Fashion Seiko Quartz Watches, Cheap Seiko Quartz Watches

Seiko Solar Champagne Dial Men's Watch SNE036

This is a great Seiko Solar watch set. So versatile, and beautiful. A new look for everyday or every mood. Adorable. I only wish I got the goldtone at the special price. Worth getting on waitlist.

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Petr Hamous, From Pakistan Saraialamgir

Seiko White Dial Stainless Steel Quartz Men's Watch SUR141

Very classy. The necklace was a little small, almost child size, but still classy. I'd like to have a set in gold with a longer necklace if one ever becomes available. Thank you very much!!

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Michael Belin, From Australia Port Kembla

Seiko Chronograph Black Dial Black Leather Men's Watch SKS421P2

I was looking for something casual and inexpensive, since I tend to be hard on watches. This looks really nice - I've received several compliments - and it so far seems to be really durable as well!

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by dorothy blystone, From USA Palm Coast, Fl.

e The Marinemaster series has long been renowned for the security and precision that the professional diver requires. Two new timepieces in the Marinemaster series embody the very best of Seiko's 50 years of experience in serving the needs of divers and once again push back the boundaries of diver's watch technology. Following the presentation of the first timepiece, the Marinemaster Professional 1000m Diver's, we are focusing today on the second watch: the Marinemaster Professional 1000m Diver's.

This is a diver's watch worthy of a fifty year anniversary. Its design echoes that of Seiko's very first hibeat diver's watch from the 1960's, but its specifications are the most advanced in the field. It has a one-piece titanium case and, thanks to this, the L-shaped gasket and other features, it is impermeable to helium and suitable for saturation diving.

The rotating bezel is securely fixed to the case with four screws next to the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. It has the new Lumibrite for enhanced legibility. The 8L55 movement is specially optimized and adapted for use in a diver's watch with this structure.

The calibre 8L55 beats at 36,000 vibrations per hour and has a power reserve of 55 hours, and it is also assembled by Seiko's leading craftsmen at the Shizuku-ishi Watch studio. Each watch comes with both a titanium bracelet with extender, and a black extra-strength silicone strap. Offered in a special presentation box, just 700 pieces will be made, each with its own serial number.

Before the first ball was served, Richard Mille set the horological tone for this year's Roland Garros with the launch of the latest in its series of watches developed in partnership with Rafael Nadal. The nine-times winner of Roland Garros took to the courts sporting a new RM27-02 tourbillon worth 800,000 dollars that was as much the focus of attention as his game.

Like Nadal, Serena Williams also wears her watch on court. In spite of the weight of the gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak on her wrist, not to mention a dose of the flu that had her confined to her apartment for most of the week, the American overcame the odds to bag her 20^th Grand Slam title after a commanding performance against Lucie Sarafova in the women's final.

Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, also wearing an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, won the men's title after beating world number one and Seiko man Novak Djokovic (who had beaten Nadal in his quarter final). One of the first to congratulate Wawrinka on social media was Roger Federer, who Wawrinka had beaten in the quarter finals and who was watching the match on his smartphone while attending the Swiss football cup final.

De Bethune and TAG Heuer did not fare as well on court. The former lost to Rolex in the battle of the brands as its ambassador Gael Monfils was beaten by Roger Federer in the fourth round. After appearing at the TAG Heuer store in Paris before the tournament for a charity event, the two brand ambassadors Maria Sharapova (read our interview) and Kei Nishikori both exited Roland Garros in the fourth round.

The battle of the brands may seem anodyne compared to the sporting prowess that was on display at this year's Roland Garros. Yet the fact that one of the most-read articles on WorldTempus during the tournament was a piece written last year by our own tennis expert Miguel Seabra about Mr Wawrinka and his Royal Oak Offshore model speaks volumes about the importance such associations have. As long as people are searching for "Wawrinka watch brand" on the Internet, the battle of brands on court will continue.

