Seikos Are Boring
I’ve had a Flightmaster for a while, which I love.
But I’d see pictures of “more Seiko” Seikos and just didn’t see the appeal. SKXs, Tunas, Willards, whatever. Just kind of bland. Kind of Corollas.
And so I thought “What am I not seeing here?”
As I had an Amazon credit for a returned Orient and a returned Tissot, I decided to take a chance on a “Seiko” Seiko. I could always return it if I didn’t like it.
So, based on liking the general look of my buddy’s 36mm Explorers and OPs and his Smiths, I thought this SRPE51K1 would be worth a gamble with its kind of similar design, though larger (those little watches disappear on my wrist - personal preference).
So, it arrived. Despite many complaints I’d seen, the chapter ring is aligned. Bracelet is of course inexpensive, but no rattle and it’s very comfortable.
I won’t bother reviewing this constantly-reviewed watch, but I have only two negatives:
1) The bracelet is a little bit loose. It will slide around just a little more than I’d prefer. I wish it had one more micro adjustment setting, as removing a link would be way too much. Not a big enough deal for me to order a Strapcode, but it’s a minor annoyance.
2) Seiko goes out of their way to MAKE this watch seem boring!
Compare the stock images:
To what it actually looks like:
So no, not boring. I really like this clean little no-nonsense watch. The grey sunburst is lovely but not showy. The lume is insanely good.
From a design perspective I wish they’d ditch the day and have the date window mirror the 9:00 marker, but I don’t have control of judgement day.
Now I still don’t like the looks of most of their divers (until you get way up there in price) or some of their dressier watches.
But I get what the fuss is about.
I'm a musician and in the guitar amp biz. I do gear reviews on my own YT channel but I'm not here for that - this is my side hobby. That said, I know how the sausages are made both in production/manuf...
Seiko has something for everyone. But that also means it has something everyone won’t like. I have the SRPE61 on an Islander bracelet and it’s a great watch when you want something reliable and attractive, but not too expensive or showy.
This little guy is fantastic. Great choice. Definitely a “Seiko” Seiko. I know exactly what you mean. For future reference you have options to change things up at your desire. Uncle Straps (formerly Uncle Seiko) make some bracelets as well, with female endlinks for extra comfort. Also, I heard from a modding perspective, the dials & hands from the “diver versions” (SRPD) are interchangeable if you want to keep the same look but with bigger hour makers/hands.
Not a fan of Seiko’s … I don’t see the point!!
April Fools 😜🥳
I agree. Seiko goes out of their way to make their watches seem boring. It's like they don't even try to market their watches. But then again, with such an extensive catalog, it's hard to give fair coverage to each and every watch. That's part of the problem - their catalog is so big that I doubt they're launching individual watches with any sort of marketing effort. There are plenty of exciting and sexy Seiko's, but they get lost in the huge catalog of truly mediocre ones.
Just got my two tone in today as well. It’s beautiful.
Think Seikos are boring?
Just look at the innovative offerings from Rolex over the past 40 or so years.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
The 5 series is entry level Seiko mechanical. Cheap enough for everyone but lacking the features the microbrands put in their Mostly Seiko's. Pretty dials poor glass, Steel bracelet but poor quality functional. Nice lume but not much of it. Still priced above the competition in that quality bracket. Do they hack and hand wind like the rest yet?
I like Seiko only now in the Prospex and up ranges . My favourite is still their latest Chronograph, talk about bang for your buck against the competition at this quality level .
I own #seiko watches and I love them both. I agree with many in the watch community that label them the gateway drug to watch enthusiasm and collecting.
It takes just a few days seeing the WRUW posts of @whitesalmon to realize that Seiko has been sailing for years on the wind of the appeal of their vintage models.
Now they are more focused with selling us another "save the whatever" unlimited limited edition rather than being innovative and it seems to fairly well work for them.
The 5 series is entry level Seiko mechanical. Cheap enough for everyone but lacking the features the microbrands put in their Mostly Seiko's. Pretty dials poor glass, Steel bracelet but poor quality functional. Nice lume but not much of it. Still priced above the competition in that quality bracket. Do they hack and hand wind like the rest yet?
The modern ones do, at least, my field style one does
It takes just a few days seeing the WRUW posts of @whitesalmon to realize that Seiko has been sailing for years on the wind of the appeal of their vintage models.
Now they are more focused with selling us another "save the whatever" unlimited limited edition rather than being innovative and it seems to fairly well work for them.
I like The history of Seiko designs, especially the 60's-70's
As a Seiko owner, I agree. Boring, to me at least, carries similar connotations to "classy" in the watch world. I think (hot take incoming) that APs are boring, simply because they are all roughly the same design and one sees so many of them on social media. Although I don't like it, I have to admit that the Royal Oak is timeless. (I wouldn't call many sports watches "classy," but "timeless" is really almost the same thing.)
My Seiko 5 with its champagne sunburst dial and stainless steel case is just like any other Seiko 5 out there. Great budget dressy versatile watch. The design is boring, or restrained in other words, because it doesn't have to be anything else. This was, however, the pick that seemed least boring to me when choosing it. Many of their watches don't speak to me because the value isn't always there anymore. I try not to give a damn about value, but when you have some of the Seiko 5 Sports lineup putting me to sleep for double or triple the price of the old 5, I can't help but feel a little disgruntled.
The Prospex "Seitona" chronograph, the Alpinist and most of the Presage series are the only watches that speak to me.
I like Seiko only now in the Prospex and up ranges . My favourite is still their latest Chronograph, talk about bang for your buck against the competition at this quality level .
