Thank you for sharing those great watches with countris like Argentina. We can not afford any.I am from the 40s and a collector; have seen lots of watches and never thought that 80 years after my birth watches are essentially the same...Gracias desde la congelada Patagonia, Argentina.
I was about to comment that, i have no problem if Seiko wants to launch higher priced watches but they really need to make it better than a bog standard Seiko 5.
The hour hand looks like a kunai, one of the most famous ninja's weapons, so I think it would be better to call it ninja or shinobi instead of mini samurai.
Cool... or even something along the lines of the _'Shog-goth'_ from Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos! Though sounds more like Seiko is trying to imitate their competitor Citizen, with Japanese model names like the 'Tsuyosa' and 'Tsuki-yoni'.
I absolutely love this watch, I hadn’t heard of it till this video and I immediately bought one in black here in England, I always loved my brother’s samurai but it was just too big for me, see this and I got straight on the case, cheers Jody 👍🏻👍🏻
9:41 Oh I love that red! I have the Save The Oceans blue Samurai - I’ve probably had it 10 years now - and I love it. But I am really interested in getting this one as a baby brother. In other words, my boat is floated.
@@stonecold2176 Absolutely. The red dial on the Seiko is flat, the Kamatsu red dial is a deep cherry with sunburst. The scenario just highlights how much the Orient punches above its weight.
@@xgford94 A better deal how. Give me an example. I mean I'll give you sapphire but in a tool watch hardlex is arguably tougher. That's the reason NASA chose hesalite for the moon watch
The red dial on this Seiko watch does look really nice. I would almost buy one but like you said you can get an Orient Kamasu with Sapphire crystal for under $200. You can also get a Citizen Fujitsibo Promaster Diver with Titanium bracelet and better 9 series movement for around $600. The hour markers on the Bezel of that Citizen diver look almost exactly the same as this Seiko watch.
This Shogurai is a beast of its own! I for one love it! It's a beaut! If I had not just bought (and will be making payments on for a year) two Glycine Airman Purist watches, this might be on my finalist list!
A pretty cool mod to do since it doesn't have the cyclops is to just buy a generic smartwatch glass screen protector that they advertise as a 9 on the hardness scale and voila you're pretty much scratch proof without compromising the water resistance. If it shatters just replace it since a set of 5 costs around $7. I did this to my Casioak since I really don't like scratches and it's been scratch free for 2 years now 😂
I like it. It looks fantastic on your wrist with its multifaceted armour-like case and the bracelet. And I like how muted the red is actually, considering that the watch’s design is pretty loud otherwise. The colour also makes it work better as an everyday wear. The only problem for me is as someone with a 6” wrist this is still too big.
The first thing I do when I get home is to take off my 45mm watch, so there's a lot to be said for a smaller, lighter watch. And I must say that red dial and bezel are nice.
You can get a king samurai with the same movement, sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel, and made in Japan for like $350…… or you could get this mineral crystal, Chinese Seiko for $900
When the king samurai came out it was more expensive, yes now you can get it for $350 grey market. In a year the price on these new models will begin their descent, just like every other Seiko before it.
Not a bad watch per se, but even 600 bucks seems to me a bit of a tall ask for a 4R35 and Hardlex...I got myself a Phoibos Leviathan for half that money and it scratches the "smaller Samurai" itch quite nicely methinks.
I might have called it the Mini Samurai, but it’s still on the big side. Maybe either Wakizashi or Tanto, the smaller blades carried by samurai. On the plus side, the hour markers apparently line up (otherwise Jody would have said something), so perhaps the price reflects the build quality. I’m *not* going to bellow about needing sapphire because it’s obvious that Seiko’s still holding to the philosophy that Hardlex makes better sense for a dive watch that’s going to be used as a dive watch (i.e. a scratched mineral crystal is still going to be protective compared with a shattered sapphire crystal ).
I love my Seiko’s and this red one really attracts me but for the price I’m on hold, I think I will wait for a sale or them to come up second hand on eBay. Great video as ever.
