Climbing Up the Seiko Luxury Watch Ladder

Jonny writes:

I linked this in the comments field on my blog, but check this out:

http://watchlords.forumotion.net/t20494-watchlords-enlighten-me-what-s-the-difference-between-these-seiko-divers

A very helpful (and friendly) discussion about the different levels of Seiko Divers.

I see it as a kind of gradual stepping up. You've got the entry-level or "everyman" divers in the $175-250 range: the very popular SKX007, the "ghetto Sumo" SNZF17, the great Black Monster SKX779, the nice kinetics SKA371/427, etc.

Then you take a solid step up to the $500-600 range and you get the Sumo, which is in a way the "gateway diver" to more expensive watches. The Sumo can either be the crown jewel of an "everyman" collection, or it can be the gateway to more expensive watches and, as I said in that thread, not be misplaced in either collecting range.

After that you've got watches around $1,000, like the Tuna and the Shogun (SBDC007), or the Orient Saturation Diver. These are true pseudo-luxury watches.

At double that, around $2,300 (or $1900 used), you have the SBDX001 MarineMaster 300M, which may represent the best value for a truly fine quality timepiece (although notice that even that has hardlex, although a very high quality dual-curve). This would exemplify why Ulysses says that around this price range you're getting most of what a higher end watch has.

Then you have my absolute favorite, the $4,000 SBDB001 MM600, which is a watch that with its styling and Spring Drive movement can stand up with any watch below about $10,000. Above that is the Grand Seiko, a $6,500 watch which is the highest of the Seiko line and as good as any watch in the world (in my opinion).

I see it as a gradual unfolding. I can see buying a Sumo within the next year, and then maybe a Tuna in 2014, and then maybe a MM300 in 2015 or 2016, and someday a MM600. While I'd love a MM600, I'm also somewhat glad I can't have one now because if I got one I'd be both afraid to wear it and not wanting to wear anything else. Furthermore, the graduated approaches allows me to enjoy every step of the way.

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