Tag: Seiko

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Credor Replica Hands-on Men Watch

Full Review With Seiko Credor EichiII

SeikoEichi2dd

With last month’s opening of Australia’s first Seiko boutique in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building it seems the right time to share with you a replica watch that is one of Seiko’s premium pieces.

 

It is not just in Australia that Seiko is associated primarily with a (huge) range of moderately priced  replica watches, but with this new boutique and a resident Grand Seiko specialist the full range of the brand’s wares will be more widely known here. Grand Seiko has been available in Australia for a a number of years now but not so Credor. Until now.

It is only in recent years that the (arguably still niche) world of high-end Seikos has gained some solid traction outside of Japan. The fact that many models have historically been ‘Japan only’ has perhaps added to its niche status, but as was pointed out during Seiko’s Baselworld 2016 press conference, the increasing popularity Grand Seikos is important to Seiko’s worldwide growth plans.

One of the Seiko high-end lines about which I’ve written before is the Spring Drive, named after the eponymous movement. As as segue within the Spring Drive line there was, for a brief two years between 2007 and 2009, a series of models called Izul, the only known Spring Drives that used the automatic Calibre 5R85 (49 jewels) sans GMT function, with a power reserve of 72 hours. Izul was Seiko’s fourth ‘premium brand’, the others being Grand Seiko, Galante, and Credor.

Today post is about the Credor Eichi II. As is the case with the rest of the top of the line Credor timepieces the Eichi II is made by Seiko’s Micro Artist Studio located in Shiojiri, in Nagano Prefecture. As its name indicates it is the second generation of Eichis, time-only replica watches whose focus is on achieving the highest level of finishing possible and whose inspiration is Philippe Dufour, from whom some of the members of Seiko’s Micro Artist Studio have undertaken training. With its international launch at Baselworld 2015 the Eichi II is a scarce beast, with only about twenty made per annum.

 

This is a plain (and deliberately so) replica watch. Many if not most similarly plain replica watches are just that, whether you look at them as they sit on your wrist or whether you look at them under a loupe. There are, as always, exceptions, but by and large even when viewed at close quarters it’s often about details to do with finishing and perhaps even dial textures and the like.

The Eichi II has continued the key aspects of the first generation, with its focus on simple functional aesthetics realised using platinum (including, unusually, the hefty and large deployant buckle made of two alloys, platinum 950 which is standard for replica watches and platinum 900), in-house painted porcelain for the dial, and blued steel.

Similar in style and execution to the first generation, the most noticeable changes are a larger case and cleaner dial. The first Eichi was 35mm, a not-so-contemporary size. At 39mm with a thickness of 10.3mm, the Eichi II is more suited to modern preferences, but a larger size also ‘opens up’ the dial so that its glow (and it does glow) can take full flight. Had this second Eichi been 35mm I strongly suspect that I would not have taken to it as much. As it is, it surprised me, as I was concerned that I would be rather ambivalent towards it, and said as much to its owner before I saw it.

The Eichi II however, gets better the closer you look at it, and this formed a critical part of why I went from being not-quite-a-sceptic to being a convert. Don’t get me wrong, it is actually quite beautiful to look at from a distance, with its almost starkly white white porcelain dial (Eichi I’s dial was Noritake but Eichi II’s dial is by an unknown maker), but it is the ‘handmade’ details that you can only see under magnification that are what makes it for me.

All markings on the dial; indices, logo/ name, are painted by a single person at the Micro Artist Studio and in a dark blue to match the blued steel hands, the latter tapering to a rather fine tip. With markers rather than numerals, this makes for a cleaner dial than its predecessor. The crescent on the end of the seconds hand makes for a nice ‘break’ from the austere dial. It purportedly takes an entire day to complete one dial. Up close you can clearly see that everything is hand-painted, with that slight irregularity (and granularity of paint) that comes from the human touch, the same irregularity which is a large part of the charm of something handmade. To photograph it is actually a challenging replica watch, as the blue varies quite a lot in darkness depending on the lighting and angle at which light falls on the dial.