I can say this is the first red dial on a ISO rated non mod Seiko diver watch . There is orange on the monster , yellow on the SKXA35 and green on Sumo . This new samurai design highly resemble the Grand Seiko SBGH269G .
got my 39mm with the white dial on the 3-link "Bader" bracelet watch on amzwatch 3 weeks ago and am loving it to pieces. Absolute fantastic watch that wears super comfortable on my 6.75 inch wrist. Chose the 3-link over the 5-link bracelet for the toolless quick adjustment. Way more comfortable than my Longines Hydroconquest 41 mm.
I am partial to a red dial and this one works for me, sadly as with almost all recent Seiko releases, the value doesn’t. Pressed clasp, no sapphire and a non colour matched date wheel for half a grand?
I never thought I'd say this .... *BUT* for what Seiko keeps offering, I can get that and more from San Martin for a very competitive price. I'm no longer paying extra for "name and prestige" when the overall product continues to not match in value.
Another minus to Seiko is that they don't even have an appeal card for their movements, because EVERY OTHER bozo with a microbrand has their movements in their watches too. I honestly love Seiko's design language (and the fact that they drill their lugs) but god they're such a bad deal nowadays
Great video, very accurate analysis. In my 4.5 years in the game as a watch collector and enthusiast, I collected a lot from MaMaCoo I was thinking I was able to get a blue SD but I'm not vip enough, but I'm not giving up. Hehe. Great video.
i just picked up a san martin white dial GMT, kind of tudor bb pro, and it's spoiled me. amazing what you can get for so little money. unfortunately this seiko can't compete
amzwatch You are so well-informed about luxury watches. You've obviously done your due diligence and the comparison to the US is very informative...because of course, I live in New York. thank you very much
I was super hyped for this..... then I saw the new red dial tsuyosa in plain stainless steel at my old work place.... glad I saved some money lolll and got a nice looking dial
@@bobmeur 😂 I recently bought the ‘living fossil’ Citizen Promaster Diver NY0084. It has milk bottles at 6 & 9 o’clock positions. On top of that, it also has the bonus - baby diaper / underpants at 12 o’clock. As a father of 2, I am wearing it with pride. 🤣
I am so happy I got an Alpinist SARB017 back in 2017. Seiko prices seem crazy nowadays. No sapphire and not made in Japan at that price?! Beautiful watch though.
I love Samurais. Have several. I do like the slight shift in design, and if you're going to do a date at 4:30 having the text oriented this way is definitely the best way to go. Having said all that it's underwhelming. And it is primarily because of all the other features that are endemic to this tier of Seiko: the Hardlex, the cheap clasp on what isn't really a bad bracelet otherwise, the plebeian 4R35. Seiko is just softballing it in with this one, and I'd rather spend my money on something with more pizazz. Cheers!
The hands, imho, are absolutely offensive. With a base movement, dull dial and no sapphire. Even at 600 this one gets a very hard pass. There is a plethora exquisite microbrands to choose from housing the NH35, which does happen to be a solid movement.
The date is upright even though it is at 4:30. Nice touch there Seiko. Next time please make the digit bigger (no cyclops), and color match with the dial.
I find this watch to be beautiful 🤩. The Samurai and Shogun by themselves I don’t find as attracted to as this one. The dimensions seem pretty spot on to me. But for that price, I would expect at least sapphire crystal and a better bracelet.
I did a conversion of 600 Aussi dollars to USD = 405.00 USD. I think that is still too much for a crappy bracelet and hardlex crystal. Should be saphire for that price. But inflation is really bad here so I don't know if it is a good price or not. I would not pay that much for it but that is just me.
Japanese yen is very weak just now. 100 yen is just over US$0.62, and I remember when treating yen as cents was a decent approximation. But despite the weak yen it’s still expensive.
@@markiangooley I used to love Seiko watches maybe 20 years ago. I still have a couple of Seiko 5s that I got for less than 75 dollars. I will admit the bracelets were junk and one micro adjust so it would be too big or too small but for the price they were selling them, it was not hard to replace the bracelet with a better one. Back then SKX 007 was 169.00 shipped. The Padi was 250.00 shipped. My first Seiko watch was a gift from my Grandmother when I turned 16 in 1981. It was LCD digital with 5 lines of text. I remember how much I loved it. Now most Seiko watches are just too much money.
I liked the date magnifier on the King Samurai but like the new hands better as they reach all the way to the hour marker. It was easy to mistake the hour time in the dark or low light on my King Samurai white dial so I sold it.
