I remember paying around $400 for a quartz Tuna as a gift for a buddy in 2008. Then he purchased an aftermarket sapphire crystal and had it installed for another $100. So $500 all in for a quartz Tuna 300m sbbn007 with an aftermarket sapphire crystal including labor to install about 10 years ago.

Out of curiosity I just price checked the new quartz 300m Tuna with sapphire crystal releasing this week... Just under $1500! WTF? Triple the price in a decade. I'm sorry but I don't see prices being tripled in 12 years for the same item as justified.
The new Tuna is for all intents the exact SAME watch. The movement, case, etc are all the same as 10 years ago. I can't believe where Seiko is going with their pricing now.

Last year I paid like $700 for a MM200 and a SBDC053 and this years new 62mas reissues are going for $1100-1500. There is nothing I can detect that is meaningfully different in manufacturing/finishing/etc from the watches I purchased last year to the new models to explain the 50-100% price increases since last years models. (And last years models were already expensive for what they are btw.)

And the new LX Spring Drive 300m divers models which are for all intents and purposes of manufacturing the same as a Spring Drive 600m GMT are priced $3000 more (about double) what the SD600m went for.

And discontinuing the SKX line for those overpriced Seiko 5 feiko divers too. So paying more $$ for less watch (Seiko 5 non iso 100m watches).

I'm sad to say but I'm just done with Seiko. I just don't see how these prices are justified and don't like where the company is going. $1000+ for 6R low beat movements based on the 7s26 and the same old quartz tunas from 10 years ago is a joke. I don't see any value in what they are doing with the new watches and will be taking my $$ elsewhere from now on. I know they won't miss me but I've always loved the brand and owned at least 50 of their watches, written articles on this forum about their dive lines, and been a fan for 20 years.

But with all that's happened in the last year I am completely disenfranchised with the brand. Looking at these new prices and what's offered by Seiko for the money I feel the value is now truly in the Swiss and Microbrand alternatives.

I used to say many times on this forum that in every price point Seiko represented the best value for the money but now they certainly do not, and I don't see how any long time collector can feel good about the direction they are going.

I just bought a new 62mas for retail spb149 and its definitely worth the price the case finishing with diashield coating new move dial finishing and bezel are way above the more entry level models, i think Seiko underpriced for do many years that a lot of us baulk at the new pricing model. In the case of the 62mas and the willard i had a look at too they are worth it at least

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I just bought a new 62mas for retail spb149 and its definitely worth the price the case finishing with diashield coating new move dial finishing and bezel are way above the more entry level models, i think Seiko underpriced for do many years that a lot of us baulk at the new pricing model. In the case of the 62mas and the willard i had a look at too they are worth it at least

I think they might be worth the asking price if they addressed the misalignment issues that continue to plague them, and they actually adjusted and regulated their 6R35 movement. For me, while I still might get the SPB143 because I'm able to get it for 30% off, I would probably end up returning the watch if I encounter any of the misalignment and other QC issues that people have been reporting.

I don't think Seiko was ever really underpriced, the dial finishing was nicer than average, but they were manufactured rather sloppily, and their mechanical movements are medicore. That was perhaps acceptable at their old asking price, but I think they're milking their loyal fans given that their manufacturing and movement precision has not appreciably improved in accordance with their asking price.

 

There are not many things more stupid than comparing MSRP of a new product to massively discounted prices on a years old model, then blaming Seiko for the huge price difference. Prices have gone up yes, and they aren't worth how much more they're charging, but if you're going to compare them at least do it fairly. MM200s are around $1050 MSRP. Bit of a difference between that and $1100-$1500, and $700. The rest of this rant isn't worth reading to me when I see such silly and flawed comparisons solely made to make Seiko look as bad as possible.

 

This is what I'm taking about, and I never said a word about msrp. I'm sure as a Seiko guy who is familiar with the brand you know exactly what models and pricing I'm referring to but you don't agree with me and are happy to pay increases prices with Seiko. You are the customer who they are banking on.

There is a $300 or roughly 30% price difference between these watches today on Seiya's site. It's easy to see where things have been and are headed with the brand...