To their credit they’ve not done too much with decoration, which means that the skill and sharpness and width of the bevelling (the latter the widest that this replica watch’s owner has seen), graining, and polishing is highlighted. The way in which the flower motif has been incorporated into the movement is really rather special, with the flower itself on the mainspring barrel first catching the eye, then the stem and leaves of the gap between the two bridges…

Inside and visible through the back is the Calibre 7R14 hand-wound hybrid Spring Drive movement, with its electronically-controlled regulation via an integrated circuit. Here, as much as for the dial, is where it pays to look under a loupe, although even to the naked eye the overall impression is a very modern clean feel, with the finishing and the skeleton bellflower motif (the symbol of Shiojiri, the town in which the Micro Artist Studio is located), superb.

 

In order to maintain the design purity of the dial, on the Eichi II the power reserve indicator has been put on the back of the replica watch.

The Eichi II was created to mark the 40th anniversary of the Credor line and the 15th anniversary of the Spring Drive movement. Believed by some to be in the running to be the finest three-handed replica watch currently being made, there is no doubt that in terms of finishing, both front and back, it really is up there with the best. It may not be to everyone’s tastes (or pockets, at 5.7m Yen), but the finishing is worth boasting about and yes, it is very much a luxury timepiece.

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Seiko Replica

HANDS-ON : Replica Seiko Credor EichiII

SeikoEichi2dd

With last month’s opening of Australia’s first cheap replica Seiko boutique in Sydney’s Queen Victoria Building it seems the right time to share with you a replica watch that is one of Seiko’s premium pieces.

It is only in recent years that the (arguably still niche) world of high-end Seikos has gained some solid traction outside of Japan. The fact that many models have historically been ‘Japan only’ has perhaps added to its niche status, but as was pointed out during Seiko’s Baselworld 2016 press conference, the increasing popularity Grand Seikos is important to Seiko’s worldwide growth plans.

One of the Seiko high-end lines about which I’ve written before is the Spring Drive, named after the eponymous movement. As as segue within the Spring Drive line there was, for a brief two years between 2007 and 2009, a series of models called Izul, the only known Spring Drives that used the automatic Calibre 5R85 (49 jewels) sans GMT function, with a power reserve of 72 hours. Izul was Seiko’s fourth ‘premium brand’, the others being Grand Seiko, Galante, and Credor.

It is not just in Australia that Seiko is associated primarily with a (huge) range of moderately priced  replica watches, but with this new boutique and a resident Grand Seiko specialist the full range of the brand’s wares will be more widely known here. Grand Seiko has been available in Australia for a a number of years now but not so Credor. Until now.

Today post is about the Credor Eichi II. As is the case with the rest of the top of the line Credor timepieces the Eichi II is made by Seiko’s Micro Artist Studio located in Shiojiri, in Nagano Prefecture. As its name indicates it is the second generation of Eichis, time-only replica watches whose focus is on achieving the highest level of finishing possible and whose inspiration is Philippe Dufour, from whom some of the members of Seiko’s Micro Artist Studio have undertaken training. With its international launch at Baselworld 2015 the Eichi II is a scarce beast, with only about twenty made per annum.

The Eichi II has continued the key aspects of the first generation, with its focus on simple functional aesthetics realised using platinum (including, unusually, the hefty and large deployant buckle made of two alloys, platinum 950 which is standard for replica watches and platinum 900), in-house painted porcelain for the dial, and blued steel.

Similar in style and execution to the first generation, the most noticeable changes are a larger case and cleaner dial. The first Eichi was 35mm, a not-so-contemporary size. At 39mm with a thickness of 10.3mm, the Eichi II is more suited to modern preferences, but a larger size also ‘opens up’ the dial so that its glow (and it does glow) can take full flight. Had this second Eichi been 35mm I strongly suspect that I would not have taken to it as much. As it is, it surprised me, as I was concerned that I would be rather ambivalent towards it, and said as much to its owner before I saw it.