I like this red one, though overall the model line is a little underwhelming. I love the size adjustments for sure. I might consider getting this red one (at a discount, naturally) at some point. I really don't have a watch in my collection in that color range and it might be fun once in a while. There may not be a lot of buzz, but the number of views in 1 day shows there is interest.
It cost a FORTUNE to get Seiko to put an S on the crown of my $379.00 Sarb 017…………..and Sapphire too…..$379.00 at Amazon. I put a jubilee on it and it remains in regular rotation. Yeah, good ol’ Seiko….:-( Thanks Jody. Extra nuanced review. Excellent! Thanks
Mini Samurai will do. I think Seiko are testing the market with this offering and if successful they might do 'King' versions with sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel insert.
That’s a pretty underwhelming watch for $950, or even $600. Seiko is getting a little too proud of themselves these days. Hardlex, and a Malaysian movement? No thanks.
There was a red Samurai euro only special edition "Shu-Iro" that I saw in a shop in Greece last year and I still regret not buying. This is really nice, and the dimensions are definitely much more manageable. The thickness is great. But, pressed clasp and hardlex for that money? Just criminal. You can get an Ali Express diver with better specs, an NH35, and drop a Seiko dial in it for a quarter of that money and you've got a better watch. Madness from Seiko. And that's speaking as someone who did pay RRP for an SPB297J1....
Just a silly price. If this was an Aragon it would have Sapphire and be less than 300 AUD. I only buy real JDM Seiko’s….. I see no point in a Chinese built watch with a Malaysian movement at the prices they want.
I've recently began my obsession as a watch collector. And i must say- out of all the luxury brands I've been researching, for me the amzwatch's watches are the most intriguing.
Love the color, size, and dial/case design. Can forgive the unsigned crown and date window. Cheap clasp is a concern. Hardlex at this price is a deal breaker.
I think it looks great but I will purchase my first Black Bay Tudor this fall with the red bezel on a jubilee bracelet to mark the end of my master's program. Thanks Jodie!
Simple... The "Ronin" Ronin is a Japanese term that can be translated to 'wave man. ' Ro means wave, and nin means man or person. The term was used to describe the masterless samurai who were constantly in flux and floating, like a wave Got to say ideal for a Japanese dive watch👍🏻 Any royalties would be appreciated or a free watch as i cant actually afford one and am sporting an early Marlin.
The problem is, from a cultural standpoint, the term “ronin” may be “cool” in Western culture, but in Japanese culture it has the sense of “drifter” or “homeless person”. Not exactly appealing terms for a marketer. One of the reasons the original Samurai got its nickname is because the original had been advertised on TV appearing on the arm of an armored Samurai underwater. The ad got associated with the watch (and future iterations), hence the nickname. Seiko models tend to derive their nicknames from buyers, not marketers. One will eventually sprout, but not necessarily the one that Seiko marketing will have in mind. (Personally, I prefer the Santoku as a nickname.)
It reminds me of my Helm Miyako. I know it's not a 3d dial, but the date window and batons are close as well as the case profile, maybe? I want that hour hand for the Samurai Mod build I'm working on!
Hi Jody, Being a fellow Aussie, You should seriously review the adina underground mining watch. Its my favourite watch and i have tons of seikos aliexpress watches etc. Im in QLD and Adina watches are really popular here and in WA. The countrymaster range is really popular but they make a underground 100m watch which heaps of tradies wear.
I have one of these on order at my local shop. It looks gorgeous, and at 400USD, it's a fair price for what you get, certainly not great value at full rrp though. Thanks for the review, I'm very excited to get mine
I’m becoming more and more a fan of the 4:30 date placement. It really makes the dial more balanced.
The red wine dial and matching bezel insert on that shogurai is so fetch! I love it!
I'm getting that. Fantastic.
Stop trying to make fetch happen.
Why don't they just invest the extra $2 for the sapphire crystal? 😡
They want us to mod their stuff
They insist we’re going to shatter it before we scratch it but we know that’s not true
@@TFPMadcow 200M of Water Resistance..... *pops crystal*..... 10M of Water Resistance.