 

I haven't had as long an active history buying Seiko though my first piece was over four decades ago. Even so, I do hear what you're saying.
The comparison I make in my mind now as a relatively recent heavy plunger into Seiko is whether what they are delivering now a reasonable value in the marketplace. I feel it is, and so I'll continue to seek out new and interesting pieces. But I can do so because my particular mix of needs and values for Seiko goes reasonably well with developments. In a sense, I've never really lived through the "good ole days" and only have recent times to go by.

 

The MM200 lists for $1000 and you admit that you only paid $700 for it. I have seen SBDCs on straps for $590. You can buy the older quartz Tunas sbbn033 that retail for $1300 for $900. The Seiko 5 divers that retail for $300 can be bought for under $140 from Macys on a cyber monday or a black friday deal. I know that, because I did. And got some macys back on top of it. MSRP is pretty meaningless when talking Seiko. Comparing a major brand, vertically integrated company, with history, with original designs, with in house movements to some fly by night micro company that steals designs and outsources its manufacturing to slave labor camps in communist China is a bit unfair. Maybe you should try Hamilton and Mido. They seem to have certain divers in the $500 range that offer similar specs.

 

Have you seen the inside caseback of the new Willards? Outside it says Japan, inside it says China-WP. That is China-Wuhan Province.

Seiko has no problem using slave labor in communist China.

 

Which non iso are you referring to? Not all watches have to be divers. 100m is more than adequate for a diver for the vast majority of buyers. If it is a land,field watch it is great at.100m.

 

100m diver watch? I don't think I've seen a brand that recommends a 100m watch for diving yet, but maybe I'm wrong.

Yawn!!!!!

There is a word for this, it is called inflation. This means prices rise. 20 years ago, I could get a brand new car in the USA for $10,000 and that was with taxes, tags and other fees. Now you would be hard pressed to find a new car for under $20,000 with taxes and tags and fees. Prices go up.

In 1988 I could get a brand new Rolex Air King for about $1000 now an Air King costs over $6000 new

Also you are looking at MSRP. Any body that pays MSRP on a Seiko is a fool especially as most Seiko US ADs offer a 20% discount

There's a way to communicate if you want people to listen mate, starting with "yawn!!!" and proceeding in a patronising tone probably isn't the best way of getting heard.

Inflation impacts everything sure. But Seiko is clearly pricing up their offering in recent years, I don't think anyone can reasonably deny they've made a conscious decision to change their pricing, this is not just inflation.

As for anyone buying a Seiko at MSRP being a 'fool', remember the majority of normal folk (aka not us) walk in to a shop, pick something they like and buy it. No different from buying shoes or a shirt for most people. We're in the minority.

 

I think Seiko still has a few value propositions, but would tend to agree that it seemed like a higher percentage of Seiko's were great "bang for buck" watches a decade ago. I also don't think that many people are paying MSRP for them.

What I'm growing to appreciate more and more about the brand, however, is their ability to offer universal appeal by having, quite literally, something for everyone. Brands without such massive catalogues have to try to make a handful of models universally appealing. After careful consideration of Swiss alternatives, I bought an LX. It's design is artistic and cohesive in a way that is simply impossible to match if your business model requires you to garner a huge (relatively speaking) market share with one watch.

I certainly can't list too many reasons why it should be so much more expensive than the 600m GMT beyond design, but that might speak to the 600m being one of those phenomenal bang for buck watches. The LX is well worth the cost of admission.

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Well I am a Seikoholic - I have more Seiko watches than all other makes put together
I have several MM's, premium SLA025, Turtles, Arnie, Seiko 5s, vintage etc etc

But...undoubtedly Seiko have pushed their prices up well above inflation
I don't think they are the bargain they have been at most price points they once were
I wished I'd bought a MM300 10 years ago when they first came on my radar and were available new (imported) for £1200-1500 depending on exchange rate/duty etc - they seem to have doubled in a few years, with just modest sapphire crystal to show for it

What disappoints me is QC on cheaper models (and some higher ones I've seen/owned under loup)
I love GS but they are now costed out of my comfort zone - especially as the resale really dives

