I always fall back to my father's advice - he, his father and his brother (sadly all gone now) were all watchmakers by trade and understood quality of manufacture. My father always spoke of the superb quality of Seiko despite working on all makes including Rolex, Omega (which he also respected greatly) etc. - he chose Japanese. Many confuse prestige with quality - they aren't the same. Seiko for my and my pops.
As an engineer who has spent plenty of time in Switzerland, and who knows the watch industry intimately, I respectfully disagree with you. No nation can ever duplicate the Swiss national "Culture of Quality" in everything they do. It is just as simple as that!
Alex P I understand your point but culture does not necessarily deliver. He's gone now but my father spent his life dismantling, fixing and reassembling watches. I have to respect his hands on life's experience of watches from all over the world. He understood the minute detail of the watches, not the industry or its culture.
With respect, you simply cannot compare a fine handmade watch with one that is essentially stamped out by machines. The minute details of the movement, case, and overall execution speak volumes. Much lIke anything in life, the last 5% of an excellent job most likely represents about 50% of the effort. That makes the difference between a superior job versus a paramount one. Overall, there is a huge difference in manufacturers. Rolex produces over 1M movements per year, while Patek produces no more than 60K, and that seems like a great deal to me. I am an amateur watchmaker myself. Thank you.
We'll have to agree to differ, I'll trust my father's lifetime as a professional watchmaker who worked on all makes, including Rolex. He was trained by his father who was also a professional watchmaker from WW1 onwards. He always held a candle for Seiko quality at a 20th of the cost of a Rolex.
Dear Mark, If you had the opportunity to spend much time in Switzerland as I have been fortunate to do, I believe you would think slightly differently. The Swiss embrace what I term, "A Culture of Quality" that cannot be equaled elsewhere. As a person who loves working with their hands and appreciates fine quality and craftsmanship, there is a significant difference. I've visited Japan many years ago. I was greatly impressed by their ability to produce top quality products consistently, especially in the area of electronics. I overwhelmingly prefer Sony televisions and computers because I have never had one ever break down! The PC I'm using is about 14 years old, and still going strong. My CRT TV is about 25 years old, and there's no sense in replacing it until it gives up the ghost. I may be stuck with that thing for the rest of my life! Please allow me to share that watches are a different commodity. As an enthusiast since my teenage years, there is more to a fine Swiss timepiece than the sum of its parts. It is the amazing people that create such miniature works of mechanical engineering that inspire me in my daily life and work. People require inspiration of those who are at the best of their profession. I found early on by my many visits to Swiss watch factories. There is a huge difference in the amount of attention to detail in a Patek, VC, Piaget or Audemars than found in any competing model. The exquisite finishing of movement parts for example, that few will ever see, is a prime example. You will never find that in a Seiko or Rolex. You were truly fortunate to be able to learn about quality and craftsmanship from your father. My late dad was an oral surgeon, and he too loved to work with his hands. I believe I gained my appreciation and inspiration from him. In any event, find what inspires you to do the best you are able. There are few things more important in life than taking personal satisfaction from a job well done! All the best!
Japanese made watchs which revolutionized watch industry which was affordable for all . We need to thank Japanese for their work. Thank you Japan. Love from India.
The swiss have also revolutionized watches but are far more expensive than Japanese watches. There is also more variety within the swiss industry. But brands like Seiko coming out of japan are top notch. DO not forget german brands as well.
So you have one example of a Seiko and they're all shit? With swiss watches I've had damaged rotors, stems completely come out, misaligned day wheels, accuracy issues, etc. But the swiss stuff is all good IMO, most of the time I still prefer swiss. Maybe a cheap quartz is more suited to you
In my personal opinion, the value of Swiss watches is more reflected in brand stories and art, while the value of Japanese watches is more technical and industrial. Japanese watches are made for most people, while Swiss watches are more For a small number of people's vanity,Watches in two countries have different approaches on business
Fun fact. Swiss watch making came into its stride making forgeries of British and French pocket watches in the 18th century. Referred to as "Dutch forgery". Cheap outsold expensive. In more modern times, world war 2 helped cement the Swiss as leaders in relation to quality watches. Not joining the war their factories were in tip top condition and various forms of "wealth" distributed into Swiss banks during and after the war, allowed said banks to provide favourable loans to Swiss watch companies to expand. In short some Japanese watches are better that Swiss and some Swiss watches better than Japanese. Regardless a $30 quartz will keep better time than 99% of mechanical watches.
Swiss watches are just generally more expensive. What's amusing about Japanese watches is how they are able to give you very very good watches for a lot less money. Swiss watches, while I respect them, are a bit overrated and too pricey.
Japanese brands fix their prices accirding to how much spend to create their time peaces but swiss companies increases the price to create the demand of piece and just to create the brand name and they didnot even manufacture their movements.
@Michal Nazareth Also Mitsubishi is the same quality as Toyota if not worse. Obviously Mercedes is more high end. But the point here is that swiss made watches are more high end also. But japanese watches could give you the same reliability and almost same quality as the swiss made watches for less money. Thats why im putting the example with the 2 car brands.
I have a Seiko 5 I bought new for £30 in 1975 which has never been serviced and still gives great time accuracy today. I have a Rolex sub date which I bought new for £2,000 in 1983 which was serviced after ten years (£100) and now needs servicing again (it has stopped working) and I have been told it will cost £600! Japanese every time for reliability.
Rolex are of a higher quality than the average japanese watch. Just because a toyota lasts longer than say a Mercedes or Rolls Royce does not mean it is a car of higher quality it means it is more reliable. Rolex watches would also be far more comfortable to wear than the likes of a Seiko.
Who buys a Rolex and doesn't service it within the recommended intervals and then complains about it? Have you put the Seiko on timegrapher? My bet is that even though it is running well, it's probably running dry (oils dried up). This will be evident by the amount of noise on the timegrapher.
Bryn Smart I had the same problem with a Submariner Rolex got rid of it conked out on me even after Servicing. I grew up with a cheap kick around Seiko dive watch that lasted 40 years. My question is for everybody how is Rolex Superior if you have to keep servicing them every 3-4 years at $600 a pop.
As a collector, I like Swiss watches. My grandfather who got me interested in watch collecting collected Japanese watches. A brand like Rolex will maintain its price and often most models will increase in value over time. Now this maybe because Rolex artificially sets its market price and limiting the number of watches that it makes and provides its dealers, like DeBeers for diamonds. Rolex dealers are strictly controlled and often authorized dealers are not allowed to give discounts. Seiko, on the other hand, is a great watch for the every day man that can't afford a high end Swiss watch. I have Seiko watches that are over 50 years old and running like new. The Japanese culture takes great pride and honor in their craftsmanship, whether it is production of electronics, cars, so why not watches too.
Rolex watches do not always increase in value. Many of them are old farts that cannot be sold at even half the price, it all depends, i personally wouldn’t want to buy a secondhand watch for more than the brand new one.
@@tawansrithrachaikul4573 I don’t disagree. It all depends on condition, rarity, and collectibility. I’ve seen some that have been so abused, you can’t even tell it’s a Rolex.
@KJM Swiss watches are like German luxury cars. It turns heads on the streets and gives you that “privileged” feeling but for reliability you have to go with a Japanese car. I have 2 BMWs and a Toyota, the Toyota is my daily run-about car. Regarding watches, I’m a collector. My daily wearer is now an Apple Watch that my daughter gave me for my birthday. Most of the high-end watches I own mostly stay in a safe.
I love both! As a owner off a Rolex sub, a Omega Speedmaster and a Seiko MM300 the Seiko is the watch i enjoy wearing the most, and has been on many dives with me and has been a pure joy to use! Price has no relevance to enjoyment or wrist time for me but we are all different....
I agree Seiko's low end quartz and solar quartz are throw away movements. In that price range, Seiko are not pretending to be anything other than an affordable watch. There are always exceptions to the rule, as you have mentioned. My comment was more about a cheap quartz in an expensive case, which other companies other than Tag do. A lot of Seiko's range (especially in the $1000-2000 range), competes fiercely with Swiss. I have a Seiko SLA019 which would easily cost close to double if it were swiss, the finish is impeccable. I also have owned many Swiss/German watches and still own a Tudor and two Sinns. Tag (especially Heuer) are awesome watches. But the fact of the matter is largely true- in many cases you will pay a lot more for a Swiss watch with the same finishing quality. Just look at the Shippo enamel dial pressage line from Seiko, you will easily pay double for a swiss equivalent. Same with the pressage column chrono with vertical clutch. You simply cannot find a swiss equivalent for that price. I don't try to convince anyone of anything, and I haven't drank the Seiko kool-aid, but they do some seriously impressive stuff at certain price points.
Honestly you're one of the best reviewers on CZcams when it comes to watches. Better than everyone, thanks to your focus on affordables. I bought the Citizen sunburst blue you have in this video, and also an Alpinist (not at the same time, and not actually because of your videos, but your videos were great in this regard anyway). Keep doing this. You are doing mankind a service. Seriously. The best channel about watches for us mere mortals who don't want to spend 5k on a Rolex but would rather have a diverse collection of quality watches.
