Wished I saw this vid before I bought my Orient Vintage FD0F. Well at least I know what I'll be getting next. Also I love your fun way of doing reviews. Keep it up!
I own that exact same watch. Not bad for an entry level watch. Movement is respectable. Water resistant. I actually wore this and played rugby and the watch crystal didn't scratch. I like this watch.
Great review man. The update video on your 033 made me settle for my next time piece ;) I just got the Alpinist couple of weeks ago and I do want to linger a bit more on admiring it. I expect once I get my hands and eyes on the 033 the Alpinist will not be that much appealing... ;)
this guy does some really entertaining reviews.....but I cant help worrying about his sanity with the little gollum voices that kick in from time to time
+Ben Bentham lol. Thanks for your concern. I often question my own sanity :p This is what happens after 12 hour shifts then making these videos at 3am. :p. I'm glad you found it entertaining!
+minitwatch I believe its very similar predecesor SCVS003 used to be part of Spirit line, so it kind of stuck with this model too, as they are almost identical.
Thanks for your great reviews. This watch is so nicely done. I came very close to buying it but always thought it appeared to sit high on the wrist, like the back part of the case might protrude out enough to make it not lay very flat. I have noticed this with seiko 5's . Would you say there's any truth to that observation? How does it fit?
You know, this is a weird little watch. At first I wasn't really feeling it. I felt it was a bit too small and a bit too bulky for being a smaller size. The thing is, the more I wore it, the more I loved it. It is a fantastic watch! It is obviously built MUCH better than a Seiko five and it's design takes smaller wrists into consideration a lot more than. It fits very well and for my wrist, it's probably the perfect size. It's also SO well cut in terms of all the angles that shimmer and shine. I don't notice that case cover protrudes a lot. It wears quite flat and and conforms to my wrist nicely. I am going to make an update video!
The hands on my SARB033 do not have the roughly finished edges you mention at all. Nor does my friends 033 so I think it is worth mentioning that you may have a fault piece and hopefully viewers of the review don't assume that this issue is standard across the board. I've got many Seiko's and thus one is finished to a higher standard that any of my others, probably in line with my Hamilton khaki.
I will not retract this and no, I do not think it's a fault at all. I feel that you just have not noticed the issue. Take a really bright light and study those hands. I have seen this in quite a few examples of the very same watch as clearly seen here in the first picture. You need to have it under very bright lighting: monochrome-watches.com/seiko-mechanical-automatic-sarb033-fully-reviewed/ You can also see it on the hour hands in this picture on a wornandwound article: wornandwound.com/2014/04/22/pairs-well-seiko-sarb033/: Here's a video by watch-tanaka that clearly shows what I'm talking about at 0:40: ruclips.net/video/0byLN_CjsDQ/видео.html Here is a picture from Seiya Japan. Click on of the first image in the bottom row. It's quite clear there: www.seiyajapan.com/products/s-sarb033 Yet another example this time from a user at watchuseek (junk picture but you can even clearly see it there): forums.watchuseek.com/attachments/f29/261081d1267140337-seiko-sarb033-box-papers-ssc_0473.jpg Another picture via Flickr with clearly showing the rough edge of the SARB033's hands: www.flickr.com/photos/99995712@N00/12721205484 And Yet another image: i.imgur.com/BAerlhv.jpg Need more images? There's so many out there. Here's a guy on a forum talking about his sarb033: "The hands are very rough along the edges and the central white line on the top of the hands is slightly off-centre on the minute hand". Post #112 forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?241054-Grand-Seiko-Hi-Beat-wins-a-European-Watch-of-the-Year-award/page3 I am obviously not the first person that has complained about this and I have also seen six other SARB033's which all have the same issue. So I have seen seven with my own eyes display this issue. Combine that with the above data, which is just the tip of the iceberg, and you can clearly see that It is definitely not an isolated incident. I knew about this issue before I purchased it and have done the research. I wouldn't have mentioned it if it were not a broad-scoped issue. Check yours again with a super bright flashlight and check it in all angles. I suspect that you will notice exactly what I'm talking about and if you don't then you are extremely lucky! Wanna sell it? lol. jk. I wouldn't buy your baby. That all being said, I still absolutely love mine and I will definitely be keeping it. I am waiting a few months to do a follow up. It seems to be doing it's just of keeping time quite well.
I have 4 Seiko divers in my collection and I'm considering getting the SARB065 as a dress watch. My question is can you have too much Seikos in your collection?
I've got the '65, the '33, the '17 (green Alpinist), and lots of other Seikos. The '65 is amazing in person, especially the sunburst dial. A fairly big watch, and very striking looking. I didn't like the band, so I replaced it with a shiny back croc with curved ends. Really a beautiful watch, very unique.