I dont think their prices are justifiable
I recently bought a Smiths Vanguard PRS-32 - a quality homage to the Paul Newman Daytona - limited to 50pieces
It is stainless steel, sapphire front n rear, and uses the Seiko Instruments column wheel chrono NE88 is the export version of 8R28) -
it cost £765

Seiko recently released a 1000 piece 'limited edition' panda chrono (SRQ029J1) retailing at £3300 - it has essentially the same movement
8R48 (is the same as 8R28/NE88 with improved shockproofing) - with no more finish, polish, regulating than mine. The Seiko has Zaratsu polishing which is nice - diashield (which I dont like as a scratch cant be polished) - I am not sure what else it has? and it costs a staggering 4x more - for no more. Indeed, I think mine looks better

I know a small Micro like Timefactors doesnt have all the R&D, manufacturing overheads, distribution costs etc etc that Seiko has - but still - my watch with comparable materials and essentially the same movement at 23% the cost of the Seiko ??? makes me think

 

You're better off buying a San Martin or Heimdallr homage for much less money that's better quality than the Seiko Tuna and MM200.


The great John Holmes wears a digital watch and Ron Jeremy wears Crocs.

 

You're better off buying a San Martin or Heimdallr homage for much less money that's better quality than the Seiko Tuna and MM200.

The great John Holmes wears a digital watch and Ron Jeremy wears Crocs.

I would agree. The San Martin tuna had perfect alignment, stout stem and used a Seiko movement for $225. Proxima makes a better SBDX001 then Seiko did.

 

or you can buy a cheaper Seiko and mod it, I bought a Samurai Save the Ocean for $300, added a lumed bezel and double domed sapphire, and even with the tools that keeps the watch ~$400

 

I don't think that Seiko regulated the 4R36 or the 6R35 movement.


The great John Holmes wears a digital watch and Ron Jeremy wears Crocs.

 

I don't think that Seiko regulated the 4R36 or the 6R35 movement.

They don't. I'm simply saying at the price they're asking for the new models, they should be adjusting and regulating the 6R35 movements.

 

Yeah well that's the biggest problem isn't it. The guarantee of quality is basically just non-existent with them. Obviously the more you pay the lesser the chance of issues, but like I've said before, some of the issues you see on a 1k+ watch where you'd expect most of the money would be going into the quality of the exterior as it sure as ---- isn't going into the movement, is unacceptable.

 

Yawn!!!!!

There is a word for this, it is called inflation. This means prices rise. 20 years ago, I could get a brand new car in the USA for $10,000 and that was with taxes, tags and other fees. Now you would be hard pressed to find a new car for under $20,000 with taxes and tags and fees. Prices go up.

In 1988 I could get a brand new Rolex Air King for about $1000 now an Air King costs over $6000 new

Also you are looking at MSRP. Any body that pays MSRP on a Seiko is a fool especially as most Seiko US ADs offer a 20% discount

So lets see

Suppose you want the new Seiko Tuna that is coming out this month. The model for the USA market is Model S23629 for MSRP of $1450

The MSRP for the Seiko SBBN033 Tuna (rubber strap model) is 120,000 Yen (about $1134 with the today rate). That means this new Tuna is about $316 more.

If the USA Seiko AD offers a 20% discount on this watch, that deducts $290 from the price and makes it $1160 before tax. The cheapest place I can find the SBBN033 Tuna is from Gnomon Watches for $910. This means that the new one from the AD after discount and before tax is $250 more then the old SBBN033. The difference might be less if you get whacked with customs fees on that overseas Tuna purchase.

I think the Sapphire crystal, new handset and warranty (for the USA Market) is well worth the price increase

That is actually less of a price increase then the SBBN033 was to the SBBN017.

As for the SKX007 and its perceived value price, you are looking at street price. They had an MSRP of $450 from a Seiko AD. The fact that you could once get them for $150 or $200 new out the door from a Gray Market Seller is irrelevant to Seiko prices, If you walked into a Seiko AD and wanted to buy a US market SKX diver (ether the SKX173 or SKXA35) you would see the MSRP is $450

The Seiko 5 Sport watches that look like the SKX diver has no influence in Seiko's choice to finally kill off the SKX divers and they are not the SKX replacement. Seiko killed them off because the SRP Turtle Divers replaced them (and are a better watch).

 

Yawn!!!!!

There is a word for this, it is called inflation. This means prices rise. 20 years ago, I could get a brand new car in the USA for $10,000 and that was with taxes, tags and other fees. Now you would be hard pressed to find a new car for under $20,000 with taxes and tags and fees. Prices go up.

In 1988 I could get a brand new Rolex Air King for about $1000 now an Air King costs over $6000 new

Also you are looking at MSRP. Any body that pays MSRP on a Seiko is a fool especially as most Seiko US ADs offer a 20% discount

So lets see

Suppose you want the new Seiko Tuna that is coming out this month. The model for the USA market is Model S23629 for MSRP of $1450

The MSRP for the Seiko SBBN033 Tuna (rubber strap model) is 120,000 Yen (about $1134 with the today rate). That means this new Tuna is about $316 more.

If the USA Seiko AD offers a 20% discount on this watch, that deducts $290 from the price and makes it $1160 before tax. The cheapest place I can find the SBBN033 Tuna is from Gnomon Watches for $910. This means that the new one from the AD after discount and before tax is $250 more then the old SBBN033. The difference might be less if you get whacked with customs fees on that overseas Tuna purchase.

I think the Sapphire crystal, new handset and warranty (for the USA Market) is well worth the price increase

That is actually less of a price increase then the SBBN033 was to the SBBN017.

As for the SKX007 and its perceived value price, you are looking at street price. They had an MSRP of $450 from a Seiko AD. The fact that you could once get them for $150 or $200 new out the door from a Gray Market Seller is irrelevant to Seiko prices, If you walked into a Seiko AD and wanted to buy a US market SKX diver (ether the SKX173 or SKXA35) you would see the MSRP is $450

The Seiko 5 Sport watches that look like the SKX diver has no influence in Seiko's choice to finally kill off the SKX divers and they are not the SKX replacement. Seiko killed them off because the SRP Turtle Divers replaced them (and are a better watch).

JF, your inflation argument and examples only makes my point even more clear here.

You are saying prices on cars have doubled in the last 20 years. (A 2001 Toyota Corolla was ~$13k and now is ~$20k FYI).

So I'm not sure I agree with your statement that car prices have doubled but even accepting it as true, I'm seeing prices on many Seiko watches have more than doubled in just the last 5-10 years. (Darth Tuna, Spring Drive Divers, MM300, Tuna 300m, etc)

(FYI some Seiko models have tripled or more in less than 20 years, like the SBDX001 had a street price around $1k when it came out less than 20 years ago in 2001 and today's current MM300 models are $3k at dealers. I don't see any cars priced triple what they were in ~2001.

The Seiko price increases far outpace inflation or your examples. There is an intentional move by Seiko to raise prices and it's far outpacing inflation. When the Seiko watches are the same models and priced 3 times as much as the same model from 12 years ago it's not just inflation.*

*(New Tuna coming out next week for example is ~ $1400 after 10% discount from AD and in 2008 Tuna was ~$500 from AD)

 

Some clarification is in order. In 2005 when the MM600/sbdb001 was released it had a msrp $5400. I bought a brand new 16600 seadweller a couple years later for $6800 msrp at an AD. Comparatively, the MM600 was exceedingly expensive. It was literally more expensive than the Omega SMP 300, anything from Breitling and Tag and most others.

When you say the mm600 was only “$3000” - this didn’t happen until they changed the model to pure titanium, relabelled it sbdb011 with diashield, to reduce price, and then slashed the $4250 msrp of the sbdb011, for a fire sale to sell off old stock. They slashed prices to sell old stock to make way for the $6k LXs.

In 2004 when I bought my sbbn007 from Higutchi, it was $525. At the time both the Tuna and the MM600 were released, both were JDM and both had a small USA/EU customer base. Now, the whole world sees the bang-up value of high end Seikos and Seiko is adjusting price accordingly.

However, I too am growing tired if Seiko’s meteoric pricing strategy and which that they might show more value improvements - add new value to go with new prices - in their new models.