+Tayyab Pirzada Thank you, i really appreciate it! It's because of comments like yours i want to keep producing the best videos i can. I really like watches that offer something unique and a lot of value for you money. And i want to share this with you guys. Most people can't or wont spend $5k+ on a watch, and I want to show that there are fantastic watches that doesn't cost a fortune out there. Thanks again. Regards GAW
Seiko is in essence a JAPANESE Rolex. The watch cannot be destroyed..... I have a grand seiko with in house movement from the early 70's. Never had to be serviced and is accurate to 1/4 0f a second.
@TayyabPrizada - Good Interesting Reply/review & you're correct in your Statement as well. 🖖☘Pod☘👍 ☮Peace / Health & Happiness P,H & H (- Please Pass It On !). May your mobile phone battery Always be 75% FULL 👌
@@WatchesAndCars Good Helpful Review.👌 And a lot of Sense in what you're saying ! Thanks 👍 🖖☘Pod☘ ☮Peace / Health & Happiness P,H & H (- Please Pass It On !). May your mobile phone battery Always be 75% FULL 👌
It depends on the make of watch. A Seiko will never be a Rolex or an Omega but my automatic Seiko has been running for 10 years and it cost $65.00 on sale.
For me, an automatic Seiko watch for wearing on day to day bussiness is enough. Have been owning one for more than 4 years, wear it continuously almost everyday the bracelet and the sapphire crystal face are full of scratches, but the clock is still going reliably without ever being serviced (yet). And a luxury Swiss watch for occasional use on formal event. My uncle gave me a vintage Rolex oyster perpetual watch, it's still running after almost 30 years, but cost a small fortune just to servicing it...😅😅😅
Artisto81 AKA Meong Garong nice one....The Rolex will be worth a lot, though. You say you have a Seiko 5.....I guess the reason the sapphire crystal is full of scratches, is that it is not sapphire, but hardlex....quite a soft material.
I think Japanese Watches and Swiss Watches are both great in their own ways. But I believe Swiss watches have become just symbol of "High Status" with its great history and I believe Japanese watches are actually way more practical and reliable than Swiss watch using their own cutting edge technology like GPS, Radio Wave control and they can show us precise time wherever we are in the world.
I can buy a Seiko Alpinist ,Citizen dress watch and an Orient Star for the same price as a Hamilton 1000 dollar watch which I like very much.I dont bother with my Swiss pieces.Servicing is really expensive and with an active life style crystal replacement is a given.
To be honest the Seiko Alpinist can do everything the citizen/Orient star can do. It serves as a sports watch, dress watch, and every day casual watch. I too own one citizen, rose-gold tone eco-drive. It means a lot to me because it was given to me as a gift. No battery replacement, and it doesn't need to be wound. So it's great when I want a different watch and am in a hurry or on the run. I also have an Orient Bambino v3 which I bought only because I fell in love with the blue dial, but to be honest, as a dress watch I have other domed minimalist dress watches that were the same price and feel classier than the bambino. Dont own a Seiko Alpinist yet (this is the SARB017 with green dial correct?) But I've seen them around and they are gorgeous.
absolutely. Ferrari is a great example. Style, elegance, prestige. GTR, speed, performance, but without the elegance and exclusivity in design of the ferrari. (I consider and will always consider any Audi to be a pretender regardless of its performance, I would put the r8 on the other side of the fence next to GTR)
Greg Miel Pretty stupid comment because nissans overall reliabilty is worst then all German brands, and audi is better and or same as Hondas reliability for the past 4 years according to consumer report......and sorry but as a motorsport enthusiast comparing a gtr and r8 is an apple to orange.. different drivetrians equals to different type of drivers..... Beside the r8 has been the. better sports car due to its dominance in GT and touring car racing such ex: le Mans, Nurburgring........The gtr has almost no or little racing pedigree......... now for the Nsx , POS overpriced wannabe drivers car that's not inspiring to drive. rather have a brz........ and any thing italian is pretty but unreliable...... you shouldnt compare cars to watchs............
I am a Seiko fan and owner. Swiss watches are way over rated and over priced by spending too much on marketing. A Grand Seiko wins against all Swiss watches in quality and value. Btw, pay more attention in keeping watches in focus 🙏
IMHO.....'value for monies' innovative watches with top grade in house movement and comes with excellent characteristics of its own; swiss i prefer rolex, japan i prefer grand seiko and germany i prefer nomos.
Japanese watches offer great value for money with in-house movements for every price point. I have some Swiss pieces in my collection but I love my Japanese watches, in fact they get more wrist time. I am particularly fond of Seiko and Orient and to a lesser extent Citizen. I have a few Citizen automatics in my collection.
Yes exactly. Japansese watches are fantastic. But i can't really say any country of manufacture is better then the other. Both make fantastic watch, but sometimes you can get more value out of your money from Japanese watches. Regards GAW
I love your video! One constructive criticism from me: please try to plan and record your reviews to be brief and a little peppy. Your voice should not be in a monotone... Make it go up and down to grab your audience's attention! I know you're very capable and knowledgeable. It's just that it can get a lot better and your videos will go viral among today's youth, who are buying less and less number of watches due to smartphone invasion. All the best!
Swiss made movements is good BUT I prefer to Japanese movement it was made 100% Built inhouse movement BUT swiss movement on a watch is not 100% built in house. Components are sourced and Made from China, Thailand So i prefer to Japanese movement
I've had 4 japanese watches with another on the way. After I bought 3 watches, I decided to purchase a Hamilton khaki pilot. Certainly not the best that the swiss have to offer, but this watch is amazing. The amount of innovation in the h40 movement is incredible, and the finishing is amazing. You can get it for around $550 online. Now the Japanese watches were/are all under $300 and I love them. The dials are all beautiful with a lot of attention to detail, but the finishing was mostly all polished or bead blasted. No variation. Which really isn't a bad thing. The movements were all great, but nothing special. I love both
Great comparison! I totally agree. I both own japanese as well as swiss made watches and love both of them. But I also definitely agree what you said about the swiss price inflation which is sometimes really ridiculus.
+Daniel Zimmermann Thanks man! Yeah sometimes prices can get really high. I am glad there are brands like Steinhart, Christopher Ward and in some cases even Hamilton and Tissot, that offers great Swiss watches for a reasonable price. Regards GAW
How about you go any buy an IWC, then sell it the next day? Have a cry when you lose 50% of your money. It was worth 50% of it's sale price to begin with. Your comments are void of any intelligence and are annoying. Bugger off mosquito.
I think you can get equally good Japanese and Swiss watches at nearly every price point. Except for very low or very high prices, where Seiko beats most of its opponents in terms of value for money. Nice collection, I really like the SARB017! ;)
I have a Citizen Eco-Drive chronograph and a Swiss Military Hanowa chronograph in my collection. The Hanowa looks classy while the Citizen is pretty much a sporty watch. Thing is though, the Citizen far outshines the Hanowa in terms of operation. It's practically inaudible when the chrono hand is sweeping but with the Hanowa it's quite audible if you put it next to your ear. I think the Citizen has a much better movement. The Hanowa is also a bit more expensive, although it comes with two extra straps and the necessary tool to swap straps.
There are probably over 5000 (estimated) watch makers in the world at this time. I can't help but think that, with that many creators working around the clock (pardon the pun) to create a watch, there are bound to be issues staying in your swim lanes. -Particularly when a creation from another maker is wildly successful and that success has sustained for a couple of decades or longer. I would venture to say that there are few people at Rolex today that were there when the Sub was first created, so in a sense, every Sub design that has followed since the first one is in essence also a copy or highly iterative/derivative. I've always said that every product creator (cars, watches, televisions, etc.) would probably love to be 100 percent original and innovative, but their first responsibility is to earn enough to pay their bills, retain their employees, feed their family, etc. With all of that in mind, I'm sure it can be difficult for a new watchmaker to ignore the fact that cloning a Rolly Sub is a good way to get your foot in the proverbial door.
Rolex offer high quality watches that could be taken Scuba diving or to the top of everest. The same cannot be said of many Japanese watches. Really it is all about horses for courses.
I will never buy a watch in the zero to $500 range again unless it is a gift for someone. I have purchased many Seiko’s, and a citizen. If you want a watch that’s reliable,accurate, and will look almost new for a very long time both Citizen and Seiko are great choices. For someone like me that wants all of the fore mentioned checks in the box items, as well as something made and finished with the greatest attention to detail….save your money until you can afford to spend approximately $1000 on a completely Swiss made watch like Longines. You won’t be disappointed!!!! And don’t worry to much about being able to see the movement in the back of the watch for your first watch. You’ll love it so much you won’t want to take it off.
Just like cars. The Toyota/Honda will go 300k miles w/o. breaking a sweat. The BMW will be in the shop every year after 50k miles. And its more difficult to sell a used Swiss Swatch. Used Japanese watches sell very fast. Same as cars.