I have few questions: 1. How long can this watch last ? I mean, using it almost daily, how much it takes until it has severe scratche/glass breaks ? Can it last several years ? 2. Where can I find the SARB line ? I checked Seiko website, but no SARB there...wtf? 3. Other SARB's are different only in the colour ? I saw that they are kinda the same :) Thank you :)
+dedantemon To answer your first question, that is very subjective to a slew of variables. This watch will last many, many years with normal wear. If you are not conscious of any watch on the wrist, they will get scratched up and it does not matter if it's a crappy chinese watch or a platinum rolex. Watches get scratched up. I take very good care of mine and have grown accustom to making sure that I do not hit them on doors, walls, desks, chairs, etc and even then, the occasional scratch occurs. Because this watch uses a Sapphire crystal, it'll take a lot to scratch it however, sapphire is inherently more brittle than mineral crystal. It'll shatter a bit easier. This isn't a watch to beat up on althought, it should handle it just fine. You can find these watches via ebay, amazon, www.seiyajapan.com, creationwatches.com, global.rakuten.com and many other sites. You will only find these watches on Seiko's japan website. There is one alternate version of the SARB033 and that's the SARB035 which I would love to have. It has a mild cream-colored face. Other watches in the SARB line are completely different except for the movement. Many of them share the same 6r15 guts. I hope this helps!
minitwatch Thanks for responding to my question :) I have other questions: 1. If my SARB gets broken, what I need to do ? To send it to other country where there is a SEIKO shop that can replace the broken parts and ship it back to me ? 2. Is there a watch that has same quality as this SARB, but also tells day, and maybe month, at same price, or a little bit pricier ? 3. Is it more comfortable with a leather strap, or the stainless steel it comes ? 4. Is it possible that this watch to gain rust in time from water ? (let's say u take a swim with it). Thank you again for your time :)
+dedantemon 1) I am not sure. I don't anticipate mine breaking however, It did come with a warranty card. 2) There are many that can choose from and from many price ranges. Have you checked out Orient? For the price, i would get the SARB033 or 035. 3) I am not sure as I love wearing it with the bracelet. It's just that good but logically, it will be way more comfortable with a leather strap. 4) Since it's stainless steel, rusting is highly unlikely. I hope this helps again!
That's kind of hard to explain. The SNK809 looks bigger but this watch wears SO much better. It's design compliments the wrist while the 809 is something seiko just kind of slapped together, in my opinion. The SARB033 is well thought out.
minitwatch I'm not sure if I recall correctly, but did I read a comment where you said this online site doesn't always package the watch properly? Also, why would buying it from this site be an advantage over buying the watch from Amazon?
Still Evolving I would suggest an emerald green or a wine-colored/oxblood crocodile strap or any number of Colareb straps, depending on which color you prefer. They offer quite a selection.
I'll definetly buy this watch.
Tommi_6o have you?
I like your videos.you have a good sense of humor that makes me laugh lmao. Reminds me of some of my friends from high school. Good old days.
Wished I saw this vid before I bought my Orient Vintage FD0F. Well at least I know what I'll be getting next.
Also I love your fun way of doing reviews. Keep it up!
hariz87 Thank you :) Yes, yes! Get this one next!
I own that exact same watch. Not bad for an entry level watch. Movement is respectable. Water resistant. I actually wore this and played rugby and the watch crystal didn't scratch. I like this watch.
Great review man. The update video on your 033 made me settle for my next time piece ;) I just got the Alpinist couple of weeks ago and I do want to linger a bit more on admiring it. I expect once I get my hands and eyes on the 033 the Alpinist will not be that much appealing... ;)
+razvan radu Excellent! I'm sure you're love both equally well.
Still got it? I suggest you do a collection video. Like to see that.
Nice video, really lovely watch ❤️. Please do the versus between the SARB033 VS SARB035.
I don't know why that knuckle crack sound effect made me laugh so hard but here I am, losing my shit.
turtlehater2 lol,nice :p
“I think you can only see it with your eyes.” 🤔😆
this guy does some really entertaining reviews.....but I cant help worrying about his sanity with the little gollum voices that kick in from time to time
+Ben Bentham lol. Thanks for your concern. I often question my own sanity :p This is what happens after 12 hour shifts then making these videos at 3am. :p. I'm glad you found it entertaining!
Yes, part of a Spirit line and not part of presage line.
Informative and entertaining. Thanks.
You're welcome!
omg, that's a SARB033...
Nice baby SBGX061 bro. Congrats on this purchase. It's a looker! ^^V
Hell yeah! Thanks! A GS is in my future. :)
Do you use a comb on that hair on the back of your palm?
Seiko's lumes are great! Better than some of the brand name swiss watches in the market. For the price of it.., can't beat it.
I checked Seiko's Japanese website and the SARB033 is not a part of either the Spirit or Presage lines.
+Bacchus Leto They've done a lot of changes. It is now just under their "Automatic" line.