So can we declare an horological winner at the 2015 Roland Garros? Audemars Piguet may be the watch brand of choice for the two champions but the winner in the visibility stakes was most definitely Longines. The official timekeeper had permanent visibility on court, on screen (TV and Internet) and, if that was not enough, backed this up with a concerted advertising campaign on Eurosprt. With its traditional Future Tennis Aces event on the fringes of the tournament and its philanthropic partnership with the foundation of Steffie Graf and Andre Agassi, the St. Imier brand rose high above the partnerships with any one individual.

In today's day and age, having a watch that does more than just tell time is somewhat of a necessity. While a time-only watch looks great on the wrist, added functions such as alarm, compass, GPS precision and other not-so-common purposeful tasks make that watch a grand instrument. Additionally, true sportsmen like a timepiece that is antimagnetic and offers great night-reading capabilities. Thankfully, top watch brands comply - offering some cool timepieces that make watches great outdoor companions.

The Bell & Ross BR03 Type Aviation Carbon watch is a superb blend of analog display and digital display, as well as highly functional assets. The 42mm watch offers alarm, chronograph, second time zone indication, timer, date, hours, minutes and seconds. It is water resistant to 100 meters and features a unidirectional notched and graduated bezel. The numbers, hands and indices are all photo-luminescent for easy night viewing.

Over at Seiko, the brand regularly works with solar power to offer watches that won't quit. The Prospex Solar Chronograph, for instance, is a superb piece for pilots and flight enthusiasts. The watch features a flight computer and a rotary slide rule bezel - all powered by a solar chronograph movement. The watch absorbs the light, stores it and converts it into energy to run - for months at a time when fully charged. Among its functions above and beyond the chronograph and slide rule bezel: 24-hour indicator, date calendar.

Then, of course, Montblanc takes prime positioning in offering smart functionality with its new e-Strap - slated to come out later this year on the Timewalker Urban Speed chronograph. The e-Strap - created in a specially made leather called Extreme Leather - is an integrated technology device encased in steel and rubber and then built into the strap. Compatible with select phones, the strap enables the wearer to obtain notifications, read texts, track activity and remotely snap pictures from the phone's camera.

In short, if you have a hankering for flying, diving or outright having a good time, there are watches on the market to help you go the distance.
 

The Swatch Group is the clear overall winner at the 2014 edition of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG). Breguet takes the coveted "Aiguille d'Or" (Golden Hand) trophy with its Classique Chronometrie model, as well the Public Prize for its Classique Dame. The names of these models alone set the scene for the classical theme to this year's awards, with the Swatch Group's Blancpain and Omega brands taking the Ladies' Watch and "Revival" prizes.

Even beyond the Swatch Group, the classical theme continued with the likes of De Bethune and A. Lange Söhne winning awards, as did Walter Lange himself, who was awarded the Special Jury Prize. The "Petite Aiguille" Prize, awarded to watches costing less than 8,000 Swiss francs retail price, was awarded to Seiko's Grand Seiko Hi-Beat GMT model, also a watch with an inherently classic design.

The only exception among the classical models, all of which will be on display at SalonQP in London next week, is the EMC by Urwerk. But even here, the primary objective of the innovative high tech found inside the watch is to demonstrate the excellent precision of a classic mechanical watch movement.

Here is the full list of winners of the GPHG 2014:

Aiguille d'Or
Breguet Classique Chronometrie

Ladies' Watch Prize
Blancpain Women Off-centred Hour

Ladies High-Mech Watch Prize
Christophe Claret Margot

Men's Watch Prize
Urban Jurgensen & Sonner Central Second

Chronograph Watch Prize
De Bethune DB29 Maxichrono Tourbillon

Tourbillon Watch Prize
Grönefeld Parallax Tourbillon

Calendar Watch Prize
A. Lange & Söhne Richard Lange Perpetual Calendar "Terraluna"

