Scratching an itch....

[Minutehand]

Picked this up recently to feed the habit, while I wait for the new year for the next Rolex....

Almost always surprised by the Seiko quality at the price point. This one is Titanium, so ridiculously light. The edgings and angles on the case and different finishings thereof are really something to appreciate.

This one shouts for wrist time and I often switch to it during the day...

When I added this to my insurance listing, could not help but notice that all my mechanical/automatic acquisitions this year have been from Rolex and Seiko

[mtrunner]

Very nice looking watch.

[threemonkeys]

Seiko makes some nice watches - including those at a much higher price point (Grand Seiko).

Yes, nice watch.

[BarkMaster]

It's a good looking sports watch, but to me it looks like it wants to be a Rolex.

[z32turbo]

[dddrees]

Looks good, and it has lug holes too. Congrats.

[Minutehand]

Originally Posted by BarkMaster

It's a good looking sports watch, but to me it looks like it wants to be a Rolex.

I had a chuckle when I first read your comment because I think that there are many watches that aspire “to be a Rolex when I grow up”, most likely reflecting the copycat inclinations of their creators.

But then I got thinking about the motives of Seiko, like only a WIS could!

Did they really try to imitate the classic Rolex look with this watch? While the features could resemble that of a Submariner, it is really only in general terms, i.e. black dial and bezel insert, some round hour markers. If then Seiko was trying to “borrow” from Rolex, they have gone through considerable effort to disguise it. For instance, the case is much more angular with various corners and planes/bevelling (and with some contrasting glossy curves to fill the space left by the very deep set end links). To me the case is the highlight of the watch. As a result, it may therefore look like a Rolex at a casual glance, but the closer you look the more you realise how different it is compared to a Sub and how much thought has gone into the design of the case. The bezel markings, hands and 12,6,9 hour markers are different to Rolex, in fact the hour/minute hands are similar in shape to the Seiko Monsters while the second hand has been borrowed from the Sumo. At closer inspection even the knurls in the bezel is different to a Rolex – matching the character of the case they are more angular and elongated that that on a Rolex.

Apart from the styling considerations there is the material - titanium, treated to be scratch resistant and look more like ss.

Apology if this appears to be an overreaction to a casual comment. I am not trying to argue against or for the statement, it merely got me thinking about whether Seiko was trying to copy Rolex and caused me to pay closer attention to the details. As a matter of fact I have another Seiko 5, which is much more obvious with its Sub undertones! And we all know that since the launch of the first two "true divers" (Sub and Fifty Fathoms), many watches have “relied” on styling similar to the two icons.

Would love to hear what other watch enthusiasts think!

[drockadam]

very nice!