I have a Lexus IS250 with 232,000kms on the clock. Never had one problem apart from having to change the map light. I had a Mercedes C class some time ago and it was more problems that it was worth. Sold it and never looked back.
Utter crap. German cars, namely Mercedes-Benz rank quite low in terms of reliability. VW has tons of problems with their engines. They burn out, they freeze, burn oil and BMW sells cars for a premium and slaps on plastic water pumps. Yay!
@omnipotentum You should leave your cap locks on so everyone knows to ignore you. It is no real difference. Everyone ignores you anyway. But you could at least do a public service and save everyone the time of accidentally reading your posts
My nephew purchased a Christopher Ward watch new as a gift to himself for a pay rise, cost him Aust $3,000 .. well it plumeted like a stone in value and 18months later he'd lucky to get a grand for it.
I lobe Seiko watches and I’ve had a couple of Citizens over the years. Horological enthusiasts seem to always focus on Swiss made watches in the main, but Germany have some great manufacturers, for sheer value for money, no one touches the Japanese. As for China, they make great watches through microbrands. Having said all this, I have one Swiss quartz watch that I bought in 1999, in Bahrain. It’s a make that not many people have heard of, Argenti. It’s a super precise chronograph with an ETA movement and, apart from changing the battery every 6 years or so, it’s been 100% reliable and amazingly accurate....gaining about 1 second per month! I’ve just pulled the trigger on a Citizen Promaster tough ‘Ray Mears’ field watch and am really looking forward to getting it. Specs are great.........hardened titanium monocoque case, weighing only 50 grammes, Ecodrive movement, screwdown crown, 300m water resistant! Sapphire crystal, shock resistant, ant-magnetic, great lume, genuine Kevlar strap and looks good, all for £269. If this were Swiss and had an ETA automatic movement, it’d cost a fair bit! Good video.
While Swiss watches are nice and all that, but simply they are trolling the people in convincing them they can charge (THAT MUCH) many times with no real justifications. I believe Japanese watches are beside being great watches, but also they are affordable.
Japanese Brands advantages are 1. Its cheaper but quality 2. Easier to look for parts 3. More support for service and support I would say its like Toyota in cars. Dominating market because its affordable
When I wear my OMEGA or my ZENITH, no one notices. When I wear my orange dial / orange strap Orient, every one loves it! If you are looking for an investment forget the ROLEX; buy real estate. If you want a great quality automatic watch, buy a SEIKO, CITIZEN, or ( my favorite ) ORIENT. If you want a great quality watch, and don't mind paying more than you need to, buy a ZENITH, IWC, GLASHUTTE, VULCAIN, or ( VERY under-rated ) ZENO WATCH BASEL. You will see that no one will notice your ROLEX, and if they do, they will think it a fake!
Orient are a complete in-house Japanese made movement. They company was acquired by Seiko a decade or so ago and what Orient produce for the money is astonishing. I too dismissed them, then I got an M-Force Bravo and was absolutely blown away by it. I got it for AUD$400 and it is easily up there with > $1200 watches.
Funny that, you appear to be the only stupid person on this channel. Offended by the fact that people are happy with their cheaper watches. Newsflash dummy, most of the population don't care about watches and the only expensive watch they can identify is a Rolex submariner. His statement is largely correct, unfortunate, but correct.
omnipotentum I'm not American, and I happen to own Swiss and Japanese watches and I love them all and Wear them at different occasions or for different things, a watch isn't simply about Swiss or Japanese, price or statement, sometimes it's about enjoying the history of the brand, the craftsmanship, and of course how the watch looks and functions, I own Tag Heuer, Tissot, BLVGARI, Seiko, and Citizen. If I'm going out to do things where my expensive watches could get damaged or even stolen, I reach for that Seiko. Not to mention that Seiko was my dad's watch he got for his 21st birthday, the watch is older than me and still looks prestine and works like a charm. Horology is about so much more than just a price tag and brand name, it's about enjoying timepieces and apreciation of the history and craftsmanship, regardless of the brand or price, each to their own.
+Josh Smith Ignore him. As you can see by his uneducated rants, he has some physiological issues. Owning a decent watch is a pipe dream for him. Ignore his comments and they don't amount to anything.
Really? You have tried every Swiss watch on the market and have decided they aren’t as good as a Citizen have you?🙄🙄🙄🙄 if all you want is a thing to tell the time look at your phone.
Gonna have to go with the Japanese here. If someone can justify the inflated price tags of Swiss made watches, I'm all ears. Honestly, I just see the same thing with different labels. The 'Swiss Made' tag just ends up being obscenely overpriced.
They are now using ETA movements. Most of the Ocean 1 series has the 2824-2. Btw, Frederick Constant's in house movement is just a decorated ETA or Sellita movement. The FC-303 is either based on the ETA 2824 or the SW200.
I own a 34 year old Casio quartz analog watch. Apart from the many battery changes, and the general wear and tear (scratches on the bezel and face, it has not been serviced at all. I still wear it almost on a daily basis. My other quartz analog watch is a Seiko dress watch that is 20 years old, that I wear for more formal occasions. I say no more.
No chronographs. Due to the prevalence of the Valjoux 7750 movement, Swiss auto chronos are actually a lot cheaper than Japanese automatic chronographs.
I could have bought a watch with the 2892a2 movement for under $279 but I was unfamiliar with the movement or the brand. I think it was La Valie?? Did I blow it?
that green seiko is nice. Honestly my next watch is going to be a Deep Blue with tritum tubes and super luminova. this micro brand is really nice they even put in sapphire all for like 1000 dollars. it also has a swiss movement i think,.
My collection has quite a few watches from both countries. I find the Seiko with the 6R15 movement a well built piece, has a pretty good power reserve and runs at 21600 bpm, we find that particular movement in watches like the SARB line. Compare the Swiss watch around a similar price range, let's use a Hamilton field automatic with a standard ETA 2824-2 movement running at 28800 rpm. I have several of each so to do a time comparison with positional variance is a small but fair test. Fit and finish is good with both Swiss and Japanese watches, I find the SARB line an amazingly good value, certainly comparable with the higher priced Swiss models. The 6R15 has a power reserve of around 50 hours whilst the 2824 is around 40 hours. It's timing where the Swiss pieces come into there own, I find the 2824 a very accurate movement, it performs within + 6seconds in five out of the six positions while I found the 6R15 had usually one position where it kept good time and widely varied in other positions. 24 hour X 6 positions. Its depends on what you want from a timepiece. If good value, great looks and so so timing are what your looking for the 6R15 movement in the Seiko is for you. However, if accuracy is paramount, may I suggest the entry level swiss watch.
I’m just getting into the world of Grand Seiko, I love all watches, Swiss, German, Japanese etc, fanboys of Japanese watches seem very very toxic, like they can’t enjoy their own watches without deriding every brand that isn’t Japanese, really don’t get it. Puts me off the brand to be honest, they seem like the BMW owners of the watch world.
Switzerland has a better watch industry that geared towards high end and lower end with far more variety in brands. Japan on the other hand has brands that are as good as swiss brands and a lot cheaper. An automatic swiss watch will be 5 times more expensive especially at the entry level.
America! Hahaha. In the early 20th century, many swiss watch quality was actually behind America, to the point where the term 'Swiss Fake' meant a Swiss replica of an American brand!
I love Seiko automatic watches. The problem with another of Swiss made watches is to many use the same ETA movements while charging through the nose for it.
I know of 4 major Japanese brands - Casio, Seiko, Citizen, Orient. All these 4 are so famous and every value for money. Do they last as long as some of the Swiss. Absolutely yes if not each of these. Now on the Swiss side we have plethora of brands. However not all would last and have as good of value in terms of quality than the Seiko or Citizen. There is however a great history and sometimes that t It is no brainier that the Japanese are VFM however provided the Swiss and German watches do not have exorbitant hyped pricing they are better in many terms than the Japanese.
Japanese watches are affordable, provide excellent quality and accuracy. But the aesthetic beauty of a Swiss watch is unique and the feeling of having something precious on your wrist can't be had using a Japanese watch. I have been using Japanese and Swiss watches since 2 decades. Japanese make great watches like Seiko, Citizen and Orient, I have bought all three and they are in fine condition all these years. I have been using Rado, Tissot, Raymond Weil and Continental as well, and can't get over my fascination with these Swiss watches. Everyone is entitled to his opinion. I would go with the Swiss watch for aesthetic reasons and for accuracy, and value for money, the Japanese watches take the lead.
My fathers swiss watch Rotary is still working, it's a 1950s mechanical watch, never been repaired, the dail is just a little rusty but still is ticking perfectly. This is a swiss watch
Swiss for status. That's all Swiss watches are good for. They're more expensive, they tell worse time, they require more maintenance, and most of them don't look that much better than their Japanese counterparts. They're just status symbols, and nothing more.
NTH THN -Well...... so do Fondue, Cheese and Cuckoo Clocks - Not all great ! Feck - And That feckin Yodelling !! Give me strength - to Open this Army Knife and figure out which one of the over-abundance of TINY Implements would disable A Yodel !! 🖖☘Pod☘👍 ☮Peace / Health & Happiness P,H & H (- Please Pass It On !). May your mobile phone battery be Always 75% FULL !👌
I have two Victorinox are Swiss Army watches and one is automatic where the bracelet match my Swiss knife and the other is Swartz and thats the one i like to swim with, and happy with both.
nice video. the question will linger long after we both are no longer around.. of the 4 watches I think the sarb017 is the most versatile..it's a dress watch that has tool watch practicality. ..how many truly dress watches have a 200m depth rating?? for me it's like having the best of both worlds..now only if it was available in a sunburst blue dial I would be in heaven
fldiver jc Thanks! Yes the SARB017 is almost the perfect watch. It would look fantastic in blue but i think i prefer the green dial just because its so unique and not seen very often. The only watch i can think of that come close is the Sinn 556 or perhaps the 104 in the "affordable" price range. Why i love Divers so much(especially dress/vintage diver) is because of the WR. You know you can spill some water on it and not have to worry. The Sarb017 can do all this while being almost a dress watch. That for me is almost perfection. Regards GAW
Swiss is obviously better. But you have to pay a pretty penny for it often. Seiko has poor quality control yet they've been asking more and more money for their watches these past few years. The only good Seikos are the high-end JDM only models or Grand Seiko, which are both expensive themselves. Besides, there are a lot of affordable Swiss watches these days that are superior to their similarly priced Seiko counterparts. For instance, you can get a Tissot or Hamilton with a Powermatic 80 movement which is vastly superior in accuracy and power reserve than a $500 or $600 Seiko with an inferior and often poorly regulated 4R36 or 6R15 movement. Honestly, I think people who praise Seiko too much are those who simply can't afford the more expensive Swiss brands, so they feel the need to tell the entire world that the brand that they bought is "just as good". Seiko is nice, but they're just not as good, the cheaper Seikos at least. You can't even get a 28800 bph movement for under $1000 brand new with Seiko.
I would never wear a watch made in Asia. I received a swiss made watch as a gift from my father when I was 18. I now have a collection of watches, all swiss made (Certina, Tissot, Omega, Doxa, Rado, Longines, Hamilton)
These are great example of Japanese vs. Swiss watches for those on a budget but as a novice with that title I was expecting more of an explanation as to why one is better than the other.
What are your feelings regarding Roamer watches? I own a Rolex Deep Sea Seadweller and a Roamer Stingray Alarm GMT (my everyday watch) I know I'm comparing a quartz movement with a mechanical movement but as build quality is concerned my Roamer is as well built and sports a lot of similarities like case metal and glass material for a fraction of the cost. I have owned many Swiss and Japanese watches but in my opinion the Roamer is the best value for money watch i have in my collection. For around $400 you can expect 1 or 2 features but with the Roamer Stingray you get GMT hand, full high grade stainless steel with safety clasp, sapphire glass, alarm and day/date. It even has a power reserve indicator on the dial. I have never seen all these functions together on one watch at this or twice the price. For that reason and because it was a birthday gift to me from my fiancee its my favorite watch and while the others stay safe in the safe the Roamer Stingray GMT sits on my wrist everyday. Thank you for a great channel and I have become a subscriber. Keep up the great content. 👍
Japanese watch, car etc price breakdown = cost+ quality 80% + 20% for brand creation through ads European = cost + 70% brand value created through ads + 30% quality
seiko sarb 035 brilliant just brilliant ..........everyone should buy a sarb , saphire crystal front and back and an in house movement a bomb couldnt break ...not to mention how beautifull it looks
As a watch amateur, I still have lots to learn but I think it's become pretty clear that the Swiss do not have an objectively superior hold on the watch market. Do I think the omega seamaster is an incredibly elegant and functional watch and I often desire to be like James Bond and adventure around with one? Of course! But realistically, most of the watches I collect will probably be from other countries like Japan because it seems foolish and ignorant to just waste all your money on excessively priced, "horologically superior," watches when you can get much better watches for the price elsewhere. It all comes down to each persons preference. I'll probably end up buying a nice Tissot and maybe one other Swiss watch for the history and that'll be all I need from them!
people complaint about the stock strap, but im lovin it! the color and the croc pattern i think fits the watch perfectly. But theres one thing u should know though, it takes time to break it in. mine probably took 2 weeks! whenever i put it down after work, im going to put it on something like a 'roller' so the leather continue to break in (the stiffness) even if im not wearing it.
its an ugly strap for sure but if you like it god bless. it's easily replaced by a higher end Colareb or a very high end metal bracelet if you have any lying around
Tanvir never been a fan of metal straps, probably never will 😉. Now if i ever gonna change the straps, it will be the black label from C&C. Whos got $80 lying around?
I have a Citizen automatic watch with sapphire crystal for $100. If there is a Swiss watch at this price point with this quality, i would buy one but there is none.
It would be great to hear a watchmaker's opinion here. Many Japanese movements are no longer assembled in Japan. Likewise, Swiss movement parts are sometimes outsourced. To complicate things further, both countries produce movements in the millions raising questions regarding manufacturing processes and quality control. Personally, I don't see how you could go wrong with a good Seiko or ETA movement but would like to hear more about this subject. Thank you.
Japanese watches are better because they were made to be affordable to the every day layman while Swiss was made for rich snobs. Sure a Rolex may hold its value better but that's because its marketed like that but a Seiko will last much longer.
I always fall back to my father's advice - he, his father and his brother (sadly all gone now) were all watchmakers by trade and understood quality of manufacture. My father always spoke of the superb quality of Seiko despite working on all makes including Rolex, Omega (which he also respected greatly) etc. - he chose Japanese. Many confuse prestige with quality - they aren't the same. Seiko for my and my pops.
As an engineer who has spent plenty of time in Switzerland, and who knows the watch industry intimately, I respectfully disagree with you.
No nation can ever duplicate the Swiss national "Culture of Quality" in everything they do. It is just as simple as that!
Alex P I understand your point but culture does not necessarily deliver. He's gone now but my father spent his life dismantling, fixing and reassembling watches. I have to respect his hands on life's experience of watches from all over the world. He understood the minute detail of the watches, not the industry or its culture.
With respect, you simply cannot compare a fine handmade watch with one that is essentially stamped out by machines. The minute details of the movement, case, and overall execution speak volumes.
Much lIke anything in life, the last 5% of an excellent job most likely represents about 50% of the effort. That makes the difference between a superior job versus a paramount one.
Overall, there is a huge difference in manufacturers. Rolex produces over 1M movements per year, while Patek produces no more than 60K, and that seems like a great deal to me.
I am an amateur watchmaker myself. Thank you.
We'll have to agree to differ, I'll trust my father's lifetime as a professional watchmaker who worked on all makes, including Rolex. He was trained by his father who was also a professional watchmaker from WW1 onwards. He always held a candle for Seiko quality at a 20th of the cost of a Rolex.
Dear Mark,
If you had the opportunity to spend much time in Switzerland as I have been fortunate to do, I believe you would think slightly differently. The Swiss embrace what I term, "A Culture of Quality" that cannot be equaled elsewhere.
As a person who loves working with their hands and appreciates fine quality and craftsmanship, there is a significant difference. I've visited Japan many years ago. I was greatly impressed by their ability to produce top quality products consistently, especially in the area of electronics. I overwhelmingly prefer Sony televisions and computers because I have never had one ever break down! The PC I'm using is about 14 years old, and still going strong. My CRT TV is about 25 years old, and there's no sense in replacing it until it gives up the ghost. I may be stuck with that thing for the rest of my life!
Please allow me to share that watches are a different commodity. As an enthusiast since my teenage years, there is more to a fine Swiss timepiece than the sum of its parts. It is the amazing people that create such miniature works of mechanical engineering that inspire me in my daily life and work. People require inspiration of those who are at the best of their profession. I found early on by my many visits to Swiss watch factories.
There is a huge difference in the amount of attention to detail in a Patek, VC, Piaget or Audemars than found in any competing model. The exquisite finishing of movement parts for example, that few will ever see, is a prime example. You will never find that in a Seiko or Rolex.
You were truly fortunate to be able to learn about quality and craftsmanship from your father. My late dad was an oral surgeon, and he too loved to work with his hands. I believe I gained my appreciation and inspiration from him. In any event, find what inspires you to do the best you are able. There are few things more important in life than taking personal satisfaction from a job well done!
All the best!
Japanese made watchs which revolutionized watch industry which was affordable for all . We need to thank Japanese for their work. Thank you Japan. Love from India.
The swiss have also revolutionized watches but are far more expensive than Japanese watches. There is also more variety within the swiss industry.
But brands like Seiko coming out of japan are top notch. DO not forget german brands as well.
@@bighands69 Seiko is shit now, my Sarb017 accuracy is all over the place, gonna sell it, don't want to repair it since is may damage it more now.