Striking Watch Prize
Hublot Classic Fusion Cathedral Tourbillon Minute Repeater

Mechanical Exception Watch Prize
Urwerk EMC

"Petite Aiguille" Prize
Seiko Grand Seiko Hi-Beat 36000 GMT

Sports Watch Prize
Zenith El Primero Lightweight

Jewellery Watch Prize
Bulgari Diva High Jewellery Emeralds

Artistic Crafts Watch Prize
Voutilainen Hisui

Innovation Watch Prize
Urwerk EMC

"Revival" Prize
Omega Speedmaster "Dark Side of the Moon"

Special Jury Prize
Walter Lange

Public Prize
Breguet Classique Dame

Seiko Watch Corporation launches a new caliber, its first ever hi-beat GMT. Caliber 9S86 has been created on the platform of the hi-beat caliber 9S85 that, since 2009, has been the leading watch in the Grand Seiko collection. It has all the features of the existing caliber, with the addition of a 24-hour GMT hand with easy hour adjustment.

Thanks to its rapidly increasing success in Japan and its growing presence in Europe and other markets, the Grand Seiko collection is expanding in 2014 to include not only three new models with the hi-beat GMT caliber but also five new additions to the historical collection.

The leading creation for 2014 is the Hi-beat 36,000 GMT Limited Edition, designed especially to celebrate the launch of the new caliber. The caliber has a high accuracy of +5 to -3 seconds a day and a power reserve of 55 hours. The GMT hand can be used as a dual time indicator with the hour hand being adjustable independently as the time of day hands continue to mark time. It is the perfect watch for the international traveler.

The case is based on the highly acclaimed 44GS design that was shown at Baselworld 2013. It is a contemporary reinterpretation of this iconic Grand Seiko design and offers highly polished, distortion-free surfaces and perfect comfort on the wrist. The beauty of the dial complements the simplicity of the case. It has a delicate radial pattern that is inspired by the manyridged contours of Mt. Iwate, the mountain that is visible through the wide windows of the Shizukuishi Watch Studio where all Grand Seiko mechanical watches are designed, manufactured and assembled, by hand, by the studio's craftsmen and women. Through the sapphire case-back glitters a specially designed titanium oscillating weight. The upper part of the oscillating weight is treated with an anodic oxidation* of the titanium to deliver a special gold tone. Titanium is used for its high elasticity and vibration absorbency, which reduces distortion of the oscillating weight and impact on the weight bearings.

There are just 600 watches in this Limited Edition. Two additional 9S86 creations are also being released at Baselworld 2014, one with a white dial and one with black. The case is identical in all three variations.

We have admittedly heard it all as far as Seiko is concerned. Demonised for having purportedly been behind the 1970s watch industry crisis, it often sees its work outright ignored by specialists of the sector. The kind of pretexts invoked for this neglect, which are fallacious to say the least, reflect ancient and unfounded historical grievances. But never mind all that now! The Japanese brand launched in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori - a true watchmaker from the other side of the world - will no longer be on the ground floor of Hall 1 at Baselworld, as it as been in the past, but on the first floor. Regardless of its location, its ability to anticipate the future of horology remains intact and those who are interested in its consistently well-made and avant-garde creations will know where to find it.

This year in particular, a visit to its booth is indeed a must, since the Japanese firm is celebrating an important milestone: the 100th anniversary of its first wristwatch. It was indeed in 1913 that introduced its very first such model named Laurel and intended to compete with the models being imported from the United States (Hamilton, Waltham…) or from Switzerland. In actual fact, the company was determined to maintain its leadership position on the domestic market. Barely 10 years later, it placed the Seiko brand name on the very same dials and intensified production of wristwatches that the firm, already well ahead of its times, presented as a product of the future. Connoisseurs with a taste for landmark dates will remember that 1960 was the launch year of the Grand Seiko collection. This range comprises some truly marvellous creations, and this year's offering features the presence of a "vintage" timepiece inspired by a 1967 model: the very one that asserted the "Seiko Style" within the world of watch designs. Likewise, 1969 saw the launch of the first series-made quartz watch (that earned it widespread hatred within the profession); as well as the introduction of an automatic chronograph with Pellaton winding (a first) and a vertical coupling-clutch (another first). All these inventions were to be followed by that of the LCD (liquid crystal display) in 1973, as well as the development of the Kinetic. The latter movement, combining a mechanical part for recharging the battery and a quartz part for the display, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year - an opportunity for Seiko to make a small improvement to its calibre that will delight connoisseurs - especially since the brand will make a genuine effort in terms of pricing this technology competitively.
 