This is a plain (and deliberately so) replica watch. Many if not most similarly plain replica watches are just that, whether you look at them as they sit on your wrist or whether you look at them under a loupe. There are, as always, exceptions, but by and large even when viewed at close quarters it’s often about details to do with finishing and perhaps even dial textures and the like. The Eichi II however, gets better the closer you look at it, and this formed a critical part of why I went from being not-quite-a-sceptic to being a convert. Don’t get me wrong, it is actually quite beautiful to look at from a distance, with its almost starkly white white porcelain dial (Eichi I’s dial was Noritake but Eichi II’s dial is by an unknown maker), but it is the ‘handmade’ details that you can only see under magnification that are what makes it for me.

All markings on the dial; indices, logo/ name, are painted by a single person at the Micro Artist Studio and in a dark blue to match the blued steel hands, the latter tapering to a rather fine tip. With markers rather than numerals, this makes for a cleaner dial than its predecessor. The crescent on the end of the seconds hand makes for a nice ‘break’ from the austere dial. It purportedly takes an entire day to complete one dial. Up close you can clearly see that everything is hand-painted, with that slight irregularity (and granularity of paint) that comes from the human touch, the same irregularity which is a large part of the charm of something handmade. To photograph it is actually a challenging replica watch, as the blue varies quite a lot in darkness depending on the lighting and angle at which light falls on the dial.

Inside and visible through the back is the Calibre 7R14 hand-wound hybrid Spring Drive movement, with its electronically-controlled regulation via an integrated circuit. Here, as much as for the dial, is where it pays to look under a loupe, although even to the naked eye the overall impression is a very modern clean feel, with the finishing and the skeleton bellflower motif (the symbol of Shiojiri, the town in which the Micro Artist Studio is located), superb.

To their credit they’ve not done too much with decoration, which means that the skill and sharpness and width of the bevelling (the latter the widest that this replica watch’s owner has seen), graining, and polishing is highlighted. The way in which the flower motif has been incorporated into the movement is really rather special, with the flower itself on the mainspring barrel first catching the eye, then the stem and leaves of the gap between the two bridges…

In order to maintain the design purity of the dial, on the Eichi II the power reserve indicator has been put on the back of the replica watch.

The Eichi II was created to mark the 40th anniversary of the Credor line and the 15th anniversary of the Spring Drive movement. Believed by some to be in the running to be the finest three-handed replica watch currently being made, there is no doubt that in terms of finishing, both front and back, it really is up there with the best. It may not be to everyone’s tastes (or pockets, at 5.7m Yen), but the finishing is worth boasting about and yes, it is very much a luxury timepiece.

Categories
Seiko Replica

HANDS-ON with the replica Seiko AstronGPS

The Seiko Astron GPS Solar doesn’t have the clean beauty of the NOMOS Nomos Zürich Weltzeit or the classicism and elegance of the Patek 5130 World Timer, but as a purely functional travel replica watch (not to mention its accuracy) that is price-accessible to far more people, it is, dare I say, just pretty damn cool and desirable.

Some may think that the target market is tech/ geeky/ gadget-loving males and geeky male replica watchnerds. I admit that I thought this, and I went to look at them with the expectation that I’d find them interesting in a distant-admiration sort of way, but that they were highly unlikely to really appeal to me on an aesthetic or tech-geeky level.

My preconceptions were, I admit, challenged.

I still suspect that it will appeal most to those with a liking for gadgets and for replica watches, but against all expectations, I found myself being really quite taken with them. Perhaps it was a lot to do with the sheer fun of pressing the GPS activation pusher and replica watching the seconds hand move that I liked. It is actually rather amazing, and when you think about the fact that Seiko have some one hundred patents for this replica watch, including for micro GPS technology, it’s really quite an astonishing little bit of wristwear.

