I’m thinking to buy a Seiko SKX 173 watch on Amazon amzn.to/2giorKu. It’s made in Malaysia. I have a few Seiko and they are made in Japan. I’m kind of skeptical and not sure if the one that made in Malaysia are the same reliable as the one that made in Japan. Does anybody know anything about this watch?
There are plenty of threads about this but what I gather is that the "Made in Japan" versions are identical to any other version. I have heard:
1) They come from the same plant in Malaysia but the J versions are supervised by some dude from Seiko corporate in Japan instead of a Malaysian dude.
2) They come from the same plant in Malaysia but the "Made in Japan" versions are for countries that require or allow it be stated so.
The second possibility conflates the "Made in..." declaration with the J and K model numbers and we could argue they are one in the same. Either way, there are other factors (seller, return policy, warranty, etc.) that are far more important than having it supposedly made in Japan.
I've had the 173 since 1998. Mine has Mov't Singapore on the dial, but after 2006 manufacturing changed to Malaysia. The 173 is intended for the US domestic market only which requires it have the country of origin listed. You won't find one any other way as there are no J or K versions of this. It's been well loved.[emoji4]
Probably everything cased in China now except for JDM or some models that specified "Made in Japan". My guess is only the movement made by the factory in Malaysia. It does say "MOV'T MALAYSIA" on the dial and caseback after all.
James explained it perfectly with his technician dudes. Essentially, they are all put together by robots (probably from China) in Malaysia and it's down to the nationality of the guy who oils said robot whether the watch earns a "Japan made" dial.
I own one of these and think it's great. I use it as my field watch since it's able to take the abuse. Currently it's running at about +15 seconds per day without any adjustments or servicing. Plus (depending on where you live), if you look around enough you can find one for pretty cheap (less than 200 USD).
As noted above, this is a USA version on the 007. There is another version of this one, with gold trim around the markers. I forget the model number; I think it is for the Philippine market. I had both at one time. My two favorite versions on the 007.
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