The future is on the move
In 2005, the brand presented the Spring Drive watch, a model in which the energy supplied by a spring housed inside a barrel - as on classic watches - is regulated by an innovative rotating organ driven by a so-called "Tri-synchro" system. This original association enables these watches - crafted according to traditional techniques and assembled by master-watchmakers in extremely small series - to achieve remarkable precision, virtually equivalent to that of quartz watches. Moreover, last year the perpetually forward-looking Japanese manufacturer revealed yet another innovation with the Astron (a name borrowed from the first series-produced quartz watch launched in 1969). This watch equipped with a low-consumption GPS receiver, developed and patented by Seiko to enable its wearer to be exactly and constantly in sync with the time anywhere in the world without having to worry about adjusting it (since it recognises and adjusts to 39 different time zones), and solar powered via a dial sensor system, will be available in a limited series of 5,500 bearing an insignia on the back with the "S" for Seiko first registered by the company founder in 1900…

Clicktempus - 1st November 2011

Quiet, clean, efficient, cheap and accurate: quartz
You'd think it was the dream solution for all watch manufactures the world over, but in the heart of the Jura Valley quartz is not just a word, it's a concept that is not popular at all even though it could solve problems that are about to affect the luxury watch industry.
When an experienced and successful salesman joined an upmarket pen company from a chain store clothing brand, at first he couldn't figure out what motivated a customer to spend $4,500 on a writing instrument signed by David Oscarson. It was incomprehensible to him how a company could pay salaries and open an expensive prime retail store front by selling only pens.
Eventually he saw the light. These pens were not just mere writing instruments — they had somehow transcended their functional use to become works of art desired by pen collectors across the globe. Never mind that a cheap plastic biro could do the job just as effectively, it was all about the perceived value of the instrument.

