For a very long time in the contemporary world, Seiko has been a trusted and respected name in the high-end designer watch market. With its unbeatable combination of quality, style and reliability that even puts it in the lower-range luxury league, it’s no wonder why Seiko timepieces are so popular. But, are Seiko watches actually good?
In this brand review from the timepiece geeks at CALIBRE, we take an in-depth look at the Seiko brand of watches to determine if they make for a good buy.
The History of Seiko Watches
Seiko is a watch company from Japan that has been around since 1881. It all started with Kintaro Hattori’s small watch repair shop in Tokyo. Since then, Seiko has become one of the most well-known and respected watch manufacturers in the world.
Eleven years later in 1892, Kintaro opened his first factory (Seikosha Factory) which started producing clocks. After producing wall clocks and pocket watches, Kinarto decided to head in the wrist watch direction, which resulted in Japan’s first wristwatch, the Laurel.
At this point in time, however, they could only churn out 30 – 50 watches per day. This didn’t matter though, as the quality production of the watches inevitably paid off, and they established themselves as innovators in the industry. It wasn’t until 1924 when the first watch actually branded as Seiko was released, and this paved the way for the high quality we still see today.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Seiko continued to make advances in watch technology. In 1969, they released the Seiko Astron, which was the world’s first quartz watch. This new type of watch was more accurate than any mechanical watch and completely changed the watch industry.
Find out more about where Seiko watches are made today.
Is Seiko a Good Watch Brand?
Seiko is a brand that frequently pops up in discussions around quality and value.
Seiko has a long and illustrious history of producing high-quality timepieces that are reliable, durable, and innovative. Whether you’re looking for an affordable quartz watch or a luxury mechanical watch, Seiko has a range of options available for collectors or just regular wearers. In addition to their own brand, Seiko also owns several other watch brands such as Grand Seiko and Orient, both of which are also known for their quality and craftsmanship. Overall, if you’re looking for a watch brand that offers a great combination of quality, value, and innovation, you can’t really go wrong with a nice Seiko piece.
In our opinion, every collector should have a few Seikos in their collection. (It doesn’t matter if your display case is full of APs and Rollies if its not got some Japanese bangers in there, you’re really missing out).
Are Seiko Good Watches?
Now we’ve got some more clarity regarding Seiko watches in this review, let’s evaluate some of the key points of the brand, and see if Seiko watches are good.
Seiko watches quality
Seiko watches are generally considered to be of good quality. The company has been in the watch-crafting business for over a century and has developed a wealth of experience and expertise in the field.
Seiko uses high-quality materials and employs skilled craftsmen to manufacture their watches, ensuring that they are built to last. Seiko is also known for its innovative technologies, such as the Kinetic and Spring Drive movements, which combine the accuracy of quartz with the traditional craftsmanship of mechanical watches.
Seiko watches durability
Seiko offers a range of features that enhance the durability of their watches. For example, many Seiko watches are water-resistant, with some models designed to be used for diving. Seiko also uses Hardlex or sapphire crystal glass, which is scratch-resistant and helps to protect the watch face from damage.
In addition, Seiko offers a warranty on their watches to ensure that customers are satisfied with their purchase
Seiko watches movement
Seiko watches are designed to withstand daily wear and tear and are often used by people in physically demanding professions, such as pilots and divers. Although this is what you’d expect, it’s always so satisfying to actually see a designer brand doing this as well as some of the most high-end in the industry. Seiko offers a wide range of movements in their watches, including mechanical, quartz, and Kinetic movements.
Seiko’s automatic in-house movement is a high-precision movement that loses or gains around 1 second each day. This is incredibly accurate to say this movement is implemented in bargain watches such as the Sports 5 models.
Our favourite Seiko watches at CALIBRE
So are Seiko watches good? We have to say that Seiko deserves all their well-earned clout. It’s actually amazing that you can get an automatic divers watch for under £300 that has quality synonymous with that of a watch that will set you back a grand.
Here are our favourite Seiko watches, hand-picked by the CALIBRE team:
