Reply With QuoteMy knowledge is the same as yours, but some of the brands cross over a couple of
price points, if you know what I mean.
Frank
Seiko have about a billion brands and sub-brands, but half the time I don't know how they fit in to their portfolio.
There's Grand Seiko, Spring Drive, Sprit, Premier, Prospex, 5, etc as well as Credor, Pulsar, Lorus and probably many more.
I know that Grand Seiko is at the top and that the brands can merge (e.g. Grand Seiko Spring Drive, although I appreciate that Spring Drive is more of a technology than a pure brand). But is there a definitive list on the ranking of brands?
I'm thinking more about their price levels as opposed to the different styles e.g. Velatura vs Coutura
I'm confused. :scratch:
My knowledge is the same as yours, but some of the brands cross over a couple of
price points, if you know what I mean.
Frank
The highest price point watches are not Grand Seiko. The selling point of GS is in their movements, the 9xxx family that's exclusive to the line. The GS line represents Seiko's best attempts at traditional watchmaking. Unfortunately, supply is very limited due to the degree of hand-assembly/testing/finishing involved.Originally Posted by mark a.
However, compared to the Credor line, GS is cheap. Credors regularly sell above $10k and the Credor SD Sonnerie is a whopping $150k. Credors cost this much in part due to the use of precious metals/stones, the use of one-off complications such as the Spring Drive Sonnerie, and special techniques such as fired porcelain dials.
The Spring Drive is now a international luxury dress watch line.
As for the price level, they vary and overlap each other but the recently introduced international lines are all attempts at pushing Seiko upmarket. The Velatura, Sportura and Coutura lines are sporty-dress/dressy-sport models featuring upgraded specs such as sapphire crystals, innovative movements, textured/layered dials and superior finishing/bracelets. The Premier line is being positioned as a gentleman's dress watch line in similar fashion.
I think the Velatura and Sportura lines will feature the highest price points in the coming years. They already do, including the first automatic chronograph exported out of Japan since the 70s and the kinetic 4-eye chronograph.
There are many other model lines but they're confined to certain markets/regions.
.
Try not to mix the ones with the name 'Seiko' in them ... with the ones that don't. :P
john
Every watch a story.
It's broadly
Lorus
Pulsar
Seiko
Grand Seiko
Credor
Argue away :)
Spring Drive and Kinetic are movement "families" used in the various brands. Sportura, Arctura, 5, Premier, Marinemaster etc are product lines within Seiko, and possibly Grand Seiko. A lot of this is difficult to pin down because Seiko has wildly different product lines for Europe, Japan, SE Asia, US etc so it's difficult to know what's sold where.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
It is hard not to immediately associate Seiko with the lower spectrum of the market but I'm sure I will soon get over that snobbery and try a MarineMaster. Heard some good things.
The Spring Drive is now an international collection. The model line is marketed as Seiko Spring Drive.
Spring Drives make me drool. It's embarrassing, especially since I'll never own one.
Where's Lassale? :evil:
john
Every watch a story.
Lassale's a property company, isn't it?
:D
There are probably entire watch brands, technologies, whole companies even, that aren't seen outside of Japan and its immediately surrounding markets. I wonder how many people in the UK have heard of Orient, for example; 2,000? 10,000?
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Lassale... I think it's discontinued.
Lots of Orients for sale on SC. I bought one.
.
I wish they brought back the name Seikosha.
In the meantime we get Seiko S-Yard. From golf clubs to intimate area trimmers ... if you can’t get the cat-walk you can at least have the changing rooms. :twisted:
http://www.seiko-syd.co.jp/english/
john
Every watch a story.
Hey, thanks a lot for that. Very informative.The highest price point watches are not Grand Seiko. The selling point of GS is in their movements, the 9xxx family that's exclusive to the line. The GS line represents Seiko's best attempts at traditional watchmaking. Unfortunately, supply is very limited due to the degree of hand-assembly/testing/finishing involved.
However, compared to the Credor line, GS is cheap. Credors regularly sell above $10k and the Credor SD Sonnerie is a whopping $150k. Credors cost this much in part due to the use of precious metals/stones, the use of one-off complications such as the Spring Drive Sonnerie, and special techniques such as fired porcelain dials.
The Spring Drive is now a international luxury dress watch line.
As for the price level, they vary and overlap each other but the recently introduced international lines are all attempts at pushing Seiko upmarket. The Velatura, Sportura and Coutura lines are sporty-dress/dressy-sport models featuring upgraded specs such as sapphire crystals, innovative movements, textured/layered dials and superior finishing/bracelets. The Premier line is being positioned as a gentleman's dress watch line in similar fashion.
I think the Velatura and Sportura lines will feature the highest price points in the coming years. They already do, including the first automatic chronograph exported out of Japan since the 70s and the kinetic 4-eye chronograph.
There are many other model lines but they're confined to certain markets/regions.
Cheers
Henrik
:wink:
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
I've handled some very high end Seikos and own a Spirit that is best watch for $260 I have ever seen. I can say that we all benefit from the Eurocentrism present in watch enthusiast circles if we buy Seikos because the prices are a steal compared to the equivalent technology and craftsmanship with a "Swiss" label on the parts.
If Seiko bothered to sell them here I'd be very interested. But I would like to try one out first; I don't think that's too much to ask. I can with most European brands, which explains a lot of the extra cost of course.
Seiko UK (and possibly Europe) is aggressively anti-competitive when it comes to buying Japan-market Seikos. Quite a few Seiko online retailers are barred from selling to Europe. I thought it was governments which governed free trade, not upstart little import businesses.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Ah, that's cleared things up! Thanks for helping to un-addle and addled mind. A special thanks to Stokport for a very informative post.
It's a shame that much of this is academic (to me, at any rate) as pretty much all the good watches aren't available here in the UK. I still can't quite build up the courage to order an expensive watch from Japan that I might not like.
Is Credor available in the UK at all?
The Spirit interests me a lot
so I have a question.
From a purely engineering perspective how good is the Spirit vs a swiss watch. Is it as good as a Tag, or does it go as far as a Rolex.
Mike C
The Spirit movement is a hacking auto that is, IMHO, the equivalent of the Eta's in precision manufacture. The case has very high quality fit and finish that was at least on par with the Omegas I have owned and to my eye with the one, LONG gone, Rolex (albeit one of their "less expensive" models) I have owned.
don't miss this new seiko sexy watch line... G L T
http://www.glt.com.tw/design.html
http://jimmyfu.com/galantechrono.html
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