Was it somewhere else before? I couldn't find any other SARBs on there.
+Bacchus Leto my bad. it's under "Mechanical" now.
www.seiko-watch.co.jp/collections/en/mechanical/
+minitwatch I believe its very similar predecesor SCVS003 used to be part of Spirit line, so it kind of stuck with this model too, as they are almost identical.
Thanks for your great reviews. This watch is so nicely done. I came very close to buying it but always thought it appeared to sit high on the wrist, like the back part of the case might protrude out enough to make it not lay very flat. I have noticed this with seiko 5's . Would you say there's any truth to that observation? How does it fit?
You know, this is a weird little watch. At first I wasn't really feeling it. I felt it was a bit too small and a bit too bulky for being a smaller size. The thing is, the more I wore it, the more I loved it. It is a fantastic watch! It is obviously built MUCH better than a Seiko five and it's design takes smaller wrists into consideration a lot more than. It fits very well and for my wrist, it's probably the perfect size. It's also SO well cut in terms of all the angles that shimmer and shine. I don't notice that case cover protrudes a lot. It wears quite flat and and conforms to my wrist nicely. I am going to make an update video!
minitwatch Nice, what a cool watch. I wish there were more watches out there like this one. Looking forward to your update!
Seriously entertaining, just subbed for more humor!
Thanks :)
The hands on my SARB033 do not have the roughly finished edges you mention at all. Nor does my friends 033 so I think it is worth mentioning that you may have a fault piece and hopefully viewers of the review don't assume that this issue is standard across the board. I've got many Seiko's and thus one is finished to a higher standard that any of my others, probably in line with my Hamilton khaki.
I will not retract this and no, I do not think it's a fault at all. I feel that you just have not noticed the issue. Take a really bright light and study those hands.
I have seen this in quite a few examples of the very same watch as clearly seen here in the first picture. You need to have it under very bright lighting:
monochrome-watches.com/seiko-mechanical-automatic-sarb033-fully-reviewed/
You can also see it on the hour hands in this picture on a wornandwound article:
wornandwound.com/2014/04/22/pairs-well-seiko-sarb033/:
Here's a video by watch-tanaka that clearly shows what I'm talking about at 0:40:
ruclips.net/video/0byLN_CjsDQ/видео.html
Here is a picture from Seiya Japan. Click on of the first image in the bottom row. It's quite clear there:
www.seiyajapan.com/products/s-sarb033
Yet another example this time from a user at watchuseek (junk picture but you can even clearly see it there):
forums.watchuseek.com/attachments/f29/261081d1267140337-seiko-sarb033-box-papers-ssc_0473.jpg
Another picture via Flickr with clearly showing the rough edge of the SARB033's hands:
www.flickr.com/photos/99995712@N00/12721205484
And Yet another image:
i.imgur.com/BAerlhv.jpg
Need more images? There's so many out there.
Here's a guy on a forum talking about his sarb033: "The hands are very rough along the edges and the central white line on the top of the hands is slightly off-centre on the minute hand". Post #112
forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?241054-Grand-Seiko-Hi-Beat-wins-a-European-Watch-of-the-Year-award/page3
I am obviously not the first person that has complained about this and I have also seen six other SARB033's which all have the same issue. So I have seen seven with my own eyes display this issue. Combine that with the above data, which is just the tip of the iceberg, and you can clearly see that It is definitely not an isolated incident.
I knew about this issue before I purchased it and have done the research. I wouldn't have mentioned it if it were not a broad-scoped issue. Check yours again with a super bright flashlight and check it in all angles. I suspect that you will notice exactly what I'm talking about and if you don't then you are extremely lucky! Wanna sell it? lol. jk. I wouldn't buy your baby.
That all being said, I still absolutely love mine and I will definitely be keeping it. I am waiting a few months to do a follow up. It seems to be doing it's just of keeping time quite well.
I posted with the wrong account. Haha! Ooops.
Great review. You really are a watch enthusiast!
May I ask why you chose the 033 over the 035?
Because it's black :p I like the 35 as well but a guy's gotta eat (sometimes) :p
I have 4 Seiko divers in my collection and I'm considering getting the SARB065 as a dress watch. My question is can you have too much Seikos in your collection?
+Rasheed One can never have too many Seikos :)
Never too many Seikos! They're amazing watches, lots of variety, excellent quality, great bang for the buck.
+Finn McCool Thank u.
I've got the '65, the '33, the '17 (green Alpinist), and lots of other Seikos. The '65 is amazing in person, especially the sunburst dial. A fairly big watch, and very striking looking. I didn't like the band, so I replaced it with a shiny back croc with curved ends. Really a beautiful watch, very unique.
+Finn McCool like am looking to get the 17 for my next purchase.