Then, it wouldn't be a Seiko, but a Grand Seiko😂
@@armandr1613 ahahah, True:)
Thank you for sharing those great watches with countris like Argentina. We can not afford any.I am from the 40s and a collector; have seen lots of watches and never thought that 80 years after my birth watches are essentially the same...Gracias desde la congelada Patagonia, Argentina.
Great story!
@@davidmeddows6074 Thank you!!! When I was born pocket watches ruled...
4r35 and glass crystal for $900 retail?
Baby, what is you doing?
The usual for big brands. 10% for the watch, 90% for the name.
I was about to comment that, i have no problem if Seiko wants to launch higher priced watches but they really need to make it better than a bog standard Seiko 5.
Stinginess. Most of my quartz watches have sapphire crystals.
That’s AUD, but yeah still way overpriced.
For clarification, that's $640 USD RRP, ~$400 USD street price that Jodie paid. Still not great, but what I'd expect from current Seiko.
The hour hand looks like a kunai, one of the most famous ninja's weapons, so I think it would be better to call it ninja or shinobi instead of mini samurai.
The bezel lines up !!! perhaps it's a fake Seiko 😂
Good one !
No, it's real deal. It has hardlex
@@KekeWho😂😂😂😂 good point 😂😂😂😂
💀
Yeah, I thought I was seeing things too. 😂😁
call it the ronin, a samurai without a lord. an orphan as it were, like this watch.
Cool... or even something along the lines of the _'Shog-goth'_ from Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos!
Though sounds more like Seiko is trying to imitate their competitor Citizen, with Japanese model names like the 'Tsuyosa' and 'Tsuki-yoni'.
@@LowenKM Been reading James Clavell's little masterpiece have we?
I think Al Pacino would like that.
Came here to say this. Sort of a bastard, hey?
I absolutely love this watch, I hadn’t heard of it till this video and I immediately bought one in black here in England, I always loved my brother’s samurai but it was just too big for me, see this and I got straight on the case, cheers Jody 👍🏻👍🏻
9:41 Oh I love that red! I have the Save The Oceans blue Samurai - I’ve probably had it 10 years now - and I love it. But I am really interested in getting this one as a baby brother. In other words, my boat is floated.
I really......really miss pre 2016 Seiko. 😩
Islander watches. Mark does seiko better than seiko at this point.
Me too!
@@TheStillaplayaindeed!
I don't, I've already got about 15 of them and I don't think I need any more :)
@@TheStillaplaya I like Mark but I do not care for microbrands, regardless how good they are.
Better off with the red Orient Kamatsu for under 200 bucks.
@@stonecold2176 Absolutely. The red dial on the Seiko is flat, the Kamatsu red dial is a deep cherry with sunburst. The scenario just highlights how much the Orient punches above its weight.
@@blacktoothstavros2606
Orient is majority-owned by Seiko Holdings, which also produces Seiko watches, so you're still giving Seiko the business 😂
@@pokie6087 true.. but they are giving you a better deal so, there is that
@@xgford94
A better deal how. Give me an example. I mean I'll give you sapphire but in a tool watch hardlex is arguably tougher. That's the reason NASA chose hesalite for the moon watch
The red dial on this Seiko watch does look really nice. I would almost buy one but like you said you can get an Orient Kamasu with Sapphire crystal for under $200. You can also get a Citizen Fujitsibo Promaster Diver with Titanium bracelet and better 9 series movement for around $600. The hour markers on the Bezel of that Citizen diver look almost exactly the same as this Seiko watch.
Marc has a really good explanation and defense of Seiko pricing. It’s worth a watch, so to speak.
This one is hard to justify though. Actually, no, it's impossible.
This Shogurai is a beast of its own! I for one love it! It's a beaut!
If I had not just bought (and will be making payments on for a year) two Glycine Airman Purist watches, this might be on my finalist list!
Another seiko with hardlex for a price that demands sapphire nowadays? Mmmmmmmmnope.
They use hardlex on divers because it's less likely to shatter. It's designed to be an actual useful dive watch
Seiko is very proud of their inventions. Seiko claims that they invented this hardlex, and very proud of it.
This one should have sapphire
@@nate9221 actual divers nowadays use dive computers on their wrists. Facts.
