I'm one of the ones who got a winner when I had a 6R35. I owned the SPB159 for a while and it gave me a very consistent +2 spd when on wrist. Was very happy with it for the 4 months I had it. Good review!
I have been wearing this for the past few days on my new chromexcel strap. Love it. Between the 62MAS, Willard, and mm200, l like the last best. Will buy another if they come out with an awesome dial.
What a cool looking watch, I like how the bezel's color changes from blue to black depending on the light. I have the SPB143 and I've been looking into this piece for a while.
@@JinKee I've never actually noticed that until you told me now😅did they make a newer version and apply lume? Because it makes sense that theres no lume because of the date window
@@LocalWatchGuy they did. Seiko claims that they went to the Verison 2 dial because the ISO Diver’s 200m standard required lume on every hour, so they did a terrible implementation that has the 3 o’clock lume out in the minute track that ruins the symmetry of the dial. this makes the version 1 dials a sort of limited edition that only true collectors know about, and i estimate that less than a thousand were sold due to the pandemic. it means that you were a seiko collector at the right place at the right time with money in your hand while the world was burning. it will be version 2 dials from here on out. the supply of the original spb143 is depleted.
Bracelets do really seem to be seikos Achilles heel and looks like it isn't just the affordable too. Shame really because the watch is beautiful. But least it's an easy fix and you can get an aftermarket one
This watch is the latest one on my radar and I really enjoyed your honest appraisal it definitely has it plusses and minuses doesn't it. I think I need to check it out in the flesh. Thanks for your excellent review and I really appreciated your thoughtful words at the end. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for another good review Sanjay! Bit of a love hate relationship but you still hanging on to it. Sorry to hear yours is not very accurate. I've had my 213 for a little over 3 months and have worn it every day. Honing in on Random Robs 100 + days wearing his new Sub. It gains a few seconds when worn and stored crown up overnight will loose them. So after 3 months this morning it's +2 secs which is as good as it gets. I had every color of the original Seiko Sumo with 6R's that were all very accurate. No issues with the bracelet but have worn and been happy with Seiko SKX Jubilees for years! My Christopher Ward diver's bracelet that gets such good reviews really sucks for me as it's a hair puller. So each to his own!
I love my SPB213J1 despite its flaws. The colorway will be a classic. I only keep two divers and until I have a budget for an MM300, this will be in my collection for quite a while. The other diver is an SKX007 that I will never part with.
The MM300 is very thick on the wrist in profile. The weight of the watch head in relation to the 20mm bracelet is not very well balanced. Wrist shot from a SPB147 and MM300 ruclips.net/video/BrdBMkhN-NM/видео.html . What they don't tell u. My Seiko Boutique send the MM300 for service to Japan and did cost 900AUD.
Great Review, tempted to get the spb143J every now and then, but keeping myself in control. Would've gone for this spb213J if it was available in Australia.
Thanks for the honest review. I still love this piece but agree about the 6R movements. My Sarb033 is starting to loose seconds like crazy dial up on my desk overnight, but its a few years old.
My 6R15 went from +1.5 spd to -27 spd after a few months. Really disappointed, it's just a fundamental issue with Seiko's entry level movements it seems. They are notorious for inconsistent timekeeping and not being able to hold a regulation very well.
The lume pip at 3 doesn’t bother me on this dial, it stands out more on the darker dials for sure. After a 6 months of ownership this has grown on me massively and I love the look on bracelet, even the lack of on the fly adjustments doesn’t bother me. The accuracy is still an issue and I can get mine more or less spot on by leaving it dial up overnight but it’s not the same as my old bb58 that I knew would always be near perfect like a quartz. If you can get one under retail these are great watches, I’ll likely sell mine for £700 and get a bb58 soon though as I miss the Tudor.
Hey Sanjay, great review. Have you ever tried out one of the C60 Mk3 divers from Christopher Ward? I feel like it's the diver that competes the most against this Seiko, and I wondered which you thought had better finishing and such.
I’ve owned a few CWs (c60 & Dartmouth being the most comparable) and also a spb143 prior to my spb213 that arrived today- you’re right they are similar in finishing and other areas. For me I would rate them: Case finishing- equal both 8.5/10 Bracelet- equal both 8/10 Clasp- CW 9/10 and Seiko 7/10 Dial- Seiko 8.5/10 and CW 7.5/10 Hands- equal both 8.5/10 Bezel action- CW 8.5/10 & seiko 7.5/10 Case back- equal both 8.5/10 Quality control is not great on both seiko 5/10 and CW 6.5/10 but at least with CW you can do something about it easily- see below. Customer service/warranty- CW 9/10 and seiko 5/10 (even that feels generous). CW are humans that want you to love their brand and within reason will sort issues out so that you’re happy. Seiko are huge and don’t care about their customers, I still love their watches despite their many faults but their warranty is pointless and their servicing is loooong and overly expensive in my experience. Movement/Accuracy- Seiko is a lottery but I’d give them 6/10 whereas CW is reliable and I’ve never had a movement outside 4-6spd so for me 8/10. I also prefer a smoother sweep and lower power reserve but that’s down to individual preference. Value/price- seiko rrp is 7/10 but you can shop about and get 20-40% easily enough which would get them 9/10. CW usually have a £100/10-20% off voucher codes which makes them also a 9/10 in my book. Box- not important to me but Seiko is probably a 3/10 and CW is 8/10. Resale- Seiko is always easy to sell but there’s also a fantastic CW forum so I’ve never had any trouble selling CWs either. I’ve bought and sold 6-7 CWs and always lost a bit but never too much, Seikos i’ve often made a profit or broke even so from the dozens I’ve sold I would rate them slightly higher but this is a very subjective category. Seiko has the drilled lugs and also an overall kinda “x factor” or coolness with their heritage/history that makes me fond of them, CW often tick all the boxes but end up getting underwhelming as they’re… just a bit meh sometimes- I guess they’re a head buy and seiko is a heart buy if that makes sense. So, CW is the overall winner on paper and a fantastic choice but I would still (and did) end up with the seiko spb213 over the CW as I guess I always get my head turned by seiko. But it depends what factors are more important to you, i would say you can’t really go wrong with either as they’re both great but in honesty you can go wrong with Seiko. But we love them anyway 😄 and like bad fast food or a crazy ex we do go back… 🤦🏻♂️😄
What’s your dive watch preference in this price range? Do you still own the Longines 39? I’ve been debating between the Seiko sbdc101 and the old Hydroconquest in 39. Any comments on the quality of this Seiko watch versus the Hydroconquest in terms of quality and wearability?
Hmmm that's a great question! I don't have the Longines HC anymore. I think the movement on the HC waaay above what Seiko is offering here. But when it comes to case finishing, dial and attention to detail. Seiko comes out ahead. I'd pick the Seiko personally
I quite like this SPB213, I think overall a very nice look, until you put it side by side with the GS..WOW..what a difference in quality. The 213 almost looks plastic like in comparison. Just goes to show how beautiful and well made that GS is. Excellent review Sanjay..👍
Thanks so much, Peter! You're too kind! I didn't mean to detract from the SPB213 by holding both watches 😅 But yes, the GS is magnitudes above the Seiko....as it should be haha
@@engineer_wannabe even thought he SPB is an excellent piece, really no competition with the GS for sure. PS I wanted to add, you mentioned you had considerable positional variation in its accuracy figures. I have experienced this exact same issue with several watches that feature the 6R35. On the previous generation the 6R15 (50 hr own res) no issues whatsoever. I contacted Seiko and they did not gove ma any answers. I had to send one of my watches into them and they regulated it as the figures varied from +1 minutes to -2 minutes. The only advice they could give me was "WEAR THE WATCH" So what I gather from that is that these movements need active continual usage. And in following their advice, I found the movements settled down to more acceptable accuracy figures (+8 to +12 sec per day) which I am now pleased with 👍 Thanks again for an excellent review my friend, God bless you 🙏
@@PeterKotsa Hi Peter! Yeah, agreed. I've had much better experience with 6R15 models in the past. I haven't exactly verified if positional variance is the issue. That was my best guess as I just wear my watches and check it to a reference time to check accuracy. The wildly changing accuracy rating lead me to believe it had to be a positional issue. The only way that I was able to keep the watch for as long as I did was by figuratively closing my eyes, plugging my ears and yelling "lalalala" 🤣 Thanks so much for your insight, Peter. If we are ever able to sync up schedules, it would be an honour to chat with you face to face, (so to speak) :D God Bless you too! 😊
I always like this design(including the PX logo), but I've heard many more even worse example of 6R35 performance and that keeps me away from getting one.
![Why I Chose This Specific Grand Seiko [Unboxing]](/img/1.gif)
Loved the review! Also the message at the end is very heartwarming, wishing happiness for you!
I'm one of the ones who got a winner when I had a 6R35. I owned the SPB159 for a while and it gave me a very consistent +2 spd when on wrist. Was very happy with it for the 4 months I had it. Good review!
Thanks so much my friend! Yeah, when you get a good one, it elevates the whole experience with a watch!
@@engineer_wannabe Sure does. If I had the wild deviation you have, I think it would have driven me crazy as well. Ha.
That watch is fire and definitely a keeper seiko is an excellent choice ..I’m buy this model next
OMG, I LOVE silver dials. 1960's Grand Seikos and King Seikos would often use silver dials. Absolutely beautiful.
I have been wearing this for the past few days on my new chromexcel strap. Love it. Between the 62MAS, Willard, and mm200, l like the last best. Will buy another if they come out with an awesome dial.
Great choice, I can picture it well on a nice Chromexcel! I think I prefer the new MM200 as well 🙂
What a cool looking watch, I like how the bezel's color changes from blue to black depending on the light. I have the SPB143 and I've been looking into this piece for a while.
do you have the First Version Spb143 that doesn’t have that annoying lume at the 3 o’clock?
@@JinKee I've never actually noticed that until you told me now😅did they make a newer version and apply lume? Because it makes sense that theres no lume because of the date window
@@LocalWatchGuy they did. Seiko claims that they went to the Verison 2 dial because the ISO Diver’s 200m standard required lume on every hour, so they did a terrible implementation that has the 3 o’clock lume out in the minute track that ruins the symmetry of the dial. this makes the version 1 dials a sort of limited edition that only true collectors know about, and i estimate that less than a thousand were sold due to the pandemic. it means that you were a seiko collector at the right place at the right time with money in your hand while the world was burning.
it will be version 2 dials from here on out. the supply of the original spb143 is depleted.
I love the look of this one. Great review! And I have dibs after Clayton!😂
Thanks so much Peter :)
Bracelets do really seem to be seikos Achilles heel and looks like it isn't just the affordable too. Shame really because the watch is beautiful. But least it's an easy fix and you can get an aftermarket one
This watch is the latest one on my radar and I really enjoyed your honest appraisal it definitely has it plusses and minuses doesn't it.
I think I need to check it out in the flesh.
Thanks for your excellent review and I really appreciated your thoughtful words at the end.
Keep up the good work.
Will the 6R movement last a life time if I get it maintained and how often should I maintenance it??
Nice review, Sanjay! Agree with all of your points -- and still love this one!
It's such a great watch! Thanks so much for watching, Pastor Tim!
Thanks for the kind words in the end. Tc. God bless.
Beautiful watch lousy performance but if you're good with what it is I can see loving it. You're a good soul Sanjay. Peace
Thanks for the kind words and for watching, meznine!
Thanks for another good review Sanjay! Bit of a love hate relationship but you still hanging on to it. Sorry to hear yours is not very accurate. I've had my 213 for a little over 3 months and have worn it every day. Honing in on Random Robs 100 + days wearing his new Sub. It gains a few seconds when worn and stored crown up overnight will loose them. So after 3 months this morning it's +2 secs which is as good as it gets. I had every color of the original Seiko Sumo with 6R's that were all very accurate. No issues with the bracelet but have worn and been happy with Seiko SKX Jubilees for years! My Christopher Ward diver's bracelet that gets such good reviews really sucks for me as it's a hair puller. So each to his own!
Thanks so much Mike! That's so great to hear how much you're enjoying yours. Such a lovely watch!
I love my SPB213J1 despite its flaws. The colorway will be a classic. I only keep two divers and until I have a budget for an MM300, this will be in my collection for quite a while. The other diver is an SKX007 that I will never part with.
The MM300 is a great watch to aim towards. Enjoy the 213 while you get there, my friend!
The MM300 is very thick on the wrist in profile. The weight of the watch head in relation to the 20mm bracelet is not very well balanced. Wrist shot from a SPB147 and MM300 ruclips.net/video/BrdBMkhN-NM/видео.html .
What they don't tell u. My Seiko Boutique send the MM300 for service to Japan and did cost 900AUD.
Great review!! Love the 213. Definitely one of my favorites in my collection. Keep up the killer work bro 🍻🍻
Thanks so much, Omar. You're too kind!
Great Review, tempted to get the spb143J every now and then, but keeping myself in control. Would've gone for this spb213J if it was available in Australia.
Thanks so much Sam! They are such great watches!
Nice looking watch
Thanks Joe!
Thanks for the honest review. I still love this piece but agree about the 6R movements. My Sarb033 is starting to loose seconds like crazy dial up on my desk overnight, but its a few years old.
My 6R15 went from +1.5 spd to -27 spd after a few months. Really disappointed, it's just a fundamental issue with Seiko's entry level movements it seems. They are notorious for inconsistent timekeeping and not being able to hold a regulation very well.
Thanks for watching man. Looks like it might be worth getting the SARB checked on a timegrapher...does Toran own one?
Hello. Is it easy to scratch that bezel?
The lume pip at 3 doesn’t bother me on this dial, it stands out more on the darker dials for sure. After a 6 months of ownership this has grown on me massively and I love the look on bracelet, even the lack of on the fly adjustments doesn’t bother me. The accuracy is still an issue and I can get mine more or less spot on by leaving it dial up overnight but it’s not the same as my old bb58 that I knew would always be near perfect like a quartz.
If you can get one under retail these are great watches, I’ll likely sell mine for £700 and get a bb58 soon though as I miss the Tudor.
How do you find the prospex bracelet and clasp compared to the GS?
Good review 👍
Thanks so much!
they could make a date frame with lume instead of that tiny lume :))
I remember getting excited about this one thinking it was white and blue and then disappointed to find it's not and the same with the seiko 5 version.
Hey Sanjay, great review. Have you ever tried out one of the C60 Mk3 divers from Christopher Ward? I feel like it's the diver that competes the most against this Seiko, and I wondered which you thought had better finishing and such.
I have not yet had the pleasure of trying one of them. But I'm sure I'll come across one and I'd be able to better comment 🙂👍
I’ve owned a few CWs (c60 & Dartmouth being the most comparable) and also a spb143 prior to my spb213 that arrived today- you’re right they are similar in finishing and other areas.
For me I would rate them:
Case finishing- equal both 8.5/10
Bracelet- equal both 8/10
Clasp- CW 9/10 and Seiko 7/10
Dial- Seiko 8.5/10 and CW 7.5/10
Hands- equal both 8.5/10
Bezel action- CW 8.5/10 & seiko 7.5/10
Case back- equal both 8.5/10
Quality control is not great on both seiko 5/10 and CW 6.5/10 but at least with CW you can do something about it easily- see below.
Customer service/warranty- CW 9/10 and seiko 5/10 (even that feels generous). CW are humans that want you to love their brand and within reason will sort issues out so that you’re happy. Seiko are huge and don’t care about their customers, I still love their watches despite their many faults but their warranty is pointless and their servicing is loooong and overly expensive in my experience.
Movement/Accuracy- Seiko is a lottery but I’d give them 6/10 whereas CW is reliable and I’ve never had a movement outside 4-6spd so for me 8/10. I also prefer a smoother sweep and lower power reserve but that’s down to individual preference.
Value/price- seiko rrp is 7/10 but you can shop about and get 20-40% easily enough which would get them 9/10. CW usually have a £100/10-20% off voucher codes which makes them also a 9/10 in my book.
Box- not important to me but Seiko is probably a 3/10 and CW is 8/10.
Resale- Seiko is always easy to sell but there’s also a fantastic CW forum so I’ve never had any trouble selling CWs either. I’ve bought and sold 6-7 CWs and always lost a bit but never too much, Seikos i’ve often made a profit or broke even so from the dozens I’ve sold I would rate them slightly higher but this is a very subjective category.
Seiko has the drilled lugs and also an overall kinda “x factor” or coolness with their heritage/history that makes me fond of them, CW often tick all the boxes but end up getting underwhelming as they’re… just a bit meh sometimes- I guess they’re a head buy and seiko is a heart buy if that makes sense.