Firstly, for a summary about the Astron GPS (including model variations), see this earlier post. This is Seiko’s first solar powered GPS replica watch, using a patented low-energy receiver that picks up GPS signals and identifies the time zone, time and date using at least four GPS satellites, covering thirty-nine time zones. The replica watch updates automatically once a day, and also on demand.

Because I have covered the specs before, I will not repeat them but focus on what it is like to have on your wrist and play with ‘in the metal’.

Firstly, size. When writing about it after its Baselworld announcement (for another blog), I mentioned that at 47mm, it would probably be too large for most people. This is another thing that I will have to retract. It is definitely large, and especially for a Seiko, but it sits on the wrist more like a 44mm case, and is quite lightweight, whether in stainless steel or titanium. The case shape and lugs mean that it is far more comfortable than you’d intuitively expect of a 47mm case.

I tried both the bracelet and the silicone strap versions. My preference is for the latter, and to some degree I think that the replica watch seems smaller on silicone for those whose preference is not for such a large replica watch, but the bracelets are solid and comfortable. The rest (colour, steel vs. titanium, the limited edition versus regular production models etc) is a matter of personal taste.

In terms of the original PR photos versus ‘in the metal’, the Astron GPS stacks up well. If you liked it in the photos, there’s a pretty strong likelihood that you will like it when you try it on. One thing that was harder to pick up in the publicity photos is that this is a very architectural replica watch. The dial has a lot of actual physical depth, the hour markers standing up in sharp contrast to the rest of the dial, giving it a 3D almost canyon-like effect.

So, how do you activate the GPS reception? Well you press on the pusher at 2 o’clock for six seconds, at which point the seconds hand will jump to 6 o’clock to let you know that it is ready to receive the signal. It will then jump to the hour number indicating how many satellite signals it is trying to get reception from i.e. if it jumps to 4 o’clock, it is trying to receive information from four satellites. It will then take between 30 seconds and two minutes to receive these signals, at which point your replica watch will sync. How accurate is it? To 1 sec.

The pusher at 4 o’clock is for setting the time zone. A quick push will show your current time zone and then jump back to regular time keeping. If you push and hold it for more than 4 seconds, you will be able to manually adjust the time zone – use the 2 o’clock (or 4 o’clock) pusher to scroll through the cities listed and then the hands can calibrate to the selected time zone. Press the 10 o’clock pusher to reset to your current time zone.

If you are wondering how important the launch of this technological advance is for Seiko, take a look at this video of its Europe launch.

If you are under any illusion of how popular this replica watch already is, a mere matter of weeks after its launch it has not only been a hot topic online and even been covered by generalist men’s magazines, but Seiko sold a truly astonishing one thousand odd Astron GPS replica watches in Japan in the first week of its launch. Yes you read correctly – 1,000.

Five days after its arrival in Sydney (not exactly known as a hotbed of Seiko aficionados), which had a far smaller initial allocation, it had sold so well that there are now two left.

If you are in Australia, the Astron GPS it is not readily available. There is one authorised dealer in Melbourne and there will be two in Sydney. At the moment, if you want to take a look/ buy/ order in Sydney, visit or phone Fredman SVW. If in Melbourne, the AD is Salera’s. If you’re not in either city, just give either AD a call. The second Sydney AD Regal is not due to have any for another couple of weeks, and their allocation is as yet unknown.

Which one do I like the most? The SAST011 – it’s the most stealthy looking one. If I was a frequent traveller across time zones, I would find this incredibly handy, and although my preferred replica watch case size is 36-42mm, I can see myself wearing the Astron GPS.

Seiko have a dedicated Astron website, so should you need help with operating your replica watch, it is close at hand.

The technological developments of the Astron GPS Solar are incredibly important to Seiko. So much so that they rank it up there with their development of the Spring Drive in 1999, the Seiko Kinetic in 1988, their first ever solar replica watch (1977) and of course, the world’s first quartz replica watch, the Astron after which this is named, which was launched in 1969.

