Opinion: Seiko vs. Swiss “Seiko is cheap watch. Swiss is expensive watch”. Is that so?
“Swiss watch is long lasting, Seiko watch easily spoilt.
IMHO, all these are rhetoric; ie not saying Swiss-made is good but in my humblest opinion Seiko is better. The modern technological watch invention’s history has proven Seiko’s prowess. Swiss watch is definitely an elitist watch (as the general perception goes but not all Swiss made watch are such), but the advancement in its technology is not new, only modified or improved from its design, basic material and power reserve). Swiss names is available everywhere in the market, but now, Seiko belongs to Haute Horlogerie watch maker category (where as only a handful Swiss watch maker is in the same category). Seiko’s superior technology has always been marginalized by strong proposition of Swiss, but not anymore!
A wee bit of history on Switzerland (Swiss) – the World Horology CenterThe history of watch making started around the year 1700. The basic technology of watch making (or clock-making) originated from Switzerland and countries around it like France, German dan Italy. Not to forget, England too. Now most watch-making companies concentrated at Geneva, Le Locle, Schaffhausen, Minerva and Valley de Joux. Many French brand like Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoutre, dan Cartier also shifted their operations to Switzerland. Even Italian brands like Bvlgari dan Panerai also doing the same. Only a handful watch-making pioneer, for example, A. Lange & Sohne, Glashutte Original, dan Muhle Glashutte based at Glashutte town remains in their country of origin, ie German..
Seiko - awed by Swiss manufacturerThe Seiko brand of wrist watches was first used and exist in the market around the year 1924. Earlier it was using the name Seikosha for wall clocks, desk clocks as well as pocket watches. Seiko’s history started in the year 1881 in Ginza district in Tokyo, Japan. The company original named after its founder, Kintaro Hatori ie K. Hattori & Co., Ltd., now is known as Seiko Corporation of Japan.
Seiko is famed for its technological advancement and some of its technological uniqueness made breakthroughs among the Swiss watch manufacturers. The Seiko 'Master watchmaker’ is respected by Swiss experts.
The following points are based on my understanding of Swiss and Seiko watches gather from Internet forum, and extract from watch magazines.
1. Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 and Zenith El-Primero are two mechanical wristwatch movements which beats at 10 ‘vibration’ or ‘beat’ per second (10bps – beat per second). At the scale 36,000bph (10bps x 60 second x 60 minute) the movement can be scaled at 1/10th of a second and is really very accurate for a ‘chronograph’ measurement. Zenith’s movement is called ‘El-Primero’ (the one and only).But it is not the only movement which has 36,000bph in the world. Seiko also have that too and managed to get a COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronom?tres) standard recognition end of 1960s and is used in its Grand Seiko model. For a vintage Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 model, not only it is expensive but harder to find (till the latest announcement of a remake of the Grand Seiko launcehed this year, 2011) I believe the value of this vintage Grand Seiko is higher that the vintage Swiss watch in the same category and year of make like Rolex, Gerard Perrageux and Omega. Rolex never produced a movement that can give 36,000bph (only as high as 8bps/28,800bph). Rolex did El-Primero movement in its Cosmograph model at one time.
2. When Swiss-made watches requires the user to turn the crown to move the hands front and back to change the day/date calendar, Seiko already has this technology in place (quick-set date) trough ‘lever setting stem’ where the crown is pulled out to turn the Calendar Plate without interrupting the hands movement! There is some Seiko model which used date pusher to change the date like Bellmatic 4006 dan Chronograph 6139 models. The method to change the calendar date manually by Seiko was copied by most Swiss manufacturer till now.
3. The Seiko automatic 6319 chronograph movement launched in 1969 is the first chronograph movement using “vertical clutch” or “column wheel” for ‘zero reset’ operation and is more stable dan accurate. Compared with using a ‘train wheel’ in a movement from Swiss manufacturer like Valjoux, Lemania, Lejoux Perret, Venus etc; Seiko’s chronograph was the better one during the 1970s. Among the Seiko chronograph model which is liked by vintage watch collectors are automatic models 6139, 6138 and 7016. Comparatively, the Swiss counterpart for chronograph models which is popular at the same period is Rolex ‘Daytona Cosmograph’ which used Valjoux 7730, Zenith El-Primero and Venus movement; Omega Speedmaster used Lemania movement; and TAG Heuer Monaco used ‘in-house movement’ Calibre 11 which originally was developed by Heuer – Leonidas.
