Seiko vs. Citizen

[Texas Star]

I see almost no ads now for Seiko watches and plenty for Citizen. Stores here that sold Seiko don't now.

What's going on there? Any watch fans have a clue? Did Seiko get too pricy for some stores? Have QC problems?

 

[Tom S.]

Generally speaking when a store quits carrying a brand, it's for one of three reasons: 1) Too low of profit, 2) Too many returns, 3) Company pulled their franchise. I can't answer your question other than to say I've owned two Seiko watches and probably won't buy another. The first one was like the old Timex commercial, it took a licking and kept on ticking. Then for a gift for a job promotion, my wife bought me Seiko Kinetic. Never needs batteries as it is charged by movement. Well after 3 years, whatever that movement charged died. In searching on line, I learned this was a common problem - to the extend a cottage industry had popped up repairing them. I sent mine in for repair, and it has been good since, but the money it cost to repair would have bought a LOT of batteries.

On the other hand, my son and his wife both had Citizens and had problems with both of them.

 

[old bear]

I have not owned a Seiko watch in many years, it was a decent watch but not outstanding, for the price. I've had several of the Citizen brand Echo-Drive watches and have been very happy with all of them. My current Echo-Drive watch is a large diver's style model, and is perfect to use for hard physical work and travel. As much as I would hate to have it happen, if it was lost or damaged beyond repair, unlike my good Tudor watch I can just order another without being out to much cash.

 

[Texas Star]

I have a Seiko from the 1980's. Battery died, not the first time. They tend to last maybe 3-5 years, maybe depending on how fresh the battery was.

I think I'll get the battery changed, but want the gasket checked & to have the watch pressure tested to see if it's still good to 100 meters depth. Not that I swim anywhere much deeper than the bathtub. But it gives peace of mind.

I have a newer one, but it ticks too loudly in a quiet room. Didn't notice that in the store...

Apart from battery changes, both Seikos have worked perfectly. But I can tell by the way the stem winds, etc. that they just aren't as solid and well made as my TAG-Heuer. Of course, one'd expect that from the price difference.

But I thought that Seiko made some of the best cheaper watches, short of the luxury brands. Wondering why they seem out of favor now. Maybe it's just local.

 

[Donn]

Started wearing a Seiko dive watch in Vietnam. I would've rather had an Omega Seamaster, but they were hard to get and expensive, even in 1960's dollars. The Seiko was tough, stood up to the elements, kept decent time for mainspring drive. Most important, they were reasonably priced and available at the PX. Still have two. An oldie that still runs, and a newer dive watch, both are automatic mainspring. While neither keeps time as accurately as my G-Shock Atomic, they're close enough and will survive an EMP. No electric will, regardless it's cost. Might be in the minority here, Seiko's OK with me.

 

[Texas Star]

Donn-

What's an EMP? If it's where the Chinese shut down electrical power in the USA, how would that affect battery-powered watches?

 

[DWalt]

I had a mechanical self-wind Seiko I bought in Colombia in 1972, wore it until the early 1990s when it started acting up. Didn't seem worth the cost of cleaning and repair, so I retired it to the dresser drawer, where it still resides. I then bought a battery Seiko, but it did not hold up very long - the case corroded on my wrist and the stem came out. Bought a stainless Swiss Army (I think mine is a Victorinox, but it says only "Swiss Army" with the cross symbol, no maker shown), in the mid 1990s, never a problem other than the occasional battery changes. It loses about one second per week at present. I have read that the Swiss Army watches use the ETA Swiss movement, exact same movements as used in Omega and Tag Heuer watches.

 

[Salty RI]

In the last forty years, I've had two watches, both Seiko's self wind's and they are both still working.

 

[Tom S.]

Donn-

What's an EMP? If it's where the Chinese shut down electrical power in the USA, how would that affect battery-powered watches?

Electro Magnetic Pulse. It can be created by an atomic bomb and the higher in the atmosphere (to a point) it is set off, the larger the area it effects. The pulse disrupts electronic equipment by overloading the circuits, even in things turned off. I have read a couple of conflicting theories on it however. One stated that everything would be toast, while the other said that items not in use which didn't contain transformers, would most likely survive. I'm not eager to test either theory.

 

[trashcancharlie]

I'm a huge timepiece guy and have most of the big name brands, but my daily wear is almost always my Citizen Diver. The movement is great, eco-drive so no batteries, looks like a little submariner, and only loses about a second a month. For under 200 bucks it's hard to match. My Seiko Chrono is a great looker, but rarely gets a night out anymore.