You can read about the first Quartz Astron and its sleek 40th anniversary commemorative edition here, about the Spring Drive here, and if you still haven’t had enough of Seiko, take a look at the unusual Izul.

Categories
Seiko Replica

HANDS-ON with replica Seiko’s rareIzul

Sometimes it feels as though the world of high-end Seikos is a niche ‘connoisseurs’ club where the assumption is that, by and large, the average replica watch enthusiast (let alone the average punter) has no idea of the existence of these replica watches. The fact that some of them (especially the Grand Seikos) are quite unassuming adds to this almost clubby feeling. Their scarcity in many worldwide markets (not to mention the ‘Japan only’ models that are difficult to find out about, let alone obtain) adds another layer to their aura.

One of these Seiko lines, about which I’ve written before, is the Spring Drive. Within the Spring Drive line there was, for a brief two years between 2007 and 2009, a series of models called Izul, the only known Spring Drives that used the automatic Calibre 5R85 (49 jewels) sans GMT function, with a power reserve of 72 hours.

Izul was Seiko’s fourth ‘premium brand’, the others being Grand Seiko, Credor and Galante. Its 2007 launch coincided with the market debut of the Spring Drive chronograph. Seiko’s intent was that Izul be an exclusive line of innovative high end Spring Drive chronographs, but they did not prove to be popular with the Japanese market design wise, size wise, and price point wise. Basically, it was doomed. By 2008 it was clear that the Izul brand was not going to take off, especially in light of the new Ananta line, so it was terminated in 2009, making the models rare collectibles and not very well-known ones at that.

The cases were a retro bullhead type design, playing homage to the stopwatches that Seiko developed for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. They are big, but as with many bullheads, they don’t actually feel that large on the wrist, and the use of titanium also helps in terms of wearability.

The Izul collection was composed of two models:

1. Those with a rotating case (SDAA001 or SDAA007) (white or black dial)
2. Those without a rotating case (SDAA003 or SDAA005) (white or black dial)

The SDAA001/ SDAA07 are 51.0mm in diameter with a thickness of 14.2mm and the SDAA003/ SDAA005 are a smaller 47.2mm with a thickness of 14.4mm

The Izul in this post is the SDAA001 with the funky rotating case. To me, this is the distinctive appeal of the Izuls, and the more interesting version for that.

The case can be turned the full 360 degrees. Yes, that means that the chrono can be upside down or the time keeping mode upside down, whichever way you choose to look at it (no pun intended). You can see a quick demonstration of the rotation and chrono in this video :

Here are some of the instructions that came with the replica watch. Click on each image to enlarge.

For the owner, the one niggling thing about the Izul has been the rather pedestrian strap, but that is easily fixed. Other than that, this is a retro-cool replica watch with, almost counterintuitively, a groundbreaking movement. Despite its size, it is actually very wearable and sits comfortably on the wrist. Large it may be, it still manages to be fairly unassuming for such a scarce and collectable replica watch. To look at it, you’d not know what it is, or why it’s so special, but there’s something about it that demands to be worn and used.

They were available, to my knowledge, only in Japan and the Seiko Centre in Paris, so they were not only scarce, but difficult to obtain, during their production years. What was their retail price? Well the SDAA03 and SDAA005 went for 735,000 Yen and the SDAA001 and SDAA007 for 892,500 Yen. This one was approx AUD $10k, although they were not for sale in Australia.

Categories
Seiko Replica

A look at a Galante SpringDrive

Seiko has many replica watch lines at all price points, many of which don’t make it to Australia, and some which do, but only in a very limited form. Launched in 2009, the Galante line/ sub-brand is, like their Spring Drive series, one of the brand’s upmarket lines and, in fact, uses Spring Drive movements as well as mechanical ones. Only sold at a limited number of retailers and Seiko boutiques, there is, in fact, a retailer in Sydney (Sydney Vintage Replica Watches, in the Strand Arcade).

You can read more about the Spring Drive movement here but this movement, introduced in 2005 was viewed by Seiko as their technically most significant development since the quartz Astron.

The Galante replica watches are immediately recognisable from their very distinctive case design. There are four large mounting screws which connect the round case to a tonneau open case back; out of the ordinary, unexpected, and whether it works or not (especially the use of two shapes) is a very subjective assessment. Does it work for me? I don’t mind the quirkiness, and can admire the thought and skill that went into this, but I don’t know whether the novelty value would wear off quickly.

This is the Galante Spring Drive SBLA037J. It has a large case, quite thick and heavy, and it is not a replica watch that can be worn by everyone. For many, it is liable to become a ding magnet as they become accustomed to the unusual case design.

With regards to the dial, the finishing is at an incredibly high standard, as it is with the Spring Drive range. Of particular note is the purple curved seconds hand, which is a feature of a number of the Galante models and particularly attractive to luxury replica watch in light of the Spring Drive movement creating such a smooth movement in this hand.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Functions : Hour, minute and second hands with calendar
Case : Stainless Steel. See through case back with sapphire crystal
Calibre : Spring Drive 5R65
Glass : Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Water resistance : 20 Bar
Power reserve : 72 hours
Jewels : 30
Strap : SBLA037J – Cordovan Strap. SBLA035J – Rubber Strap

Some of the Galante range can be quite elaborate, in terms of their dial designs (and even engraved cases), and definitely not to everyone’s tastes. There was even a limited edition (150) Japan only Astro Boy themed one in 2010.

If you’ve not ever taken a look at Galante, Spring Drive or any of the other higher end ranges from Seiko, they’re worth having a play with if you get the chance.

Categories
Seiko Replica

Three years on : Replica Seiko’s Limited Edition Spring Drive MoonPhase

Sometimes I like to look back on a stylish replica watch a few years after its release, especially if, at the time, it was much heralded for technical and aesthetic reasons, and an award winner to boot, to see how it’s faring, and to assess whether my feelings about it have changed. This is one of those replica watches.

Having been launched in 2005, Seiko’s Spring Drive is no longer considered a novelty, and far more widely known and accessible than it was at its birth, when its availability was fairly restricted.

If you don’t know of the Spring Drive range and why it is so special, technically speaking, here’s an introductory video.

You can read more about the Quartz Astron that is mentioned at the beginning of the video, here.

In 2006, the first Spring Drive Moon Phase was released, and it proved to be the most popular design in the collection. In 2008, Seiko released a new limited edition (200) Spring Drive Moon Phase, the SNR017.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Spring Drive Moon Phase SNR017 (limited edition of 200)

CalibrE : 5R67
Case : Stainless Steel, 42.3mm
Diameter : 30mm
Thickness : 6mm
Parts : 288
Jewels : 30
Accuracy : Equivalent to +/- 1sec/ day
Power Reserve : 72 hours
Strap : Crocodile
Crystal : Sapphire with anti-reflective coating.
Water resistance : 10 Bar
Caseback : Sapphire crystal

Despite being quite an elegant timepiece, it is also a fairly robust one. The case and crystal cannot be called delicate, and it sits quite largely for a 42mm replica watch because of its thickness.

To my mind, this is arguably the most beautiful Spring Drive (limited or otherwise) produced by Seiko to date (though I am also partial to the Spacewalk). As is the brand’s habit for dress replica watches, the dial is very clean, the moon an example of a pure and pared-back design that is very modern, but not dated.

When it was released in 2008, the LE Spring Drive Moon Phase it won German replica watch magazine Uhren-Magazin’s “Golden Balance Wheel Award” in the “up to 5000 Euros” category.

A Spring Drive’s gliding hands are something that has to be seen in the flesh, if you have not seen it before. I was drawn to the look of the replica watch when I first saw it, and three years have not diminished its beauty for me.

It has proven to be a versatile replica watch, worn equally well with shirt and jeans as a suit. Functionally, it has been gliding along happily for its owner, with no problems. It has not been a safe queen. Semi-regular use has not resulted in it looking a lot the worse for wear, and the sturdy strap is still in very good condition. All up, the Moon Phase has proven to be a replica watch that has given a lot of pleasure, has not dated, and is a ‘keeper’.