@etebol that's a fun fact that has absolutely nothing to do with the conversation
A pretty cool mod to do since it doesn't have the cyclops is to just buy a generic smartwatch glass screen protector that they advertise as a 9 on the hardness scale and voila you're pretty much scratch proof without compromising the water resistance. If it shatters just replace it since a set of 5 costs around $7. I did this to my Casioak since I really don't like scratches and it's been scratch free for 2 years now 😂
For that price , it needs saphire glass and a 6r35.
I would have ordered it on the spot.
Plus maybe a less shit bracelet.
@L233233 I heard the bracelet is great, just the clasp is typical poopy.
@@Chef_Alpo The clasp is part of the bracelet, genius
I like it. It looks fantastic on your wrist with its multifaceted armour-like case and the bracelet. And I like how muted the red is actually, considering that the watch’s design is pretty loud otherwise. The colour also makes it work better as an everyday wear. The only problem for me is as someone with a 6” wrist this is still too big.
The first thing I do when I get home is to take off my 45mm watch, so there's a lot to be said for a smaller, lighter watch. And I must say that red dial and bezel are nice.
You can get a king samurai with the same movement, sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel, and made in Japan for like $350…… or you could get this mineral crystal, Chinese Seiko for $900
But that's too big for my tiny wrist.
When the king samurai came out it was more expensive, yes now you can get it for $350 grey market. In a year the price on these new models will begin their descent, just like every other Seiko before it.
It grabbed my attention as soon as I saw the release photos.
Great to see it in more detail. Thanks Jody
Not a bad watch per se, but even 600 bucks seems to me a bit of a tall ask for a 4R35 and Hardlex...I got myself a Phoibos Leviathan for half that money and it scratches the "smaller Samurai" itch quite nicely methinks.
Hi Jeanine
I need to take sick leave today. I have a really bad migraine headache. Thank you, Don
$950 for a pressed clasp!!!
My dad's Rolex Datejust has a pressed clasp and that cost him 4k
It's a fkin liberty in 2024. I dont know who still buys Seiko, absolute shite value.
@@DC-uf6ve
This isn't expensive for a 100% in house automatic. What other watches tick those boxes for about the same price.
My 6k Grand Seiko had a pressed clasp too.
Cal it the ripoff
I might have called it the Mini Samurai, but it’s still on the big side. Maybe either Wakizashi or Tanto, the smaller blades carried by samurai.
On the plus side, the hour markers apparently line up (otherwise Jody would have said something), so perhaps the price reflects the build quality. I’m *not* going to bellow about needing sapphire because it’s obvious that Seiko’s still holding to the philosophy that Hardlex makes better sense for a dive watch that’s going to be used as a dive watch (i.e. a scratched mineral crystal is still going to be protective compared with a shattered sapphire crystal ).
I've been too spoiled by the better Aliexpress watches to be even slightly impressed.
any micro beats a lousy seiko
I'm wearing a Steel dive 1970 right now, and it's a better Seiko than actual Seikos. Lol
@@tylercronin4266 yup
Don't buy Chinese copies man. These guys make these watches for cents an hour. Have some pride in yourself for godsakes😂😂
@@tylercronin4266 Great watch! Actual sapphire crystal (instead of Hardlex) at less than 1/4 price of Seiko!
I love my Seiko’s and this red one really attracts me but for the price I’m on hold, I think I will wait for a sale or them to come up second hand on eBay. Great video as ever.
Much rather get the Citizen pro diver eco-drive in red for a little over $200.
The dial definitely makes me think of the Seiko "Bullet" SKXA53 but with a handset from a Seiko Astron SSJ007.
For those who aren't interested in white cardboard the watch finally appears at 3:35.
I can say this is the first red dial on a ISO rated non mod Seiko diver watch . There is orange on the monster , yellow on the SKXA35 and green on Sumo . This new samurai design highly resemble the Grand Seiko SBGH269G .
Great video and an attractive looking watch. For the name, how about the Seiko Shinobi
That is a great name idea!
After purchasing a San Martin, thanks to this channel, I no longer have the same love for Seikos as I once did.
Thou shall be known as: THE NINJA
got my 39mm with the white dial on the 3-link "Bader" bracelet watch on amzwatch 3 weeks ago and am loving it to pieces. Absolute fantastic watch that wears super comfortable on my 6.75 inch wrist. Chose the 3-link over the 5-link bracelet for the toolless quick adjustment. Way more comfortable than my Longines Hydroconquest 41 mm.