 

Some clarification is in order. In 2005 when the MM600/sbdb001 was released it had a msrp $5400. I bought a brand new 16600 seadweller a couple years later for $6800 msrp at an AD. Comparatively, the MM600 was exceedingly expensive. It was literally more expensive than the Omega SMP 300, anything from Breitling and Tag and most others.

When you say the mm600 was only "$3000" - this didn't happen until they changed the model to pure titanium, relabelled it sbdb011 with diashield, to reduce price, and then slashed the $4250 msrp of the sbdb011, for a fire sale to sell off old stock. They slashed prices to sell old stock to make way for the $6k LXs.

In 2004 when I bought my sbbn007 from Higutchi, it was $525. At the time both the Tuna and the MM600 were released, both were JDM and both had a small USA/EU customer base. Now, the whole world sees the bang-up value of high end Seikos and Seiko is adjusting price accordingly.

However, I too am growing tired if Seiko's meteoric pricing strategy and which that they might show more value improvements - add new value to go with new prices - in their new models.

Matt,

I paid $2500 for my first MM600 SBDB001 in 2005 from Hiaguchi and this was cheaper than Rolex or Omega offerings at the time. This is why for years I said Seiko led every segment in value. The SBDB011 was priced around $3300-3500 from AD's the whole time it was in production (depending on exchange rate fluctuations) which is only a little more than the SBDB001 was when it was discontinued. Both are comparable to the new LX divers now priced about $3k more from AD's than these older models they replaced.

I also paid < $1200 for my first SBDX001 purchased new in 2003. This was less than half what Omega AD's were selling the comparable 2254 seamasters for. Now the LX divers are priced more than new Planet Oceans both from AD's.

 

I find this quite interesting. I own a few vintage Seiko watches. My father bought me a Sportsmatic 5 (6619-8120) back in 1967 while he was serving in Vietnam in 68-69 and gave it to me when he was home on leave and when I asked him, he told me it cost 85 bucks at the PX which was a lot of money back then. A PFC E-3 made about $300 a month and an 04 about $750 a month. Of course, there was combat pay, COLA and other add ons, but still a lot of money for a watch. That Sportsmatic is part of my collection and I still wear it in rotation. Rolex GMTs cost about 300 bucks in those days at the PX. Which brand has inflated prices compared to then? I own several vintage Seikos in addition to that Sportsmatic and I bought my first new Seiko in 40 years, an SPB103J1 just today. I was attracted by the color. Had to order it from Spain to get a decent price on an NIB one but, at 700 bucks, it certainly is a lot of watch. Note: I own Panerai, JLC, Rolex as well so I have a basis to compare. Seiko seems to still be the value leader, along with Citizen (I have a couple of their mechanical Promasters).

 

I have a caviar taste on a peanut butter budget. I finally bought one of my dream watches, a Seiko SKX009K2 but bought it used. I know many of you will laugh at me for buying an entry level divers that I have always wanted but couldn’t afford. Will never be able to buy a Rolex Deep Sea Dweller. But now that I have it (Seiko) I actually think my Orient Mako II is a better watch. I agree that inflation is a killer as I still remember my first job, minimum wage was $2.25/hour. But we are talking about working wrist jewelry, not a car or a house. So with the varying opinions of those with money to burn on expensive watches, what about those of us that still want a good quality watch and still want enough money to retire on? List some other brands that are just as good as Seiko or better that are a better value for limited funds. Loreo? Pulsar? Orient? And please do not include Invicta (costume jewelry junk imo with the possible exception of the pro diver with decent movement).

 

I have a caviar taste on a peanut butter budget. I finally bought one of my dream watches, a Seiko SKX009K2 but bought it used. I know many of you will laugh at me for buying an entry level divers that I have always wanted but couldn't afford. Will never be able to buy a Rolex Deep Sea Dweller. But now that I have it (Seiko) I actually think my Orient Mako II is a better watch. I agree that inflation is a killer as I still remember my first job, minimum wage was $2.25/hour. But we are talking about working wrist jewelry, not a car or a house. So with the varying opinions of those with money to burn on expensive watches, what about those of us that still want a good quality watch and still want enough money to retire on? List some other brands that are just as good as Seiko or better that are a better value for limited funds. Loreo? Pulsar? Orient? And please do not include Invicta (costume jewelry junk imo with the possible exception of the pro diver with decent movement).