Categories
Seiko Replica

Hands-on with replica Seiko’s (new) QuartzAstron

December 2009 was the 40th anniversary of the world’s first Quartz wristwatch, the Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ. Based on a quartz crystal oscillator (an electrical signal with an extremely precise frequency), its importance is acknowledged by its registration on the IEEE Milestone list as a major advance in electrical engineering.

Seiko marked this anniversary by the commissioning of 40 new replica watch designs all based around the original Quartz Astron design, which were exhibited in the ‘Seiko Power Design Project’ in Dec 2009.

The culmination of Seiko’s commemoration was the new Quartz Astron, powered by the SEIKO quartz caliber 9F62, accurate within 10 seconds a year, and with its date change completed in an astonishing 1/2,000 of a second.

HISTORY

Project 59A

In 1880 Pierre and Jacques Curie discovered the electrical potential of quartz crystals when pressure is applied, known as piezoelectricity. They devised the piezoelectric quartz electrometer, which can measure faint electric currents. The question was then how to practically apply this.

By 1927 Bell Laboratories demonstrated that accurate time could be measured by using a quartz crystal and implementing the results of the Curie brother’s experiments. In 1959 Suwa Seikosha Co Ltd, one of Seiko Group’s Research and Development labs, built its first quartz replica timepiece, a large clock 2 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, which was successfully used in a radio station in Japan. The task was then given of miniaturising this new technology, and Project 59A was launched.

In 1962, the company managed to produce ‘smaller’ (30kg) version of a quartz marine chronometer, which was utilised in the Japanese shipping industry. By 1963, Seiko managed to further miniaturise it down to the 3kg QC0951.

Launched at Basel in 1969, the original Quartz Astron was produced in 18 carat gold case in a run of 100 pieces, costing JPY 450,000, more than a Toyota Corolla at the time.

The first quartz replica watch that was available to the general public was the 3823 calibre, also known as the 38 SQW, which was introduced in October 1971 at a price of JPY 150,000. This was equivalent to two month’s salary for a Japanese university lecturer.

SEIKO Quartz Astron : The Commemorative Edition

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference: S23617J1
Calibre: 9F62
Dimensions: 26.75 mm (12 – 6 o’clock) x 26.0 mm (3 – 9 o’clock)
Depth: 3.1 mm (without battery)
Jewels: 9
Accuracy: +/- 10 seconds per year
Battery life: 3 years (battery life indicator)
Case: High-intensity titanium
Band: Silicone with stainless steel buckle
Extra band: Crocodile with black hard-coated stainless steel three-fold clasp with push button release
Glass: Curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 10 bar
Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m (60 gauss)
Functions : hour, minute and second hands, date with instant calendar change mechanism
Battery life indicator
Limited edition of 200

I found myself unexpectedly drawn to this replica watch. It looks modern yet retro, is very lightweight, and most importantly, sits nicely on the wrist, the strap incredibly soft and very comfortable to wear.

Am I an anti-quartz fiend? Well it’s not a case of absolutes, as I do own a modern Lip Mach 2000 and a Tokyo Flash replica watch for which I can’t remember how to actually tell the time, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that my preference is for mechanical movements.

My replica watches are a rather varied lot, and I developed an immediate liking for this replica watch, but $8,500 worth of ‘like’? Well even if I could afford it, no.

This brings me to the price of this replica watch :

RRP Europe: Euro 4,300
RRP U.S. USD5,000
RRP Australia AUD8,500

Such pricing issues are well-known to those of us in Australia, and there is increasing awareness amongst brands that this needs to be addressed, as such discrepancies at these price points (and even lower price points), let alone higher ones, inevitably lead to people buying their replica watches overseas – in the end the Australian market suffers. I am lead to believe that this is something that is currently being discussed amongst many brands, and not a moment too soon.