiko? Oook
You made me simp so hard and part with my money for this watch.