So you have one example of a Seiko and they're all shit? With swiss watches I've had damaged rotors, stems completely come out, misaligned day wheels, accuracy issues, etc. But the swiss stuff is all good IMO, most of the time I still prefer swiss.
Maybe a cheap quartz is more suited to you
Absolutely, not just watches but cars like Lexus, Honda and brands like Technics, Sony, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Denon, Koetsu the list goes on...
@@SacreDro I have the same movement in a Sarx055 - gains about 40 secs a week.
In my personal opinion, the value of Swiss watches is more reflected in brand stories and art, while the value of Japanese watches is more technical and industrial. Japanese watches are made for most people, while Swiss watches are more For a small number of people's vanity,Watches in two countries have different approaches on business
With a Japanese watch you can be sure you'll never miss a train, extremely accurate. With a swiss watch well...good look.
Fun fact. Swiss watch making came into its stride making forgeries of British and French pocket watches in the 18th century. Referred to as "Dutch forgery". Cheap outsold expensive. In more modern times, world war 2 helped cement the Swiss as leaders in relation to quality watches. Not joining the war their factories were in tip top condition and various forms of "wealth" distributed into Swiss banks during and after the war, allowed said banks to provide favourable loans to Swiss watch companies to expand. In short some Japanese watches are better that Swiss and some Swiss watches better than Japanese. Regardless a $30 quartz will keep better time than 99% of mechanical watches.
The Seiko is absolutely beautiful.
Swiss watches are just generally more expensive. What's amusing about Japanese watches is how they are able to give you very very good watches for a lot less money. Swiss watches, while I respect them, are a bit overrated and too pricey.
It like comparing a Mercedes vs Toyota.
@Péter Horváth Whats your point?
Japanese brands fix their prices accirding to how much spend to create their time peaces but swiss companies increases the price to create the demand of piece and just to create the brand name and they didnot even manufacture their movements.
@Michal Nazareth My friend. You are commenting after a year? Dayum bro.
@Michal Nazareth Also Mitsubishi is the same quality as Toyota if not worse. Obviously Mercedes is more high end. But the point here is that swiss made watches are more high end also. But japanese watches could give you the same reliability and almost same quality as the swiss made watches for less money. Thats why im putting the example with the 2 car brands.
I have a Seiko 5 I bought new for £30 in 1975 which has never been serviced and still gives great time accuracy today. I have a Rolex sub date which I bought new for £2,000 in 1983 which was serviced after ten years (£100) and now needs servicing again (it has stopped working) and I have been told it will cost £600! Japanese every time for reliability.
Rolex are of a higher quality than the average japanese watch. Just because a toyota lasts longer than say a Mercedes or Rolls Royce does not mean it is a car of higher quality it means it is more reliable.
Rolex watches would also be far more comfortable to wear than the likes of a Seiko.
Who buys a Rolex and doesn't service it within the recommended intervals and then complains about it?
Have you put the Seiko on timegrapher? My bet is that even though it is running well, it's probably running dry (oils dried up). This will be evident by the amount of noise on the timegrapher.
So why would a Rolex be more comfortable to wear then a Seiko? Makes no sense whatsoever!!
+Nathan C
Seriously ask your self this question would a $50 Seiko be more comfortable than a Rolex (notice I did not say Grand).
Bryn Smart I had the same problem with a Submariner Rolex got rid of it conked out on me even after Servicing. I grew up with a cheap kick around Seiko dive watch that lasted 40 years.
My question is for everybody how is Rolex Superior if you have to keep servicing them every 3-4 years at $600 a pop.
As a collector, I like Swiss watches. My grandfather who got me interested in watch collecting collected Japanese watches. A brand like Rolex will maintain its price and often most models will increase in value over time. Now this maybe because Rolex artificially sets its market price and limiting the number of watches that it makes and provides its dealers, like DeBeers for diamonds. Rolex dealers are strictly controlled and often authorized dealers are not allowed to give discounts. Seiko, on the other hand, is a great watch for the every day man that can't afford a high end Swiss watch. I have Seiko watches that are over 50 years old and running like new. The Japanese culture takes great pride and honor in their craftsmanship, whether it is production of electronics, cars, so why not watches too.
That appears the only excuse I hear for Rolex anymore. They will hold their price. I want a watch to wear not look at in a box.
Japanese all day.....
Rolex watches do not always increase in value. Many of them are old farts that cannot be sold at even half the price, it all depends, i personally wouldn’t want to buy a secondhand watch for more than the brand new one.
@@tawansrithrachaikul4573 I don’t disagree. It all depends on condition, rarity, and collectibility. I’ve seen some that have been so abused, you can’t even tell it’s a Rolex.
@KJM Swiss watches are like German luxury cars. It turns heads on the streets and gives you that “privileged” feeling but for reliability you have to go with a Japanese car. I have 2 BMWs and a Toyota, the Toyota is my daily run-about car. Regarding watches, I’m a collector. My daily wearer is now an Apple Watch that my daughter gave me for my birthday. Most of the high-end watches I own mostly stay in a safe.
I love both! As a owner off a Rolex sub, a Omega Speedmaster and a Seiko MM300 the Seiko is the watch i enjoy wearing the most, and has been on many dives with me and has been a pure joy to use! Price has no relevance to enjoyment or wrist time for me but we are all different....
I love my citizen watch, more than 10 years still working good
in same price range japanese are way way better than swiss.If you want to have a swiss in japan quality you have to pay 10 times more than a japanese.
Agree!
Yes, like the Tag Heuer Aquaracer RRP $2000, comes with a shitty $30 ETA 955.112 Quartz movement. Quality indeed.
agree too
I agree Seiko's low end quartz and solar quartz are throw away movements. In that price range, Seiko are not pretending to be anything other than an affordable watch. There are always exceptions to the rule, as you have mentioned.
My comment was more about a cheap quartz in an expensive case, which other companies other than Tag do. A lot of Seiko's range (especially in the $1000-2000 range), competes fiercely with Swiss. I have a Seiko SLA019 which would easily cost close to double if it were swiss, the finish is impeccable.
I also have owned many Swiss/German watches and still own a Tudor and two Sinns. Tag (especially Heuer) are awesome watches. But the fact of the matter is largely true- in many cases you will pay a lot more for a Swiss watch with the same finishing quality. Just look at the Shippo enamel dial pressage line from Seiko, you will easily pay double for a swiss equivalent. Same with the pressage column chrono with vertical clutch. You simply cannot find a swiss equivalent for that price.
I don't try to convince anyone of anything, and I haven't drank the Seiko kool-aid, but they do some seriously impressive stuff at certain price points.
@@8AP1 agree
Honestly you're one of the best reviewers on CZcams when it comes to watches. Better than everyone, thanks to your focus on affordables. I bought the Citizen sunburst blue you have in this video, and also an Alpinist (not at the same time, and not actually because of your videos, but your videos were great in this regard anyway).
Keep doing this. You are doing mankind a service. Seriously. The best channel about watches for us mere mortals who don't want to spend 5k on a Rolex but would rather have a diverse collection of quality watches.
+Tayyab Pirzada Thank you, i really appreciate it!
It's because of comments like yours i want to keep producing the best videos i can.
I really like watches that offer something unique and a lot of value for you money. And i want to share this with you guys. Most people can't or wont spend $5k+ on a watch, and I want to show that there are fantastic watches that doesn't cost a fortune out there.
Thanks again.
Regards
GAW
Seiko is in essence a JAPANESE Rolex. The watch cannot be destroyed..... I have a grand seiko with in house movement from the early 70's. Never had to be serviced and is accurate to 1/4 0f a second.
Agree with you completly. Many thanks GAW!
@TayyabPrizada - Good Interesting Reply/review & you're correct in your Statement as well.
🖖☘Pod☘👍
☮Peace / Health & Happiness
P,H & H (- Please Pass It On !).
May your mobile phone battery Always be 75% FULL 👌
@@WatchesAndCars Good Helpful Review.👌
And a lot of Sense in what you're saying ! Thanks 👍
🖖☘Pod☘
☮Peace / Health & Happiness
P,H & H (- Please Pass It On !).
May your mobile phone battery Always be 75% FULL 👌
I love both manufacturers but you can't beat the luxurious feel of a swiss watch.
It depends on the make of watch. A Seiko will never be a Rolex or an Omega but my automatic Seiko has been running for 10 years and it cost $65.00 on sale.
JoachimderZweite A Grand Seiko has better finish then Rolex.
Suprxme Storm too right. Rolexes are beautifully made, but not really super hi end....Grand Seiko finishing is hi end.
Japanese watches r best... my love to seiko casio.
For me, an automatic Seiko watch for wearing on day to day bussiness is enough. Have been owning one for more than 4 years, wear it continuously almost everyday the bracelet and the sapphire crystal face are full of scratches, but the clock is still going reliably without ever being serviced (yet). And a luxury Swiss watch for occasional use on formal event. My uncle gave me a vintage Rolex oyster perpetual watch, it's still running after almost 30 years, but cost a small fortune just to servicing it...😅😅😅
Artisto81 AKA Meong Garong nice one....The Rolex will be worth a lot, though. You say you have a Seiko 5.....I guess the reason the sapphire crystal is full of scratches, is that it is not sapphire, but hardlex....quite a soft material.