I am partial to a red dial and this one works for me, sadly as with almost all recent Seiko releases, the value doesn’t. Pressed clasp, no sapphire and a non colour matched date wheel for half a grand?
I love it. Will sell the Pantor and SkX and grab this red. Understaded red is good for me. Love the case and crown. Sharp hands and indices .
I never thought I'd say this .... *BUT* for what Seiko keeps offering, I can get that and more from San Martin for a very competitive price.
I'm no longer paying extra for "name and prestige" when the overall product continues to not match in value.
Another minus to Seiko is that they don't even have an appeal card for their movements, because EVERY OTHER bozo with a microbrand has their movements in their watches too.
I honestly love Seiko's design language (and the fact that they drill their lugs) but god they're such a bad deal nowadays
keep buying cheap chinese knockoffs boy
@@OHJAJOH I mean, I didn’t need your permission, but thanks sailor
@@OHJAJOHidiotic post 🤡
Hello, good afternoon and welcome to the show,
Super awesome video, I’ve been waiting for this one .
The NINJA!
Great review, Jody. What scooter do you have?
If its like a Monster combined with a Samurai, and Godzilla is the king of the monsters, this could be a Godzurai.
You could just call it _Godzilla_
Great video, very accurate analysis. In my 4.5 years in the game as a watch collector and enthusiast, I collected a lot from MaMaCoo I was thinking I was able to get a blue SD but I'm not vip enough, but I'm not giving up. Hehe. Great video.
I think it's a very handsome watch. And I like the red. But, would I buy it? Probably not. I may be suffering from "diver fatigue".
That side profile is beautiful!
i just picked up a san martin white dial GMT, kind of tudor bb pro, and it's spoiled me. amazing what you can get for so little money. unfortunately this seiko can't compete
amzwatch You are so well-informed about luxury watches. You've obviously done your due diligence and the comparison to the US is very informative...because of course, I live in New York. thank you very much
I was super hyped for this..... then I saw the new red dial tsuyosa in plain stainless steel at my old work place.... glad I saved some money lolll and got a nice looking dial
name's red bullet for me, those are actual bullets on the hour markings lol
Or milk bottle 🍼? 😂
Red rocket?
@@jouwenlee7829 lmao i cant unsee this now
3,6&9 look like crayons 😅
@@bobmeur 😂 I recently bought the ‘living fossil’ Citizen Promaster Diver NY0084. It has milk bottles at 6 & 9 o’clock positions. On top of that, it also has the bonus - baby diaper / underpants at 12 o’clock. As a father of 2, I am wearing it with pride. 🤣
That clasp has been around for a long time. It appears to be the same one as on my Gen 1 Monster, which still works fine some 15 years on.
I bought an orient KAMASU for $165 US dollars when it was on sale. That dive watch comes with a sapphire crystal.
I am so happy I got an Alpinist SARB017 back in 2017. Seiko prices seem crazy nowadays. No sapphire and not made in Japan at that price?! Beautiful watch though.
2 minutes in and I wanna know what’s on your wrist more than what’s in the box
Come here to say the same thing
Isn’t it the Sugess chrono Jody bought from AliExpress?
Yes I was curious about that watch to, the strap looked interesting
I love Samurais. Have several. I do like the slight shift in design, and if you're going to do a date at 4:30 having the text oriented this way is definitely the best way to go. Having said all that it's underwhelming. And it is primarily because of all the other features that are endemic to this tier of Seiko: the Hardlex, the cheap clasp on what isn't really a bad bracelet otherwise, the plebeian 4R35. Seiko is just softballing it in with this one, and I'd rather spend my money on something with more pizazz. Cheers!
The hands, imho, are absolutely offensive. With a base movement, dull dial and no sapphire. Even at 600 this one gets a very hard pass. There is a plethora exquisite microbrands to choose from housing the NH35, which does happen to be a solid movement.
Something between a Samurai and a Shogun? The Daimyo!
Guys, the Seiko Daimyo is right there…
Yep, that's what I thought the 1st time I saw it weeks ago
Yes that’s it
I don’t know what you mean. Daimyo? What’s that word?