I actually think a San Martin Turtle with a Seiko NH35 movement is a great alternative. It has domed sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel insert, lume that is very good (although still second to Seiko), 200m W/R, and costs $200 delivered. The San Martin 62mas Same specs and with a bracelet is about $240 delivered.

And of course Orient is awesome. A new Triton can be had for around $300 delivered and it has better specs than the SKX or Seiko Turtle with sapphire crystal and a power reserve complication too.

 

I've never connected with Seiko as a brand. It baffles me now more than ever the prices people will pay for their watches. But taste is subjective so to each his own. I do think there are some fantastic German watches to be had, especially used, in the same price range as the Seiko's you mention.

 

If you have never connected with Seiko, why would you read and post on a Seiko forum? Just curious, I have never gone to a forum here where I have no interest in the brand.

 

Firstly, I'm just glad that we finally have a thread dedicated to Seiko price increases, hopefully this means no more discussions on price and value for money in the threads dedicated to specific Seiko models.

Reading OP's post, I got curious about the MSRP of the SBBN007, and a quick search on Google led me to this thread from 2009

New Seiko Tuna models on the way

The new Tunas have been posted on the Chino Watch blog, and all I can say is: hold onto your wallet, Seiko fans. Here's the SBBN015 with a whopping MSRP of 126000 JPY?! That's approximately $1300, though the street price is sure to be considerably lower. Note the black bezel insert, OEM...

www.watchuseek.com

It's funny how 11 years on, some of the comments on price, value and Swiss alternatives are still echoed in this thread. I will say though, 11 years later, the new Tuna being ~50% more at Japanese MSRP versus the SBBN017 isn't too bad, the whole industry has gone through massive price increases over the last decade.

Personally, I also despise the price increase, but it's true of pretty much all major brands on the market. Seiko has probably increased a bit more in % term, but that's probably down to their lower prices in the past, and their attempt to move up market, as smart watches eat into the market for lower priced watches.

One final point, I don't get the sentiment that Seiko needs to be priced lower than its Swiss counterpart. If the specs are comparable, I would absolutely pay the same for a Seiko over a Swiss brand. However, I do agree with some posts above that Seiko needs to improve their QC and introduce better mid tier movements to justify the price increase.

 

Reading OP's post, I got curious about the MSRP of the SBBN007, and a quick search on Google led me to this thread from 2009

New Seiko Tuna models on the way

The new Tunas have been posted on the Chino Watch blog, and all I can say is: hold onto your wallet, Seiko fans. Here's the SBBN015 with a whopping MSRP of 126000 JPY?! That's approximately $1300, though the street price is sure to be considerably lower. Note the black bezel insert, OEM...

www.watchuseek.com

By the way, here are the prices of the new models mentioned in the thread from 2009, versus the latest releases:

SBBN017 105,000 JPY vs SBBN045 165,000 JPY (+57%)
Darth Tuna 210,000 JPY vs SBBN047 275,000 JPY (+31%)
SBDX011 315,000 JPY vs SBDX038 440,000 JPY (+40%)
SBDB003 577,500 JPY vs SBDB029/SNR025 583,000 JPY (+1%)

Just for fun:
Submariner 14060 $5,450 in 2008 vs Submariner 114060 in 2020 $7,900 (+45%)

Minus4PLUS6.com - Rolex Education

www.minus4plus6.com

Speedmater ~€2,500 in 2009 vs €4,700 in 2020 (+88%)

Omega Speedmaster Preisentwicklung - The Moon is the Limit? (Update 2024)

Uhren als Wertanlage: Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch. Analyse der Preisentwicklung, Preiserhöhungen und Wertentwicklung von 1995 bis 2024

zeigr.com

Obviously different market, different FX and inflation comes into play. However, we can see that the industry in general has risen significantly in price in the last decade.

 

Accidental post

 

Ah, I usually go directly to the subforums of interest, I never click on those recommended links.