I think Japanese Watches and Swiss Watches are both great in their own ways.
But I believe Swiss watches have become just symbol of "High Status" with its great history and I believe Japanese watches are actually way more practical and reliable than Swiss watch using their own cutting edge technology like GPS, Radio Wave control
and they can show us precise time wherever we are in the world.
My opinion is this...
Swiss trumps Japanese in style, elegance and prestige.
Japanese trumps Swiss in value, reliability, and function.
I can buy a Seiko Alpinist ,Citizen dress watch and an Orient Star for the same price as a Hamilton 1000 dollar watch which I like very much.I dont bother with my Swiss pieces.Servicing is really expensive and with an active life style crystal replacement is a given.
To be honest the Seiko Alpinist can do everything the citizen/Orient star can do. It serves as a sports watch, dress watch, and every day casual watch.
I too own one citizen, rose-gold tone eco-drive. It means a lot to me because it was given to me as a gift. No battery replacement, and it doesn't need to be wound. So it's great when I want a different watch and am in a hurry or on the run.
I also have an Orient Bambino v3 which I bought only because I fell in love with the blue dial, but to be honest, as a dress watch I have other domed minimalist dress watches that were the same price and feel classier than the bambino.
Dont own a Seiko Alpinist yet (this is the SARB017 with green dial correct?) But I've seen them around and they are gorgeous.
Like a ferrari or r8 verses a gtr, lfa or nsx
absolutely. Ferrari is a great example. Style, elegance, prestige. GTR, speed, performance, but without the elegance and exclusivity in design of the ferrari. (I consider and will always consider any Audi to be a pretender regardless of its performance, I would put the r8 on the other side of the fence next to GTR)
Greg Miel Pretty stupid comment because nissans overall reliabilty is worst then all German brands, and audi is better and or same as Hondas reliability for the past 4 years according to consumer report......and sorry but as a motorsport enthusiast comparing a gtr and r8 is an apple to orange.. different drivetrians equals to different type of drivers..... Beside the r8 has been the. better sports car due to its dominance in GT and touring car racing such ex: le Mans, Nurburgring........The gtr has almost no or little racing pedigree......... now for the Nsx , POS overpriced wannabe drivers car that's not inspiring to drive. rather have a brz........ and any thing italian is pretty but unreliable...... you shouldnt compare cars to watchs............
I am a Seiko fan and owner. Swiss watches are way over rated and over priced by spending too much on marketing. A Grand Seiko wins against all Swiss watches in quality and value. Btw, pay more attention in keeping watches in focus 🙏
Swiss watches have better decoration on the movement and more solid bracelet, but I prefer Japanese.
IMHO.....'value for monies' innovative watches with top grade in house movement and comes with excellent characteristics of its own; swiss i prefer rolex, japan i prefer grand seiko and germany i prefer nomos.
Japanese watches offer great value for money with in-house movements for every price point. I have some Swiss pieces in my collection but I love my Japanese watches, in fact they get more wrist time. I am particularly fond of Seiko and Orient and to a lesser extent Citizen. I have a few Citizen automatics in my collection.
Yes exactly. Japansese watches are fantastic. But i can't really say any country of manufacture is better then the other. Both make fantastic watch, but sometimes you can get more value out of your money from Japanese watches.
Regards
GAW
I love your video! One constructive criticism from me: please try to plan and record your reviews to be brief and a little peppy. Your voice should not be in a monotone... Make it go up and down to grab your audience's attention! I know you're very capable and knowledgeable. It's just that it can get a lot better and your videos will go viral among today's youth, who are buying less and less number of watches due to smartphone invasion. All the best!
Why the funeral music ?
nice add😳
Yeah. The audio suck
Obeijin - He knows that one of his watches will die soon.😒
The funeral music of Swiss watches
Exactly.. Tf?!
Swiss made movements is good
BUT I prefer to Japanese movement it was made 100%
Built inhouse movement BUT swiss movement on a watch is not 100% built in house. Components are sourced and
Made from China, Thailand
So i prefer to Japanese movement
I've had 4 japanese watches with another on the way. After I bought 3 watches, I decided to purchase a Hamilton khaki pilot. Certainly not the best that the swiss have to offer, but this watch is amazing. The amount of innovation in the h40 movement is incredible, and the finishing is amazing. You can get it for around $550 online. Now the Japanese watches were/are all under $300 and I love them. The dials are all beautiful with a lot of attention to detail, but the finishing was mostly all polished or bead blasted. No variation. Which really isn't a bad thing. The movements were all great, but nothing special. I love both
Great comparison! I totally agree. I both own japanese as well as swiss made watches and love both of them. But I also definitely agree what you said about the swiss price inflation which is sometimes really ridiculus.
+Daniel Zimmermann Thanks man!
Yeah sometimes prices can get really high. I am glad there are brands like Steinhart, Christopher Ward and in some cases even Hamilton and Tissot, that offers great Swiss watches for a reasonable price.
Regards
GAW
How about you go any buy an IWC, then sell it the next day? Have a cry when you lose 50% of your money. It was worth 50% of it's sale price to begin with.
Your comments are void of any intelligence and are annoying. Bugger off mosquito.
omnipotentum, your inferiority complex is showing.
I think you can get equally good Japanese and Swiss watches at nearly every price point. Except for very low or very high prices, where Seiko beats most of its opponents in terms of value for money. Nice collection, I really like the SARB017! ;)
Uhrkunde Yes i agree. They both offer good watches in each price range. And Yes the SARB017 is a fantastic piece :)
Regards
GAW
I have a Citizen Eco-Drive chronograph and a Swiss Military Hanowa chronograph in my collection. The Hanowa looks classy while the Citizen is pretty much a sporty watch. Thing is though, the Citizen far outshines the Hanowa in terms of operation. It's practically inaudible when the chrono hand is sweeping but with the Hanowa it's quite audible if you put it next to your ear. I think the Citizen has a much better movement. The Hanowa is also a bit more expensive, although it comes with two extra straps and the necessary tool to swap straps.
I love Seikos and Orients. Steinhart is my max. amount I will pay for Swiss movement.
Strinhart copies design strengths from other top swiss brands. Hardly original
There are probably over 5000 (estimated) watch makers in the world at this time. I can't help but think that, with that many creators working around the clock (pardon the pun) to create a watch, there are bound to be issues staying in your swim lanes. -Particularly when a creation from another maker is wildly successful and that success has sustained for a couple of decades or longer. I would venture to say that there are few people at Rolex today that were there when the Sub was first created, so in a sense, every Sub design that has followed since the first one is in essence also a copy or highly iterative/derivative. I've always said that every product creator (cars, watches, televisions, etc.) would probably love to be 100 percent original and innovative, but their first responsibility is to earn enough to pay their bills, retain their employees, feed their family, etc. With all of that in mind, I'm sure it can be difficult for a new watchmaker to ignore the fact that cloning a Rolly Sub is a good way to get your foot in the proverbial door.
Rolex offer high quality watches that could be taken Scuba diving or to the top of everest. The same cannot be said of many Japanese watches.
Really it is all about horses for courses.
Good value are Seiko and Tissot.
I will never buy a watch in the zero to $500 range again unless it is a gift for someone. I have purchased many Seiko’s, and a citizen. If you want a watch that’s reliable,accurate, and will look almost new for a very long time both Citizen and Seiko are great choices. For someone like me that wants all of the fore mentioned checks in the box items, as well as something made and finished with the greatest attention to detail….save your money until you can afford to spend approximately $1000 on a completely Swiss made watch like Longines. You won’t be disappointed!!!! And don’t worry to much about being able to see the movement in the back of the watch for your first watch. You’ll love it so much you won’t want to take it off.
SEIKO Is the Proud of JAPAN The best of the Best in Watches in my Opinion
I REALLY like my orange dial ORIENT from the 70's.
Just like cars. The Toyota/Honda will go 300k miles w/o. breaking a sweat. The BMW will be in the shop every year after 50k miles. And its more difficult to sell a used Swiss Swatch. Used Japanese watches sell very fast. Same as cars.
I have a Lexus IS250 with 232,000kms on the clock. Never had one problem apart from having to change the map light. I had a Mercedes C class some time ago and it was more problems that it was worth. Sold it and never looked back.
Utter crap. German cars, namely Mercedes-Benz rank quite low in terms of reliability. VW has tons of problems with their engines. They burn out, they freeze, burn oil and BMW sells cars for a premium and slaps on plastic water pumps. Yay!
He's a troll mate - just leave him be and he may go away.
DYNAMO ME Japanese watches are easier to sell because they are cheaper,
@omnipotentum You should leave your cap locks on so everyone knows to ignore you. It is no real difference. Everyone ignores you anyway. But you could at least do a public service and save everyone the time of accidentally reading your posts
Thank you for the post my friend! Very informative... I agree with you...
