Tips For Choosing A Seiko Watch To Purchase
If you want to learn more about Seiko as a brand or are searching for tips on buying your first ever Seiko watch, you’ve come to the right place. With this guide, we’ll explore the history of Seiko, some of the prominent differences between each Seiko watch series, and last but not least, how you can purchase your first Seiko watch.
A Brief History of Seiko
Before you invest in your first Seiko watch, you might want to learn more about the brand’s history.
Seiko’s story began in 1881, when 22-year-old entrepreneur Kintaro Hattori opened a clock and watch shop in Tokyo – Seikosha, “House of Exquisite Workmanship.” As the oldest watch manufacturing company in Japan, it is no wonder Seiko is one of the most trusted and well-respected brands in the industry.
The brand prides itself on being a forward-thinking innovator of watches as it introduced the world’s first-ever quartz watch in 1969. This sparked a wave of significant change and progression in the industry, especially with Seiko’s release of the first GPS solar watch in the world.
With so many quality timepieces available in the market today, here are the top three overriding values that tie the different Seiko collections together:
- Value
- Quality
- In-house movement ethos
Introduction To Seiko Watch Collections
Seiko’s catalogue of watches is relatively large, however, you should not be daunted by the breadth of diversity. Read on for a summary of Seiko’s most notable collections:
Seiko Prospex
The Seiko Prospex collection features robust yet stylish tool watches. The Prospex collection derives its name from “professional specifications,” with the series populated by dive, field, and pilot-style watches that are broken into various price tiers and sub-collections.
For instance, the Seiko Dive watches fall under two categories: Diver Scuba (offering 200m water resistance) and Marine Master Professional (300m, 600m, or 1000m water resistance) – perfect for those who love water sports.
Seiko Presage
Driven by the brand’s in-house developed movements, Seiko Presage watches artfully marry traditional watchmaking techniques with the latest Seiko’s technical advancements. The result? Elegant-looking dress watches coming in various styles to suit all tastes.
Seiko 5
The Seiko 5 Sports collection comprises modern and trendsetting automatic watches. Inspired by the brand’s iconic diving and military watches, the Seiko 5 range offers different styles to suit the needs of its wearer.
Seiko Astron
Seiko Astron, the world’s first quartz wristwatch, revolutionised the global watch industry in 2010 with the first of its kind, a GPS solar watch. Driven by proprietary technology and superior features, Seiko Astron again heralded a new era in precision timekeeping.
Some Seiko Astron models, like the Seiko Astron Ssh109j1 5x Dual-Time Gps Solar Chronograph "Solidity" Men Watch, also offer many practical functions like chronograph, perpetual calendar, and even world time. This is the ideal multifunction watch for tech-savvy wearers, professionals, or even frequent travellers.
Seiko Lukia
First released in 1995, the Seiko Lukia is a watch collection dedicated to complementing ladies’ fashion. Initially restricted to the regional market, this collection is now available across the globe.
Unlike the big-faced and oversized watches from the other collections, the Lukia is designed with intricate details to bring out its femininity. The collection offers various case shapes, sizes, dials, colours, and straps to suit different styles and outfits.
How To Choose A Seiko Watch For Myself?
Now that you know the notable collections you can choose from, here’s how to pick the perfect Seiko watch for yourself:
1. Opt for features that are useful to you
As you might already know, Seiko watches are powered by various technologies to suit different wearing preferences. For instance, quartz movements are powered by batteries, whereas solar energy or watches powered by kinetic energy use light and your body’s movement to generate power. Most of the time, you generally do not need to wind these watches if you haven’t worn them for awhile, making it more convenient.
On the other hand, automatic watches have to be wound when not worn. As such, you must wind it whenever you want to wear it. While it may seem inconvenient initially, good-quality automatic watches have better longevity than battery-powered ones, allowing them to withstand the sands of time.
2. Select features that suit your lifestyle
As mentioned earlier, Seiko watches come with an amazing array of features like your conventional alarm, stopwatches, date window, and more. Other specialised features to look out for include GPS, perpetual calendar, moon phases, and even 1000m water resistance. Hence, it is always best to consider your lifestyle needs before deciding on a Seiko watch. For instance, if you like free diving, you could consider getting Seiko Prospex watches that come with the Marine Master Professional feature. Or, if you are looking for a watch that would elevate your workwear, you could consider getting one from the Seiko Presage collection.
3. Choose a Seiko watch that would bring out your personality
Besides considering all the practical aspects and your lifestyle needs, it is also important that your Seiko watch will match your personality. By choosing a Seiko watch that you love, you’ll be assured that the timepiece will last you well into the future.
The Perfect Seiko For Every Collector
While Seiko has multiple watches within its range of iconic collections, each timepiece still boasts a unique sense of style. This simply means that there is sure to be a timepiece to match every collector's personal style and needs. The brand is also known for its famous case shapes, such as the Seiko Tuna and Seiko Turtle – both instantly recognisable to fans of the brand. While both watches share similar features, the silhouette, dials, and even straps of individual models remain distinct.
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