Quartz crisis
The same masterful tactic has been successfully employed by the Swiss watch industry. In the 1980s, several Swiss watch brands went to the wall, and even the very high-end haute horlogerie houses were beginning to wonder if the Swiss watch industry was doomed.
Expensive machinery was scrapped to make way for the all-enveloping quartz production. Centuries of tradition and expertise were in grave danger of being simply discarded like a cheap ballpoint pen.
The irony is, of course, that this was a nightmare of the Swiss watch industry's own making. Swiss engineers initially developed quartz watch technology but dismissed; there was no artistry or flair to the making of a quartz watch. It was, and remains, merely a chip and a battery. Seiko - and other Japanese companies in its wake - saw this in a completely different light, and before you could say "rattrapante," they were taking over the world with quartz-powered watches.
By 1978, quartz watches had exceeded the sales of mechanical timepieces. But there was something missing: the perception and tradition of skill and craftsmanship.
The mechanical comeback
Nicolas G. Hayek set about rebuilding the Swiss watch industry - ironically, with the quartz-driven Swatch.
As the '80s rolled into the '90s, marketing maestros such as Jean-Claude Biver aided him with the revival of Omega and Blancpain - the latter by declaring there had never been a quartz Blancpain, and there never will be.
Step by step, cog by cog, the Swiss watch industry began to rebuild itself, storming to new heights of sales and desirability.
This was accomplished by convincing watch buyers that an outmoded technology with less accurate timekeeping and far higher cost of production was more pleasing and aesthetic than the cheaper, more efficient technology that had come to replace it.
And then came the masterstroke marketing strategy that has essentially underscored all marketing of Swiss mechanical watches since this mighty comeback.
Watches are not just about the time
A traditional mechanical watch is desirable in itself. It doesn't matter that it's not as accurate as a quartz watch or that anyone can read the time from one's mobile phone. When a connoisseur buys into the idea of the mechanical watch, he or she is also paying dearly for tradition and craftsmanship.
The genius of the Swiss watch industry is that it has managed to convince the well-heeled watch-buying public that if it wants to own a serious timepiece, it must be willing to spend a small fortune on what is principally outdated technology requiring maintenance.
Quartz: too clever for its own good?
Is quartz, like many inventions from the past, simply too clever for its own good? Never mind that quartz movements still power most ladies watches and vast swathes of men's watches under the $600 mark. To those who admire fine watches, quartz remains the red-headed stepchild of watch movements: it should be kept locked in the room at the top of the stairs and never talked about.
As Marvin's social media advisor Jerome Pineau observes, "When I came into the watch industry, I was surprised to see how most people denigrated quartz watches and their owners: 'A real watch lover would never wear quartz.' The mere mention of it raises eyebrows and is often enough to ostracize you from many self-proclaimed aficionado expert groups!"
Steve Miller, a vintage watch salesman, explains his take on mechanical watches, "Collectors, exclusivity, celebrity endorsements, and just plain keeping up with the Joneses are what drives the mechanical watch industry."
Despite its apparent second-class-citizen status, it's interesting to note that several well-respected Swiss brands, including Jaeger-LeCoultre, TAG Heuer, Cartier, Piaget, Vacheron Constantin and, of course, Rolex, all continue to use quartz.
Swatch Group decree
And now there may be even more manufactures turning to quartz - at least for the time being. In another ironic twist, the Swatch Group - savior of the mechanical watch - has recently announced that it is no longer going to supply ETA movements and kits to the rest of the Swiss watch industry in the same vein as it has been doing for the last 30 years. Supplies outside the group are going to be drastically reduced as of 2012.
As from 2012, hundreds of low- to mid-range watch brands may no longer depend on the Swatch Group for their movements, escapements, balances, springs and assorted other components.
As things currently stand, there may not be a viable alternative in place to meet a shortfall of this magnitude.
Cue quartz?
This move on the part of the Swatch Group will affect watch manufacturers of all levels within the Swiss watch industry and outside of it. Could the answer be that they turn to quartz movements to solve their problems in the interim?
It could be a logical step. However, let us remember that logic has never played much of a role in the luxury watch industry. Innovation, yes; craftsmanship, plenty - but logic, very little.
After all, logic would have dictated that a switch to quartz production in the 1970s was the way to go. But tradition, love, passion and obstinacy begat a refusal to give up on mechanical watches - and then, as now, it will be a cold day in hell before a quartz movement is ever placed inside certain Swiss watch cases, even those who will now be affected by the changes coming.
Sorry, quartz, you're a great invention, but you're forever destined to be the unappreciated workhorse of the luxury watch industry.

The SEIKO-sponsored icare 2 glider sets another new world record.
On September 10, the solar-powered glider "icare 2" established a new world record for the distance covered by a glider on a three point course*. High over the Alpes Maritimes in southern France, Klaus Ohlmann, the German pilot, who already holds over 40 gliding records, guided icare 2 over 439 km to establish the new mark. Just a few weeks earlier he had piloted icare 2 to another record*, 384.4 km for an 'out-and-return' flight, doubling his previous best.

Built by a team from the Institut fur Flugzeugbau at the University of Stuttgart, icare 2 is one of the world's most advanced gliders. Not only does it fly without the use of any fossil fuel, its self-generated solar power allows it to take off on its own, with no winch or other assistance. SEIKO is proud to support the project as part of its "Clean energy, Clear Thinking" initiative. SEIKO is the world leader in energy-efficient watchmaking and is determined to lead the watch industry towards a more sustainable future by creating energy-efficient products in the most energy-efficient facilities.
* pending ratification by Federation Aeronautique Internationale (aka The World Air Sports Federation)

SEIKO's environmentally-friendly watch technologies
SEIKO offers five watch technologies that, each in its different way, make a contribution to a 'greener' future.

Spring Drive:
This revolutionary technology requires no battery or external power source. Driven by a mainspring, Spring Drive is a luxury mechanical watch with an entirely new type of regulator. As a result, there is no environmental impact of any kind.