God bless and take care...
Thank you very with!
Regards
GAW
I really like Orient, Seiko, Citizen. Swiss watches aren't better. At least not the normal ones you can buy.
Seiko (Japan) and Steinhart (Swiss/German) make amazing watches. I would also add Christopher Ward.
Agreed, i own a CW C60 Vintage. It's a fantastic watch. A review will be out soon!
Regards
GAW
My nephew purchased a Christopher Ward watch new as a gift to himself for a pay rise, cost him Aust $3,000 .. well it plumeted like a stone in value and 18months later he'd lucky to get a grand for it.
Christopher Ward make some beautiful watches... and then they stick their logo on them. So close...
I lobe Seiko watches and I’ve had a couple of Citizens over the years. Horological enthusiasts seem to always focus on Swiss made watches in the main, but Germany have some great manufacturers, for sheer value for money, no one touches the Japanese. As for China, they make great watches through microbrands. Having said all this, I have one Swiss quartz watch that I bought in 1999, in Bahrain. It’s a make that not many people have heard of, Argenti. It’s a super precise chronograph with an ETA movement and, apart from changing the battery every 6 years or so, it’s been 100% reliable and amazingly accurate....gaining about 1 second per month! I’ve just pulled the trigger on a Citizen Promaster tough ‘Ray Mears’ field watch and am really looking forward to getting it. Specs are great.........hardened titanium monocoque case, weighing only 50 grammes, Ecodrive movement, screwdown crown, 300m water resistant! Sapphire crystal, shock resistant, ant-magnetic, great lume, genuine Kevlar strap and looks good, all for £269. If this were Swiss and had an ETA automatic movement, it’d cost a fair bit! Good video.
While Swiss watches are nice and all that, but simply they are trolling the people in convincing them they can charge (THAT MUCH) many times with no real justifications. I believe Japanese watches are beside being great watches, but also they are affordable.
Japanese Brands advantages are
1. Its cheaper but quality
2. Easier to look for parts
3. More support for service and support
I would say its like Toyota in cars. Dominating market because its affordable
I've seen amazing watches from Switzerland and Japan. I've also seen great watches from Germany and China.
Nope..the Seiko is superb
When I wear my OMEGA or my ZENITH, no one notices. When I wear my orange dial / orange strap Orient, every one loves it!
If you are looking for an investment forget the ROLEX; buy real estate. If you want a great quality automatic watch, buy a SEIKO, CITIZEN, or ( my favorite ) ORIENT. If you want a great quality watch, and don't mind paying more than you need to, buy a ZENITH, IWC, GLASHUTTE, VULCAIN, or ( VERY under-rated ) ZENO WATCH BASEL. You will see that no one will notice your ROLEX, and if they do, they will think it a fake!
Burkhold St. Rudderberg Just curious why do you prefer Orient more than Seiko? I'm new to watches so I barely know anything
Orient are a complete in-house Japanese made movement. They company was acquired by Seiko a decade or so ago and what Orient produce for the money is astonishing. I too dismissed them, then I got an M-Force Bravo and was absolutely blown away by it. I got it for AUD$400 and it is easily up there with > $1200 watches.
Funny that, you appear to be the only stupid person on this channel. Offended by the fact that people are happy with their cheaper watches. Newsflash dummy, most of the population don't care about watches and the only expensive watch they can identify is a Rolex submariner. His statement is largely correct, unfortunate, but correct.
omnipotentum I'm not American, and I happen to own Swiss and Japanese watches and I love them all and Wear them at different occasions or for different things, a watch isn't simply about Swiss or Japanese, price or statement, sometimes it's about enjoying the history of the brand, the craftsmanship, and of course how the watch looks and functions, I own Tag Heuer, Tissot, BLVGARI, Seiko, and Citizen.
If I'm going out to do things where my expensive watches could get damaged or even stolen, I reach for that Seiko.
Not to mention that Seiko was my dad's watch he got for his 21st birthday, the watch is older than me and still looks prestine and works like a charm.
Horology is about so much more than just a price tag and brand name, it's about enjoying timepieces and apreciation of the history and craftsmanship, regardless of the brand or price, each to their own.
+Josh Smith Ignore him. As you can see by his uneducated rants, he has some physiological issues. Owning a decent watch is a pipe dream for him. Ignore his comments and they don't amount to anything.
I'll take aSeiko, Citizen or Orient over a Swiss watch anytime. Edited to add Casio to the list.
@NICKV. I AGREE WITH YOUR LIST. IN MY HUMBLE OPINION, CASIO, IS THE BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK, AS A DAILY BEATER, FOR UNDER $50 YOU CANT GO WRONG !!
Really? You have tried every Swiss watch on the market and have decided they aren’t as good as a Citizen have you?🙄🙄🙄🙄 if all you want is a thing to tell the time look at your phone.
@@Jabber-ig3iw No, Swiss watches are just as good. Just not worth paying more for. There is no added benefit.
@@nickv4073 lol that’s hilarious.
Gonna have to go with the Japanese here. If someone can justify the inflated price tags of Swiss made watches, I'm all ears. Honestly, I just see the same thing with different labels. The 'Swiss Made' tag just ends up being obscenely overpriced.
that steinhart uses a soprod A10-2 movement which was originally a seiko movement more specifically a credor movement so it's more Japanese then swiss
True. A fantastic movement which i think is very interesting. I'm really glad i have the Soprod version of the Ocean 500.
Regards
GAW
They are now using ETA movements. Most of the Ocean 1 series has the 2824-2. Btw, Frederick Constant's in house movement is just a decorated ETA or Sellita movement. The FC-303 is either based on the ETA 2824 or the SW200.
The Ocean 500 now uses the ETA 2892-A2 Elaboré.
I own a 34 year old Casio quartz analog watch. Apart from the many battery changes, and the general wear and tear (scratches on the bezel and face, it has not been serviced at all. I still wear it almost on a daily basis. My other quartz analog watch is a Seiko dress watch that is 20 years old, that I wear for more formal occasions. I say no more.
No chronographs. Due to the prevalence of the Valjoux 7750 movement, Swiss auto chronos are actually a lot cheaper than Japanese automatic chronographs.
what do you think about frederique constant's name?
Steinhart, Christopher Ward and Hamilton all are great. Seiko does make some great pieces
I could have bought a watch with the 2892a2 movement for under $279 but I was unfamiliar with the movement or the brand. I think it was La Valie?? Did I blow it?
Is it just me or are the leather straps reversed on your watches? Come to think of it, can leather straps be reversed?
that green seiko is nice.
Honestly my next watch is going to be a Deep Blue with tritum tubes and super luminova. this micro brand is really nice they even put in sapphire all for like 1000 dollars. it also has a swiss movement i think,.
My collection has quite a few watches from both countries. I find the Seiko with the 6R15 movement a well built piece, has a pretty good power reserve and runs at 21600 bpm, we find that particular movement in watches like the SARB line. Compare the Swiss watch around a similar price range, let's use a Hamilton field automatic with a standard ETA 2824-2 movement running at 28800 rpm. I have several of each so to do a time comparison with positional variance is a small but fair test.
Fit and finish is good with both Swiss and Japanese watches, I find the SARB line an amazingly good value, certainly comparable with the higher priced Swiss models. The 6R15 has a power reserve of around 50 hours whilst the 2824 is around 40 hours. It's timing where the Swiss pieces come into there own, I find the 2824 a very accurate movement, it performs within + 6seconds in five out of the six positions while I found the 6R15 had usually one position where it kept good time and widely varied in other positions. 24 hour X 6 positions.
Its depends on what you want from a timepiece. If good value, great looks and so so timing are what your looking for the 6R15 movement in the Seiko is for you. However, if accuracy is paramount, may I suggest the entry level swiss watch.
I really loved ur reviews, it's just enjoyable
I’m just getting into the world of Grand Seiko, I love all watches, Swiss, German, Japanese etc, fanboys of Japanese watches seem very very toxic, like they can’t enjoy their own watches without deriding every brand that isn’t Japanese, really don’t get it. Puts me off the brand to be honest, they seem like the BMW owners of the watch world.
Switzerland has a better watch industry that geared towards high end and lower end with far more variety in brands. Japan on the other hand has brands that are as good as swiss brands and a lot cheaper.
An automatic swiss watch will be 5 times more expensive especially at the entry level.
America! Hahaha. In the early 20th century, many swiss watch quality was actually behind America, to the point where the term 'Swiss Fake' meant a Swiss replica of an American brand!
Damn i need to get that first watch, the contrast between the green, gold and that brown strap, its so nice.
That seiko looks fantastic, way better than in online pictures. Must get one, thanks for sharing.
Thanks appreciate it!
Regards
GAW
dear sir please tell me about fossil automatic watch with japanese moment
Fack fossil plastique i love watches SWISS.
Nothing beats a Seiko Spring Drive.
I love Seiko automatic watches. The problem with another of Swiss made watches is to many use the same ETA movements while charging through the nose for it.
Eta movements are arguably among the best mechanical movements out there. In house movements are so overrated.