I have few questions:
1. How long can this watch last ? I mean, using it almost daily, how much it takes until it has severe scratche/glass breaks ? Can it last several years ?
2. Where can I find the SARB line ? I checked Seiko website, but no SARB there...wtf?
3. Other SARB's are different only in the colour ? I saw that they are kinda the same :)
Thank you :)
+dedantemon To answer your first question, that is very subjective to a slew of variables. This watch will last many, many years with normal wear. If you are not conscious of any watch on the wrist, they will get scratched up and it does not matter if it's a crappy chinese watch or a platinum rolex. Watches get scratched up. I take very good care of mine and have grown accustom to making sure that I do not hit them on doors, walls, desks, chairs, etc and even then, the occasional scratch occurs. Because this watch uses a Sapphire crystal, it'll take a lot to scratch it however, sapphire is inherently more brittle than mineral crystal. It'll shatter a bit easier. This isn't a watch to beat up on althought, it should handle it just fine.
You can find these watches via ebay, amazon, www.seiyajapan.com, creationwatches.com, global.rakuten.com and many other sites. You will only find these watches on Seiko's japan website.
There is one alternate version of the SARB033 and that's the SARB035 which I would love to have. It has a mild cream-colored face. Other watches in the SARB line are completely different except for the movement. Many of them share the same 6r15 guts. I hope this helps!
minitwatch
Thanks for responding to my question :)
I have other questions:
1. If my SARB gets broken, what I need to do ? To send it to other country where there is a SEIKO shop that can replace the broken parts and ship it back to me ?
2. Is there a watch that has same quality as this SARB, but also tells day, and maybe month, at same price, or a little bit pricier ?
3. Is it more comfortable with a leather strap, or the stainless steel it comes ?
4. Is it possible that this watch to gain rust in time from water ? (let's say u take a swim with it).
Thank you again for your time :)
+dedantemon 1) I am not sure. I don't anticipate mine breaking however, It did come with a warranty card. 2) There are many that can choose from and from many price ranges. Have you checked out Orient? For the price, i would get the SARB033 or 035. 3) I am not sure as I love wearing it with the bracelet. It's just that good but logically, it will be way more comfortable with a leather strap. 4) Since it's stainless steel, rusting is highly unlikely. I hope this helps again!
minitwatch
Thanks again you miniwatch you :D
classy and elegant
how much bigger is this one than the Seiko snk809? does it wear bigger, or is it the same? thank you
That's kind of hard to explain. The SNK809 looks bigger but this watch wears SO much better. It's design compliments the wrist while the 809 is something seiko just kind of slapped together, in my opinion. The SARB033 is well thought out.
Thanks.
Where can I buy the watch, I don't want to buy a fake one, help!
I would get it here: www.seiyajapan.com/products/s-sarb033
minitwatch I'm not sure if I recall correctly, but did I read a comment where you said this online site doesn't always package the watch properly? Also, why would buying it from this site be an advantage over buying the watch from Amazon?
Actually, the problem was from an Amazon seller (out of japan). Seiya has never let me down.
minitwatch Cool. Thanks for the info.
+Juan Nordelo I know this comment is 7 months old. But I doubt there are any Seiko fakes out there.
Lmfaoooo when you speak in Asian accent I died.
I believe it has a hardlex Crystal a proprietary Crystal by Seiko1
This watch has a sapphire crystal, not hardlex. Though the display back is hardlex.
yo your little voices crack me up
jay7264 =p thanks.
Beautiful.
Hey dose anyone know a good leather strap for this watch ? please someone link me a strap on amazon
Still Evolving
I would suggest an emerald green or a wine-colored/oxblood crocodile strap or any number of Colareb straps, depending on which color you prefer. They offer quite a selection.
Here's a video showing the rough hands: ruclips.net/video/hnwcppQ9cng/видео.html
Looks like a Rolex Explorer
+Conrad Arnts yeah, reminds me of the old explorer except for the 3, 6 & 9 numbers. Pretty cool.
Conrad that's good cause i like explorer and got no money for that
Nice review dude. Hilarious!
lug to lug width?
+kinshi pas 44.5mm. I guess I didn't put that in the video. oops!
+minitwatch Thanks Bro! Merry Christmas!
im betwen a sarb 033 and the orient star semieseleton you reviewed too , what do you think? i find it at de same price
Oh man, difficult choice. Based simply on my smaller wrist size, I'd say the SARB033.
Great review but the sound effects and voices earned the sub. lol
Lug to lug mesure?
João Viana I measured it at about 45mm. Sorry, I didn't see this comment!
Tiny guys probems!!!
Seiko have thousand of model.
the autofocus hurts my eyes
+robkez313 the autofocus hurts my ears.
youre a funny dude. u filipino?
+kinshi pas Thanks! and no, not filipino.
Whyyyyyyy hahah
tERRIBLE. I won;t bother to correct it. Your style.