@@tezzanewtonit means a warlord in Japanese. Daimyo fought amongsth themselves to become Shogun.
@@dimasakbar7668 ok fair enough. Thanks mate.
The red bazel is amazing. The only thing that I’m not digest in last Seiko releases is the date at 4:30.
With a date window that small, why bother?
Seiko’s in-house design language almost always includes a minimum date complication.
Samurai case and crown, Sea-Urchin bezel insert, Sea dweller chapter ring, projectile hour markers, no-idea hands, 20 mm lugs.
What's not to hate?
Sounds like an HP Lovecraft monstrosity.
Seiko Nyarlathotep, anyone? It just roll with the tongue 😂
@@jorge23483 _"Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn!"_
Then you should have heard him a few videos back when he had a sore throat!
;)
The date is upright even though it is at 4:30. Nice touch there Seiko. Next time please make the digit bigger (no cyclops), and color match with the dial.
looks like USD60~80 worth diver watch from the AliE.
The 80 USD diver from AliExpress comes with a sapphire crystal, though. 😂
@L233233 that is why I mentioned $60 ones as well lol.
@@L233233plus a milled clasp and a fully lumed ceramic bezel.
I find this watch to be beautiful 🤩. The Samurai and Shogun by themselves I don’t find as attracted to as this one. The dimensions seem pretty spot on to me. But for that price, I would expect at least sapphire crystal and a better bracelet.
Looks great
I like the colour and the overall design. But that clasp and a mineral crystal for that money naahhh
I did a conversion of 600 Aussi dollars to USD = 405.00 USD. I think that is still too much for a crappy bracelet and hardlex crystal. Should be saphire for that price. But inflation is really bad here so I don't know if it is a good price or not. I would not pay that much for it but that is just me.
Japanese yen is very weak just now. 100 yen is just over US$0.62, and I remember when treating yen as cents was a decent approximation. But despite the weak yen it’s still expensive.
@@markiangooley I used to love Seiko watches maybe 20 years ago. I still have a couple of Seiko 5s that I got for less than 75 dollars. I will admit the bracelets were junk and one micro adjust so it would be too big or too small but for the price they were selling them, it was not hard to replace the bracelet with a better one. Back then SKX 007 was 169.00 shipped. The Padi was 250.00 shipped. My first Seiko watch was a gift from my Grandmother when I turned 16 in 1981. It was LCD digital with 5 lines of text. I remember how much I loved it. Now most Seiko watches are just too much money.
@@scottsj4625
That was 20 years ago for crying out loud. Only 22 years ago I paid £2000 for my Omega Speedmaster professional.
And $405 US is $520 Canadian 😮
@@scottsj4625
Are you saying that Seiko should still be charging 90s prices in the 21st century 😳
I liked the date magnifier on the King Samurai but like the new hands better as they reach all the way to the hour marker. It was easy to mistake the hour time in the dark or low light on my King Samurai white dial so I sold it.
As for the name I think we should call it "Daimyo" since that position is in-between shogun and samurai. Sounds way better than "shog-urai" imo.
I think Seiko finally got the alignment right on this one eh? 😂😉
The Samugun
😂😂😂 like that one!
For Gods sake Jody , I didnt know I needed a red diver but now theres a new itch to scratch
There is a red Orient Kamasu that is a way better deal.
@@clintonleonard5187beat me to it. Fkin beauty timepiece
Even better would be the red Direnzo Eciipse😉
Orient Kamasu or Oris Aquis Cherry both 10x better
I like this red one, though overall the model line is a little underwhelming. I love the size adjustments for sure. I might consider getting this red one (at a discount, naturally) at some point. I really don't have a watch in my collection in that color range and it might be fun once in a while. There may not be a lot of buzz, but the number of views in 1 day shows there is interest.
the san martin version will be in a league of its own
Now that I have to agree with nothing like a Chinese knock off with the same movement
@@Dirtywesterner that's built way better
And it will have sapphire
Seiko doesn’t make the best Seikos these days.
@@numberstation Lol! Well said!
This watch looks interesting. Maybe I'll get one soon for my own lume comparison video. 😁🤙
Now that I've experienced Helm, San Martin, Proxima, Signum and Orient I don't think there's any reason for me to choose this.