This is one of my new favorite's, It's made me question wether I should keep my SSC813. Just get's so much wrist time.
It takes just a few days seeing the WRUW posts of @whitesalmon to realize that Seiko has been sailing for years on the wind of the appeal of their vintage models.
Now they are more focused with selling us another "save the whatever" unlimited limited edition rather than being innovative and it seems to fairly well work for them.
Your right about your perspective, their boardrooms all have this “ eco” spin now , I don’t know what to make of any company saying that they are “ saving the planet “ from stragglers who aren’t punctual I suppose…..
Well, yeah, they are boring, 100%
But you like it, right) That's the catch.)
Like they have a catalog full of different variations of 3 different watch models for their Seiko 5 lineup. And this catalog is huge. I think that they need to chill a bit, cut they catalogue, forget about their 'hardlex' crystals (and generally up a spec a bit), take a look what people are actually praising online (my phrasing for 'market research') and ditch everything else. They should go even more boring.
Regarding their marketing strategy - well, I'm gonna say the same thing again, it's horrible. Like really horrible. Having that much resources at your disposal, so you can afford to cut your margins on a GS just to appeal to a Western market, but on the other hand completely neglect a product photography seems quite suboptimal to me. But on the other hand, it works 100% on people like me) I absolutely love boring watches. I see this watch and all I think is 'that's slick'. And when it arrives you realise that all this time it has this sunburst effect. Maybe this is an actual strategy - to underpromise.
I absolutely love my 39mm panda speedtimer. I remember opening this thing and putting on my wrist, wow, this little solar chronograph really blowed me away. Nothing really fancy or special, but just the classic understated look done right. For a 500$ bucks, may I add. It's insane.
I don't think that being boring is a bad thing. I think it's a very good thing. Take a look at Rolex. Most boring brand in the watch world, period. They have very limited amount of tricks, but they are able to consistently perform those tricks on a very high level. That's why we have mono-restaurants, with a focus on a single dish done perfect. Being boring allows such ventures to prosper. And in the world where everyone is trying to be different, it's a pretty great selling point)
Like many others in this thread, my feelings towards current Seiko releases are ambivalent, especially towards the new Seiko 5 models. I am not a fan of either the SRPD (5KX) series or the SRPE (DressKX) series, but I do like the SRPG and SRPH series. I am much less ambivalent towards the Prospex and Presage series, and love vintage Seiko watches. My three favorite Seiko watches are vintage or retro. I must disagree with the idea that Seiko is boring, even if I am not a fan of some of their current designs.
Classic, iconic, recognizable, yes, but not boring.
Hey there Bruder! 😉
Can't say the Monster is boring! Such a interesting design and wears so well for a chunky boi
The way the cut outs in the case line up with the bezel at every 5 minute marker
And twice a day the hands form a little rocket!
Keeps my little ocd brain happy
I love boring watches because they are simple. I like to think of them as pop songs. A catchy melody is very simple but also hard to write because you can't go crazy picking every single note that exists. Make few choices, but make good ones.
Even I have my limits though. I look at a Movado and usually think it feels incomplete. Seiko's are great simple watches though!
I agree. Seiko goes out of their way to make their watches seem boring. It's like they don't even try to market their watches. But then again, with such an extensive catalog, it's hard to give fair coverage to each and every watch. That's part of the problem - their catalog is so big that I doubt they're launching individual watches with any sort of marketing effort. There are plenty of exciting and sexy Seiko's, but they get lost in the huge catalog of truly mediocre ones.
Not even Seiko can keep up with the number of models they make.
You momma is boring 🤪How can Seiko be boring, but Rolexes not?
I had the same thoughts about the jangly bracelet on my SRPE51. Then I bought a bracelet from Long Island Watches (BRAC-09), and now the watch is damn near perfect.
Are Seikos boring? Depends on the watch you choose. Yes, there’s a lot of designs derived off the SKX/SSK. But every brand does this to some extent. I have a pair of Seikos, and am happy with the designs I chose.
I like the white strap
I like the white strap
Thanks! It came on a matching nato. But I don’t happen to like nato straps. That one is alligator, and I alternate between a green gator also.
Not even Seiko can keep up with the number of models they make.
Fair comment. I think they could streamline a bit, but they seem to want to offer a larger assortment.
Thanks! It came on a matching nato. But I don’t happen to like nato straps. That one is alligator, and I alternate between a green gator also.
I like the color combo of the nato but like you I'm not a fan of nato's. Love to see a full pick of the strap. Looks great!
Honestly I consider Seiko very interesting, my head is more in the realm of Hamilton and Longines these days but still had / have up to now the following:
Seiko - Seiko 5 Cement - SRPG61K1
Seiko - King Samurai - SRPE35k1
Seiko - Samurai - Limited - Save the ocean - PVD - SRPD09
Seiko - Turtle - Save the ocean - SRPC91J1
Seiko - Turtle Pepsi PADI - SRPA21J1
Seiko - Turtle PADI Pepsi - SRPE99K1
One advise, go with divers, they are awesome, look awesome, wear comfortable, work reliable...
Fair comment. I think they could streamline a bit, but they seem to want to offer a larger assortment.
As a person who casually likes Seiko (as opposed to a rabid fanboy) I think it’s overwhelming and silly that they have so many versions of the same watch. And worse yet are the price variations. You can get the exact same watch but with different color hands and markers for twice the price because it’s randomly “limited”.
I guess people like all the variations, but it seems like overkill when you’re already unwilling to fix your QC issues.
I find it interesting how many people responded to the post title instead of what I actually wrote in the post.