4. Seiko is the only mechanical watch maker which has many “chronograph movement” variation if compared with Swiss watch manufacturer.
Since the early production of Seiko’s “column wheel chronograph” 5717, Seiko has produced the mechanical version which is more stable, ie movement 5718, 5719, 6138, 6139, 7015 to 7018 series, 45899, and the latest being 5R86 ‘Spring-Drive Chronograph’ series.
Most Swiss watch manufacturers, for example Tag Heuer, Omega, Longines, Breitling, Panerai etc, used Valjoux (now known as ETA Valjoux) movement like 7750, ETA 2894, Lemania etc. These corporations named the basic “engine” or ‘ebouche’ Valjoux whch they changed to their own name Only a handful of 'Haute Horlogerie'(meaning the company which produced all the parts and assembled them into finish goods)used their own movement (in house movement) such as Audemars Piguet, Piaget, Breguet, Blancpain, Jaeger LeCoutre, Patek Philippe, Rolex etc
5. Seiko is the only watch manufacturer that produced its own in house movement. It is the only quartz and mechanical watch producer which used more than 20 types of movements and qualified to be a Haute Horlogerie as all its parts were produced in house (R&D, component making, assembly line etc).
Most Swiss watch maker do not used their own movement. Swiss “quartz” watches generally used ‘ETA’ or ‘RONDA’ movement whilst ‘Swiss Mechanical’ watches generally used ETA movement. The one mostly used are ETA 2824 dan ETA 2836 (28,800bph) for calendar and GMT watches. Chronograph watches mainly used Valjoux 7750 dan ETA 2894 configuration. (But Seiko models and series used its own movement).
6. During the 1960s when a group of Swiss watch producer was busy inventing and developing the quartz watch, Seiko beats them to it by producing its quartz wrist watch called ‘Seiko Astron’ in 1968. The stability and accuracy of Seiko quartz watches has made most of the Swiss watch producer to make quartz watches a trend in the 1970s till end 1990s. Most Swiss made quartz watch used ETA or Ronda movement. Brands such as Omega, Longines, Tissot, TAG Heuer, Rado, Movado, dan Swatch all used the same “engine” or movement. Seiko? It used its in house quartz movement. TAG Heuer Golf watch used Ronda quartz movement of which its price is around 10% from its retail price! My guess is that the brand, the word “Swiss Made” and Tiger Woods’ goodwill (at that time) is the reason for such a high price. Seiko’s quartz movement is much better that its Swiss counterpart. Only that the best Seiko Quartz model is limited in its production.
7. The world’s dive master mostly wears Seiko’s dive watch since this is the most popular watch among professional scuba divers. Apart form Rolex Submariner and Sea-dweller, Seiko is the only brand that used its own in house movement.
Since 1990s, Omega Seamaster used ETA movement in its diving watches. Same goes for DOXA (which produced the first “Orange Dive”) which relies on ETA movement. The Italian Navy which used – 'Panerai Marina' relies on ETA and Unitas 6750 movement (except in the 1930s & early 1940s, Panerei used Rolex movement). Therefore most ding professional respected Seiko from its specification, movement, variation and its toughness. Many nicknames were given like Seiko Submariner (Rolex cousin?), Tuna Can, Tuna Flake, Monster, Samurai, Sumo and Orange Monster(can rival DOXA Sub-500T).
Summary
Seiko watches is not ‘second class’ or ‘low class’ watch which is frequently looked down by most watch enthusiasts in Asia, especially in Malaysia.
History has shown Seiko’s ability to influence technological development of watch making worldwide.
Maybe because its marketing strategy where Seiko placed most of its products at the working class (lower and middle market),therefore the general perception is it is on par with other Japanese brands like Orient, Citzen and Casio.
Seiko’s elite model like Grand Seiko, can be found in Japan, US and European market.Why? Reason is Asians do not look up to Seiko’s ability to be on par with Swiss watches. Every watch collector in US and Europe will sure have one Seiko elite model. If in Asia, every watch collector will sure have (minimum) a Rolex in their collection.
Source :
1) Wikipedia
2)
http://www.seikowatches.com/3) International Watch magazines
4) Pictures frm Seiko Institute of Horology