It cost a FORTUNE to get Seiko to put an S on the crown of my $379.00 Sarb 017…………..and Sapphire too…..$379.00 at Amazon. I put a jubilee on it and it remains in regular rotation. Yeah, good ol’ Seiko….:-( Thanks Jody. Extra nuanced review. Excellent! Thanks
Dont ask my why but It left me cold...i prefer the light bright red of a promaster eco-drive
Mini Samurai will do. I think Seiko are testing the market with this offering and if successful they might do 'King' versions with sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel insert.
That’s a pretty underwhelming watch for $950, or even $600. Seiko is getting a little too proud of themselves these days. Hardlex, and a Malaysian movement? No thanks.
There was a red Samurai euro only special edition "Shu-Iro" that I saw in a shop in Greece last year and I still regret not buying. This is really nice, and the dimensions are definitely much more manageable. The thickness is great. But, pressed clasp and hardlex for that money? Just criminal. You can get an Ali Express diver with better specs, an NH35, and drop a Seiko dial in it for a quarter of that money and you've got a better watch. Madness from Seiko. And that's speaking as someone who did pay RRP for an SPB297J1....
Just a silly price. If this was an Aragon it would have Sapphire and be less than 300 AUD. I only buy real JDM Seiko’s….. I see no point in a Chinese built watch with a Malaysian movement at the prices they want.
I've recently began my obsession as a watch collector. And i must say- out of all the luxury brands I've been researching, for me the amzwatch's watches are the most intriguing.
Pass. Looks like an Orient Sport Kamasu Mako III.
Love the color, size, and dial/case design. Can forgive the unsigned crown and date window. Cheap clasp is a concern. Hardlex at this price is a deal breaker.
Really like this one and the colourway 😊
Mineral crystal, aluminum bezel insert, no real bezel to grab, I've had it with Seiko ProSpex regurgitated offerings.
I think it looks great but I will purchase my first Black Bay Tudor this fall with the red bezel on a jubilee bracelet to mark the end of my master's program. Thanks Jodie!
I think Baby Samurai is a good name for it. The burgundy colored bezel reminds me of the Tudor Black Bay.
Just FYI - my black one purchased in Japan has “Made in Japan” inscribed on the caseback, so they do exist already!
Simple... The "Ronin"
Ronin is a Japanese term that can be translated to 'wave man. ' Ro means wave, and nin means man or person. The term was used to describe the masterless samurai who were constantly in flux and floating, like a wave
Got to say ideal for a Japanese dive watch👍🏻
Any royalties would be appreciated or a free watch as i cant actually afford one and am sporting an early Marlin.
The problem is, from a cultural standpoint, the term “ronin” may be “cool” in Western culture, but in Japanese culture it has the sense of “drifter” or “homeless person”. Not exactly appealing terms for a marketer.
One of the reasons the original Samurai got its nickname is because the original had been advertised on TV appearing on the arm of an armored Samurai underwater. The ad got associated with the watch (and future iterations), hence the nickname.
Seiko models tend to derive their nicknames from buyers, not marketers. One will eventually sprout, but not necessarily the one that Seiko marketing will have in mind. (Personally, I prefer the Santoku as a nickname.)
Samurai meets monster. Beautiful watch
Nice find and review. I like the burgundy. But yes that he hand is homely and out of place.
Nice review. Watch needs sapphire crystal & color matched date wheel - or a white date wheel would have at least matched the indices.
Can you please share the link for the reseller you bought it from?
It reminds me of my Helm Miyako. I know it's not a 3d dial, but the date window and batons are close as well as the case profile, maybe? I want that hour hand for the Samurai Mod build I'm working on!
Hi Jody,
Being a fellow Aussie,
You should seriously review the adina underground mining watch. Its my favourite watch and i have tons of seikos aliexpress watches etc. Im in QLD and Adina watches are really popular here and in WA. The countrymaster range is really popular but they make a underground 100m watch which heaps of tradies wear.
I see the Samurai in the watch, being an owner of a Gen 2. The cost is crazy !!
That’s a good looking watch!!
I have one of these on order at my local shop. It looks gorgeous, and at 400USD, it's a fair price for what you get, certainly not great value at full rrp though. Thanks for the review, I'm very excited to get mine