 

[chaparrito]

Not arguing here, but how do you determine that a watch has lost a second in a month?
If I had time to do that calculation, the lost second wouldn't matter...

 

[nodpete]

I have a Seiko solar watch with Roman numerals. Love it.

 

[trashcancharlie]

Not arguing here, but how do you determine that a watch has lost a second in a month?
If I had time to do that calculation, the lost second wouldn't matter...

Great question. Like I said I'm kind of a watch nut, so bear with me; I wont thread jack so I'll just leave it in this one reply.

A normal quartz driven watch typically loses 15-20 seconds a month based on the drag of the movement. Better jewel driven movements lose 1-5 seconds at the most if maintained correctly.

For example: I have a both a 1955 Rolex Oyster-Date and a 1965 Omega that on average lose 2-3 seconds per month, versus a quartz Breitling Aero which loses almost 5. The hand-wind mechanisms are the culprit but off set by a much smother jewel movement.

I have an atomic world clock that I keep on the shelf with my watch cases and I enjoy running time tests. Simple pleasures, yet more expensive than drugs I suppose...

The Eco-Drives, when worn daily and definitely in sunlight have proven to be exemplary if you keep the power up. 1-2 seconds and self-powered is beautiful technology.

 

[DWalt]

Not arguing here, but how do you determine that a watch has lost a second in a month?
If I had time to do that calculation, the lost second wouldn't matter...

I check my watch occasionally against the display time on my cell phone. I assume that is very accurate, probably synchronized with some atomic clock. Anyway, by doing that every month or so, I have found that my watch loses 4 to 5 seconds per month, or about a second per week. Actually, that's about as good as the old mechanical marine chronometers provided, and navigators took the loss or gain of their chronometers into account when they calculated longitude. It wasn't important that a marine chronometer kept dead-on time for months, but rather that the rate of gain or loss remained constant so it could be compensated for.

 

[Old TexMex]

The eco-drive Citizen that Old Bear gave me works perfecto. My auto wind Russki Invicta has been indestructible. Timex explorers (3) are all still keeping time and the oldest is ten years!
The Seiko I dove with for several years is now what you call " a block".

 

[THE PILGRIM]

What time is it?

The Official NIST US Time:

Once my buddy Jan and I were standing downtown Ft.Collins, CO wearing flying suits.
A WWV time junkie saw us, made a u turn, waved, blew his horn.
He skidded to a stop and excitedly asked, 'Where's the WWV transmitter site?'
We told him. It's just N of Ft. Collins.
Really not that much to see.
A bunch of antennas in a hayfield.

 

[Rastoff]

Donn-

What's an EMP?

Electro Magnetic Pulse and is created by a nuclear blast. Donn already covered that. What he didn't cover is what it really does.

First, in order to generate an EMP large enough to do the damage suggested, you need a nuclear blast. That's pretty unlikely. Second, an EMP has a limited range. The further you are from the blast, the less likely the EMP will damage any component you have.

So, to be truly concerned about an EMP, you must first be in a place where it is likely a nuclear weapon will be detonated (altitude is irrelevant by the way), then someone actually has to set one off.

Modern electronics are more susceptible than stuff from say the '60s. Still, if you're 50 miles from ground zero, it's unlikely any of your electronics will be damaged. If you're within 50 miles of a nuclear blast, you have bigger problems than a working watch.

Not arguing here, but how do you determine that a watch has lost a second in a month?
If I had time to do that calculation, the lost second wouldn't matter...

GPS is a wonderful thing.

In order to have really precise navigation, you need quality time. Thus, the GPS system is tied to the atomic clock at NIST in Boulder, Colorado. The short version is, your cell phone is tied to the GPS system and pretty much dead nuts on. So, check your watch against your cell phone and you're as close as you're gonna get.

 

[Rastoff]

Back to the thread...

I have Seiko, Citizen and Casio watches. I wear the Casio because it synchronizes with the national time signal and is solar powered. I never have to touch it. My Seiko is solar powered, but it doesn't keep time as well as the Casio. The battery on my Citizen is dead and I haven't bothered to replace it in a couple of years.

This is my favorite:

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I have a Seiko, a Tag Hauer, a Rolex President and a iPhone 5s.
My iPhone is the 'watch' I actually use.

 

[kozmic]

My first automatic watch was a Seiko my folks got me when I was 16 (1975) I occasionally wear it and it still runs pretty well for never being serviced!