 

Dude just don't buy it if you don't like it.

 

We must first great effort into whining. Apparently.

 

New buyers who have no long term knowledge of Seiko prices will just buy on what they see and Seiko hopes that it will set a new norm for their position in the market. But anyone who does some research, by looking at forums such as this one, may not be so easily convinced as checking on the internet brings up a wide range of information and long term memory. When I first bought watches you did the rounds of the city jewellers as there was no internet.

 

I think the comparo's with Swiss manufacturers inflation has one very fatal flaw in that logic. Seiko QC sucks the big one and it sure as heck goes into upper tier pricing with Seiko while most Swiss brands seem to keep their quality in check except for maybe Tudor and their GMT issues. This is something that has, still, and will continue to plague Seiko as a brand. So much so, that the only Seiko I've kept in my collection is my SBBN031 - and yes, a $1,000 new watch that I had to disassemble to fix an erratic bezel on a 'professional' dive watch. My previous Seiko disappointment was a SBDX017 - also bought new from Seiya that had a plethora of QC alignment issues that eventually made me sell it off. The allure of bang for buck with Seiko is gone, just like those yellow and black prospex boxes, and all things pre-prospexification branding. Btw, to set the record straight, my new SBBN017 cost $750.00 from Chino and the SBBN033 was $900.00 from Seiya - at least Seiko introduced Diashield, a new handset, and better lume to the equation to offset the cost of $150.00. Now you get a sapphire crystal, and OG hand set from the parts bin for how much of a delta? No matter how you slice it - no 6R15 powered (or 6R35 for that matter) worth more than 500 bucks - it's a low beat movement (which i could live with) with amplitude issues and only runs consistent when fully wound, while wearing a tin foil hat, facing east on your right leg, and for Christ's sake - make sure you have it dial up and you might get a year out of it before it needs servicing. At $750.00 - $1,200.00 there are way too many ETA/SW powered competitors between Hamilton, Longines, Eterna, Zodiac Tissot, Alpina, etc. that will run solid for years and not have glaring QC issues.......but different strokes for different folks. As said before - if you can't even show proper alignment in your sales/promo pics, then what do you think they'll do with actual watches. Yeah, I let my Seiko fanboi card membership lapse with no intent of renewing.

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I see what you’re saying but if we look at what other companies are doing, I don’t think they’re overpriced. Seiko has a long and rich history, they’re fully integrated, and their products punch well above their weight. I agree with the QC issues being a problem, but it hasn’t stopped anyone from buying their watches, myself included.

 

Ah, the classic kiss off to Seiko. Sure, in many instances Seiko prices have risen to the point that any merit they had as a value proposition before is now questionable at best, but rather than writing the brand off and writing an all guns blazing post, I just shop around and find what I want on the used market or gray. Generally speaking, I would never pay MSRP for any watch and find almost all MSRPs laughable, not just Seiko's. I guess I'm not a dedicated Seikonut, so it is harder for me to get it. For me, my response to an inflated MSRP is a shoulder shrug and an internet search for pre-owned and sometimes gray prices if they're right.

 

Ah, the classic kiss off to Seiko. Sure, in many instances Seiko prices have risen to the point that any merit they had as a value proposition before is now questionable at best, but rather than writing the brand off and writing an all guns blazing post, I just shop around and find what I want on the used market or gray. Generally speaking, I would never pay MSRP for any watch and find almost all MSRPs laughable, not just Seiko's. I guess I'm not a dedicated Seikonut, so it is harder for me to get it. For me, my response to an inflated MSRP is a shoulder shrug and an internet search for pre-owned and sometimes gray prices if they're right.

I have no issue with shopping around, and I can get the SPB143 for 30% off from an AD, but the lax quality standards that Seiko exhibits does complicate matters, since you also need to find a dealer with a good return policy, or who is willing to send you QC photos.

Put another way, it's hard to negotiate a fantastic deal if you're also going to ask the dealer to take macro photos of the watch they'll be shipping to you, and time it on a Timegrapher.

 

OP, if there's any consolation, the turtles can be had for about $300 now and it could be a good alternative option.