Seiko’s reputation in terms of dive watches is… indisputable! The Japanese brand certainly has one of the largest collection of diving instruments, with prices ranging from EUR 400 to over EUR 5,000 – and all bearing their own nickname: Samurai, Turtle, Tuna or Sumo. Today we will take a look at the Sumo, an update […]
Regular visitors to MONOCHROME already know that we’re big fans of the incredible work that comes out of Seiko. Few, if any, brands can match the Japanese company’s unique blend of expert craftsmanship, technical expertise and value for money. A prime example of this comes in the form of the Presage brand, which made its […]
Japan is a country of deeply entrenched traditions and culture. Seiko, Japan’s main watchmaker, has long capitalized on its origins to create watches that reflect this rich and complex aesthetic. The Presage collection, introduced to the world in 2016, has since been the expression of traditional Japanese arts, with dials made according to ancient techniques […]
Since the introduction in 1965 of its first professional diver’s watch, the 62MAS, Seiko’s reputation in the field of sports/tool watches cannot be disputed. The brand is among the best manufacturers when it comes to producing rugged, efficient, purpose-built timepieces made for action. Today, the spirit of this classic sports watch is expressed in a […]
Following the recipe used on the recreation of the 62MAS, with the 2017 reference SLA017, and the recreation of the 1968 Hi-Beat Diver, with the reference SLA025, Seiko is about to bring a new, limited edition diver’s watch that is a faithful recreation of yet another icon, the reference 6105-8110, a 1970 watch that replaced […]
When talking about contemporary watches, companies generally use either in-house or off-the-shelf movements, the latter supplied by various manufacturers. Many high-end brands like Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rolex and Breguet can produce in-house movements that are optimized for their portfolios. A watch company is considered “complete” when it can produce its own movement, but many still rely on outsourced ones from large Swiss manufacturers like ETA and Sellita. Yet, the market has changed. A few established brands have decided to offer entry-range automatic watches and mostly, microbrands are all over the place, with the need to offer mechanical movements for accessible prices. Alternatives to the usual Swiss generic calibres have thus becomes crucial.
When talking about contemporary watches, companies generally use either in-house or off-the-shelf movements, the latter supplied by various manufacturers. Many high-end brands like Patek Philippe, Piaget, Rolex and Breguet can produce in-house movements that are optimized for their portfolios. A watch company is considered “complete” when it can produce its own movement, but many still rely on outsourced ones from large Swiss manufacturers like ETA and Sellita. Yet, the market has changed. A few established brands have decided to offer entry-range automatic watches and mostly, microbrands are all over the place, with the need to offer mechanical movements for accessible prices. Alternatives to the usual Swiss generic calibres have thus becomes crucial.
A few years ago, we published a story named “The Cheapest High-End Watch“. We searched for the most affordable high-end watch, comprising a mechanical movement, in-house manufactured of course, from a brand with an undisputed pedigree, preferably family-owned, and the watch should be (relatively) small and elegant. And guess who won the title… not Patek, not Vacheron, not even Rolex or Omega. It was a Seiko 5! While pretty much everyone thinks of Switzerland when we’re talking about high-end watches, we felt that one specific brand was often missing in the discussion… Today that’s changing already and certainly since Grand Seiko has been positioned as a separate brand, this Japanese giant is taken very seriously. Japanese movement are gaining traction in general, and despite being cheap (the word affordable doesn’t even work anymore), Seiko 5 watches are true mechanical, bang-for-the-buck “high-end” pieces. Time to demonstrate this, with the not-even-100-dollar Seiko 5 Military SNK809.
As the end of the year is fast approaching, it is time for us at MONOCHROME to take a look back at the main novelties of 2018 and to decide what were the best watches we’ve seen. As we did with our best watches below EUR 2,000, here’s our second buying guide, this time with the best watches of 2018 priced between EUR 2,000 and EUR 5,000. And this has been a tough selection, as this category is crucial for luxury brands – there’s a huge competition in this price range, as “accessible luxury” companies are fighting with entry-level models of more established names. But here is our top-10, just to give you an idea of what you could get with your hard-earned money this year.
Since its worldwide introduction in 2016, the Seiko Presage collection never ceased to impress. It all started with superb limited edition chronographs with enamel or hand-lacquered Urushi dials (just that…), watches that have been followed by regular production models with enamel dials or funky “cocktail” inspiration, as well as impressive limited editions such as the Shippo. In two years, Seiko has made Presage a collection as interesting as Prospex. Following this trend, the brand unveils today a new limited edition, the Seiko Presage Urushi Byakudan-nuri SPB085 – and here again, it brings traditional, hand-made Urushi at a stunning price level.