I know of 4 major Japanese brands - Casio, Seiko, Citizen, Orient. All these 4 are so famous and every value for money. Do they last as long as some of the Swiss. Absolutely yes if not each of these.
Now on the Swiss side we have plethora of brands. However not all would last and have as good of value in terms of quality than the Seiko or Citizen. There is however a great history and sometimes that t
It is no brainier that the Japanese are VFM however provided the Swiss and German watches do not have exorbitant hyped pricing they are better in many terms than the Japanese.
Japanese watches are affordable, provide excellent quality and accuracy. But the aesthetic beauty of a Swiss watch is unique and the feeling of having something precious on your wrist can't be had using a Japanese watch.
I have been using Japanese and Swiss watches since 2 decades.
Japanese make great watches like Seiko, Citizen and Orient, I have bought all three and they are in fine condition all these years.
I have been using Rado, Tissot, Raymond Weil and Continental as well, and can't get over my fascination with these Swiss watches.
Everyone is entitled to his opinion. I would go with the Swiss watch for aesthetic reasons and for accuracy, and value for money, the Japanese watches take the lead.
“Grand Seiko”
Very informative. Very nice choice of watches. I'd like to have all of them. I figured out your video editing by looking at the second hands.
What size Watch Band Clasp Stainless Steel Deployment Buckle did you used for the Seiko Alpinist Sarb017? Thanks.
I think it's 18. I don't have the watch anymore so i can't say for sure. But if the lug width is 20mm the clasp size should be 18mm.
Regards
GAW
As a collector I like em all. I just love watches
My fathers swiss watch Rotary is still working, it's a 1950s mechanical watch, never been repaired, the dail is just a little rusty but still is ticking perfectly. This is a swiss watch
Where is the strap that you have on the alpinist from? I was looking to change out my strap and i love the brown and deployment clasp look
James May would buy Seiko because it's more sensible purchase.
Jeremy Clarkson would buy a Rolex because it's a Rolex.
SARBs were so good they had to be discontinued. Shame.
Japanese for durability, Swiss for... well, made in Switzerland.
Swiss for status. That's all Swiss watches are good for.
They're more expensive, they tell worse time, they require more maintenance, and most of them don't look that much better than their Japanese counterparts.
They're just status symbols, and nothing more.
NTH THN -Well...... so do Fondue, Cheese and Cuckoo Clocks - Not all great !
Feck - And That feckin Yodelling !! Give me strength - to Open this Army Knife and figure out which one of the over-abundance of TINY Implements would disable A Yodel !!
🖖☘Pod☘👍
☮Peace / Health & Happiness
P,H & H (- Please Pass It On !).
May your mobile phone battery be Always 75% FULL !👌
I have two Victorinox are Swiss Army watches and one is automatic where the bracelet match my Swiss knife and the other is Swartz and thats the one i like to swim with, and happy with both.
nice video. the question will linger long after we both are no longer around..
of the 4 watches I think the sarb017 is the most versatile..it's a dress watch that has tool watch practicality. ..how many truly dress watches have a 200m depth rating??
for me it's like having the best of both worlds..now only if it was available in a sunburst blue dial I would be in heaven
fldiver jc Thanks!
Yes the SARB017 is almost the perfect watch. It would look fantastic in blue but i think i prefer the green dial just because its so unique and not seen very often. The only watch i can think of that come close is the Sinn 556 or perhaps the 104 in the "affordable" price range.
Why i love Divers so much(especially dress/vintage diver) is because of the WR. You know you can spill some water on it and not have to worry. The Sarb017 can do all this while being almost a dress watch.
That for me is almost perfection.
Regards
GAW
MIYOTA FOR EVER!!
Great Review. The real comparison IMHO should be about the Calibers; Precision/Durability/Shock Resistance.
I think Frederique Constant is an underrated brand with some beautiful designs.
I love Tissot for good value Swiss watches. The Tissot Visodate is a beautiful automatic for around $500.
Swiss is obviously better. But you have to pay a pretty penny for it often. Seiko has poor quality control yet they've been asking more and more money for their watches these past few years. The only good Seikos are the high-end JDM only models or Grand Seiko, which are both expensive themselves.
Besides, there are a lot of affordable Swiss watches these days that are superior to their similarly priced Seiko counterparts. For instance, you can get a Tissot or Hamilton with a Powermatic 80 movement which is vastly superior in accuracy and power reserve than a $500 or $600 Seiko with an inferior and often poorly regulated 4R36 or 6R15 movement.
Honestly, I think people who praise Seiko too much are those who simply can't afford the more expensive Swiss brands, so they feel the need to tell the entire world that the brand that they bought is "just as good". Seiko is nice, but they're just not as good, the cheaper Seikos at least. You can't even get a 28800 bph movement for under $1000 brand new with Seiko.
I would never wear a watch made in Asia. I received a swiss made watch as a gift from my father when I was 18.
I now have a collection of watches, all swiss made (Certina, Tissot, Omega, Doxa, Rado, Longines, Hamilton)
You have to try it, the quality is great and the history unbeatable.
Hold the damn watches still....out of focus...glare....wtf are you doin'...trying to signal someone....jeeeez
These are great example of Japanese vs. Swiss watches for those on a budget but as a novice with that title I was expecting more of an explanation as to why one is better than the other.
Good video! Could you share where did you get the leather strap with deployment buckle on the steinhart and the FC? Thx
What are your feelings regarding Roamer watches? I own a Rolex Deep Sea Seadweller and a Roamer Stingray Alarm GMT (my everyday watch) I know I'm comparing a quartz movement with a mechanical movement but as build quality is concerned my Roamer is as well built and sports a lot of similarities like case metal and glass material for a fraction of the cost. I have owned many Swiss and Japanese watches but in my opinion the Roamer is the best value for money watch i have in my collection. For around $400 you can expect 1 or 2 features but with the Roamer Stingray you get GMT hand, full high grade stainless steel with safety clasp, sapphire glass, alarm and day/date. It even has a power reserve indicator on the dial. I have never seen all these functions together on one watch at this or twice the price. For that reason and because it was a birthday gift to me from my fiancee its my favorite watch and while the others stay safe in the safe the Roamer Stingray GMT sits on my wrist everyday. Thank you for a great channel and I have become a subscriber. Keep up the great content. 👍
Is there a reason why the straps are on the other way round?
Very good vid!! Wonderful watches. 👍👍
+Watches Galore Thanks man, appreciate it :)
Regards
GAW
Japanese watch, car etc price breakdown = cost+ quality 80% + 20% for brand creation through ads
European = cost + 70% brand value created through ads + 30% quality
seiko sarb 035 brilliant just brilliant ..........everyone should buy a sarb , saphire crystal front and back and an in house movement a bomb couldnt break ...not to mention how beautifull it looks
As a watch amateur, I still have lots to learn but I think it's become pretty clear that the Swiss do not have an objectively superior hold on the watch market. Do I think the omega seamaster is an incredibly elegant and functional watch and I often desire to be like James Bond and adventure around with one? Of course! But realistically, most of the watches I collect will probably be from other countries like Japan because it seems foolish and ignorant to just waste all your money on excessively priced, "horologically superior," watches when you can get much better watches for the price elsewhere. It all comes down to each persons preference. I'll probably end up buying a nice Tissot and maybe one other Swiss watch for the history and that'll be all I need from them!
Thanks for this video. I enjoyed it.
i love my sarb017
I'm buying mine this weekend !
people complaint about the stock strap, but im lovin it! the color and the croc pattern i think fits the watch perfectly. But theres one thing u should know though, it takes time to break it in. mine probably took 2 weeks! whenever i put it down after work, im going to put it on something like a 'roller' so the leather continue to break in (the stiffness) even if im not wearing it.
its an ugly strap for sure but if you like it god bless. it's easily replaced by a higher end Colareb or a very high end metal bracelet if you have any lying around
Tanvir never been a fan of metal straps, probably never will 😉. Now if i ever gonna change the straps, it will be the black label from C&C. Whos got $80 lying around?
SAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I have a Citizen automatic watch with sapphire crystal for $100.
If there is a Swiss watch at this price point with this quality, i would buy one but there is none.
What is your opinion on Raymond Weil? I'm considering buying a Maestro automatic (it's on sale..)
It would be great to hear a watchmaker's opinion here. Many Japanese movements are no longer assembled in Japan. Likewise, Swiss movement parts are sometimes outsourced. To complicate things further, both countries produce movements in the millions raising questions regarding manufacturing processes and quality control. Personally, I don't see how you could go wrong with a good Seiko or ETA movement but would like to hear more about this subject. Thank you.
Seiko FTW !!! Japanese quality engineering :)
One watch I have considered a Swiss watch is an ESQ from Movado it has been a good watch for 20 years.
Japanese watches are better because they were made to be affordable to the every day layman while Swiss was made for rich snobs. Sure a Rolex may hold its value better but that's because its marketed like that but a Seiko will last much longer.
One humble suggestion, when you show a watch please hold steady.