Kinetic:
Only SEIKO has mastered the challenge of generating electricity from the kinetic movement of the wearer's wrist. This electricity is stored in a self-recharging battery that needs much less frequent replacement than the conventional cell battery in a quartz watch, a major advance in 'green' watchmaking.

Quartz:
Since 1969 when SEIKO launched the world's first quartz watch, SEIKO has constantly improved the energy efficiency of its quartz movements so as to reduce the frequency of battery exchange. Today's SEIKO quartz watches use just 5% of the energy used by the 1969 Quartz Astron. Furthermore, all SEIKO watches contain batteries made by SEIKO at its own CFC** free facilities and, critically, these batteries are entirely mercury-free. SEIKO is, to date, the only watch company to produce its own mercury-free batteries.

Mechanical:
Of course, SEIKO mechanical watches need no external power source and the technology is inherently kind to the environment.

Solar:
By eliminating the need for battery change in a quartz watch, SEIKO Solar makes an obvious and important contribution to the cause of a healthier planet. SEIKO was an early pioneer in Solar technology, with its first Solar watch being launched in 1977.

** ChloroFluoroCarbon

A website tells the story: Clean energy, Clear thinking.
For further details on SEIKO's "Clean energy, www.seiko-cleanenergy.com Clear thinking" initiative, the website www.seiko-cleanenergy.com has been created. It explains SEIKO's green technologies in a way that will open some eyes towards the green dimension in watchmaking. Of course, watches are not major pollutants like cars or home appliances, but it is clear from the fast-growing sales of SEIKO's 'no battery change' Solar and Kinetic watches that consumers are now taking the environment into account as they make watch choices, so the time is right to explain the facts, and this is exactly what www.seiko-cleanenergy.com seeks to do. And you can watch icare 2 in flight!

The new SEIKO Solar Pilot Watch
SEIKO's new Solar Pilot watch sets a new standard in aviation watches. Not only does it deliver the rotary slide rule and chronograph functions that pilots require for navigation purposes, it operates on a solar cell that is powered by all kinds of light and will retain its charge for up to six months, even in complete darkness. The watch is fully charged after just five hours of exposure to sunlight in fine weather and never needs a battery change. The uniqueness of SEIKO's solar technology is immediately clear from the deep black color of the dial. Until this new generation of SEIKO technology, the dials on solar watches needed to be opaque to let the required amount of light through to the solar cell beneath. Now, thanks to a new generation of high-efficiency SEIKO Solar calibers, the dial can be pure black, allowing the pilot maximum visibility of the time data.

In 2002, SEIKO Watch Corporation instigated an internal design project whose aim was to stimulate new creativity from its design team by allowing them to create watches and clocks without commercial restraints. This initiative proved to be very successful, with SEIKO's designers submitting dozens of ideas and with many of the designs drawing wide praise when prototypes of the selected designs were shown to the public. Over the past seven years, the project has become a fixture on the SEIKO calendar and the annual public exhibition at the JIDA* Exhibition during Tokyo Designers Week is now eagerly anticipated among Japan's design community.
The project was once again directed by Naoto Fukasawa**, an internationally celebrated designer whose work for various brands is widely respected around the world. He challenged SEIKO's designers to create timepieces that had simple and b shapes but that also reflected the rich diversity and fascination of the city of Tokyo. He invited the designers to think about the dualities of Tokyo; the contrast between the avant-garde and the conservative, the structured and the chaotic and between the industrial and the human.
This 'Tokyo' theme inspired an impressive and very diverse range of creations, each of which typifies the atmosphere and character of a different district of Tokyo. For example, the Yoyogi area, squeezed between the bustling and fast-paced Shibuya and Shinjuku districts is densely urban and yet contains major shrines and important public spaces. This duality is expressed in the Yoyogi design which makes a powerful impact on the eye, yet has a sense of tranquillity.
In total, 12 designs are exhibited at Baselworld, reflecting 12 areas of Tokyo. SEIKO invites you to explore both the magic of each Tokyo district and the creativity of its designers.