Are Seiko watches still a “bargain”.
I think most of us would agree that a few years back Seiko were the king of bargain watches. However, their prices seem to be rising a lot recently. Though many mighhtttt disagree, I couldnt help but personally still feel that they are still bargains in my POV (since I also got these two beauties brandnew for a hefty discount).
Also curious to know if anyone are still interested in seikos anymore or would you rather get a microbrand for that money. All opinions are welcomed. cheers! 🍻
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I think Seiko is still pretty much on point. I'd agree there are some issues particularly in the lower end pieces. This isn't to be expected from Seiko so I hope it will be addressed. If you step up to the Prospex or Presage line you are most likely getting the more traditional Seiko feel and quality.
If you want a little back story on why their prices are going up, look at Teddy’s latest Q&A video. He addresses that perception. https://youtu.be/HgM3YnvAOIw
They’re become less and less of a bargain, but you’ll find hidden gems here and there.
I consider myself a Seiko lover but, as an owner of both several Seiko and Orient watches, I find Orient to be of much greater value than comparable Seiko models <$300. The Mako/Ray 2, often available for around $150-$200, are the new SKX and crush the more expensive modern Seiko 5 divers. And the Kamasu easily competes with the Prospex line while being a $250 bargain.
Seiko still produces excellent watches at a much more reasonable and attainable price than the low-tier Swiss brands. But, sadly, it's no longer the gateway into the watch hobby it used to be when you could buy a Seiko 5 for $100 and an ISO-certified SKX for $250. On the bright side, we still have Orient.
The prices were going to eventually increase. Seiko has established itself into more markets and the distribution through online and authorized dealers has been more direct than sold by third party resellers. The overhead for a large company is going to be higher, the brand value and with the rising cost, it is going to eventually take a hit on the affordability. In reality, most of the time you are never going to buy a Seiko at retail since you always get a deal and the prices somehow justify. And the watches have moved up in terms of finishing and some higher end models around $1000 can rival most luxury Swiss brand or even entry level GS. If you are talking about Seiko being gateway, it is solely based on where you live since most have the option to buy a Seiko 5 straight off at a reasonable price and it a recognisable brand to an average consumer.
Micro brands offer lower prices because the overall low overhead and the limited number of production adds to affordability offered to a consumer. Plus you never know the whole manufacturing background which to an extent I personally like to know about. You can notice with many micro brands, some parts are sourced from a common manufacturer.
From a big brand, Citizen and Orient offering more affordable options these days also has reasons with the brands presence in a market. In my market, Citizen and Orient are sold by third party resellers who offer the watches for much lower prices at times and the after sales service is a hell to deal with especially Citizen. Spending more than $500 on a watch and having a bad after sales service/warranty is not a good value in my book. Orient has filled the affordable gap but the brand still has limited models and doesn't give you the diverse portfolio like Seiko. If you are going to complain about price increases, most Swiss brands increased the prices by a great margin over the year or two for existing models and people don't seem to complain. Example is the BB58 which has increased by almost $1000 since its release and the watch is unchanged to date, and many call it still a bargain which is confusing. Also calling a watch bargain is relative.
I think Seiko is still pretty much on point. I'd agree there are some issues particularly in the lower end pieces. This isn't to be expected from Seiko so I hope it will be addressed. If you step up to the Prospex or Presage line you are most likely getting the more traditional Seiko feel and quality.
Great take! And yes apart from the noptorious bracelet, i think their prospex and presage are pretty awesome. Thank you for sharing. cheers.
If you want a little back story on why their prices are going up, look at Teddy’s latest Q&A video. He addresses that perception. https://youtu.be/HgM3YnvAOIw
Thank u for the link. Great take from Teddy as always.
They’re become less and less of a bargain, but you’ll find hidden gems here and there.
Couldnt agree more. Cheers!
From my personal use my seikos has been running pretty well. So yea they are still steals in my PV. Thanks for sharing, cheers!
I consider myself a Seiko lover but, as an owner of both several Seiko and Orient watches, I find Orient to be of much greater value than comparable Seiko models <$300. The Mako/Ray 2, often available for around $150-$200, are the new SKX and crush the more expensive modern Seiko 5 divers. And the Kamasu easily competes with the Prospex line while being a $250 bargain.
Seiko still produces excellent watches at a much more reasonable and attainable price than the low-tier Swiss brands. But, sadly, it's no longer the gateway into the watch hobby it used to be when you could buy a Seiko 5 for $100 and an ISO-certified SKX for $250. On the bright side, we still have Orient.
If we talk about watches in general , 100% agree. Orient has recently been my gateway recommendation to my friends who want to get into mechanical watches so totally agree with you on that. It's just that their design DNA does not really speak to me so I ended up not getting one for myself (personal taste). Thank you for sharing, cheers!
The prices were going to eventually increase. Seiko has established itself into more markets and the distribution through online and authorized dealers has been more direct than sold by third party resellers. The overhead for a large company is going to be higher, the brand value and with the rising cost, it is going to eventually take a hit on the affordability. In reality, most of the time you are never going to buy a Seiko at retail since you always get a deal and the prices somehow justify. And the watches have moved up in terms of finishing and some higher end models around $1000 can rival most luxury Swiss brand or even entry level GS. If you are talking about Seiko being gateway, it is solely based on where you live since most have the option to buy a Seiko 5 straight off at a reasonable price and it a recognisable brand to an average consumer.
Micro brands offer lower prices because the overall low overhead and the limited number of production adds to affordability offered to a consumer. Plus you never know the whole manufacturing background which to an extent I personally like to know about. You can notice with many micro brands, some parts are sourced from a common manufacturer.
From a big brand, Citizen and Orient offering more affordable options these days also has reasons with the brands presence in a market. In my market, Citizen and Orient are sold by third party resellers who offer the watches for much lower prices at times and the after sales service is a hell to deal with especially Citizen. Spending more than $500 on a watch and having a bad after sales service/warranty is not a good value in my book. Orient has filled the affordable gap but the brand still has limited models and doesn't give you the diverse portfolio like Seiko. If you are going to complain about price increases, most Swiss brands increased the prices by a great margin over the year or two for existing models and people don't seem to complain. Example is the BB58 which has increased by almost $1000 since its release and the watch is unchanged to date, and many call it still a bargain which is confusing. Also calling a watch bargain is relative.
Hahaha yes "bargain" is a very confusing term in this hobby since the ever-increasing prevalence and accesibility of mobile phone has deemed watches to be almost unnecessary. Great take, and an interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing, cheers!
Yes, but not at the entry point
For me Seiko sweet spot is £600-£1200