So, CW is the overall winner on paper and a fantastic choice but I would still (and did) end up with the seiko spb213 over the CW as I guess I always get my head turned by seiko. But it depends what factors are more important to you, i would say you can’t really go wrong with either as they’re both great but in honesty you can go wrong with Seiko. But we love them anyway 😄 and like bad fast food or a crazy ex we do go back… 🤦🏻♂️😄
Nice watch
If only they put a frame around that date. It would drive me nuts. Otherwise, I’d grab this. Great watch
The indices are punched through from the back to give the 3D look of applied indices, presumably without the time/hassle
That's what I've heard as well. Very unfortunate but they do look good
What’s your dive watch preference in this price range? Do you still own the Longines 39? I’ve been debating between the Seiko sbdc101 and the old Hydroconquest in 39. Any comments on the quality of this Seiko watch versus the Hydroconquest in terms of quality and wearability?
Hmmm that's a great question! I don't have the Longines HC anymore. I think the movement on the HC waaay above what Seiko is offering here. But when it comes to case finishing, dial and attention to detail. Seiko comes out ahead. I'd pick the Seiko personally
I quite like this SPB213, I think overall a very nice look, until you put it side by side with the GS..WOW..what a difference in quality. The 213 almost looks plastic like in comparison.
Just goes to show how beautiful and well made that GS is.
Excellent review Sanjay..👍
Thanks so much, Peter! You're too kind!
I didn't mean to detract from the SPB213 by holding both watches 😅
But yes, the GS is magnitudes above the Seiko....as it should be haha
@@engineer_wannabe even thought he SPB is an excellent piece, really no competition with the GS for sure.
PS I wanted to add, you mentioned you had considerable positional variation in its accuracy figures. I have experienced this exact same issue with several watches that feature the 6R35. On the previous generation the 6R15 (50 hr own res) no issues whatsoever.
I contacted Seiko and they did not gove ma any answers. I had to send one of my watches into them and they regulated it as the figures varied from +1 minutes to -2 minutes.
The only advice they could give me was "WEAR THE WATCH"
So what I gather from that is that these movements need active continual usage. And in following their advice, I found the movements settled down to more acceptable accuracy figures (+8 to +12 sec per day) which I am now pleased with 👍
Thanks again for an excellent review my friend, God bless you 🙏
@@PeterKotsa Hi Peter! Yeah, agreed. I've had much better experience with 6R15 models in the past.
I haven't exactly verified if positional variance is the issue. That was my best guess as I just wear my watches and check it to a reference time to check accuracy. The wildly changing accuracy rating lead me to believe it had to be a positional issue.
The only way that I was able to keep the watch for as long as I did was by figuratively closing my eyes, plugging my ears and yelling "lalalala" 🤣
Thanks so much for your insight, Peter. If we are ever able to sync up schedules, it would be an honour to chat with you face to face, (so to speak) :D
God Bless you too! 😊
Thanks Sanjay 👍
Thanks for watching, Junior! 🙂
Great review! So Is this watch a keeper or a sleeper in your collection?
Thanks so much my friend, you're too kind!
Definitely not a keeper 🤣
I didn't expect to keep it when I bought it though
Dibs!
Haha 🤣🤣
I always like this design(including the PX logo), but I've heard many more even worse example of 6R35 performance and that keeps me away from getting one.
Yeah, I too find it to be a well designed logo :)
And yes, I totally understand your position
Oh no we know this watch is gone now lol
Haha 🤣
so true.
Great review 👍👍
Thanks so much! You're too kind!
I've never had a 6R35 run that poorly, never more than 3 or 4 seconds/day. I've even regulated some 7S26's to close to that.
Watch looks great definitely should have gone with no date been way better
Yeah, that or skip the lumed index and forget the ISO rating...a missed opportunity!
Great review Sanjay. I don’t wear watches that are over +/- 10 seconds/day. I’ll pass on this one 😎. Best regards
Thanks so much for watching UWC :)
You know what they say? Ignorance is bliss 😅
You can get a watch regulated for peanuts so not an issue for me
R u sri lankan?
does not wear well on you. It looks huge. You should really look into 34-37mm region, no offense at all, just a friendly advice.
God watch
Bed moviment...my experience