I don’t know how many Seiko watches i have had to take the bezel off and put it back on in the correct position. It is annoying to pay more than 500 dollars for a watch and have to repair it to make it usable. If it is a chapter ring forget about it. Way too much work.
I was excited when I ordered a Tudor BB GMT a couple of years ago. I ordered it from a Tudor AD but online because I have no AD near me. When it arrived, I took the watch out of the box, it was adjusted for my wrist size and everything, I put the on my wrist and the first thing I noticed the misalignment of the 12 o'clock triangle. Then I looked again and examined the rest of the indexes, the 6 o'clock was also misaligned. Both of the indexes weren't centered properly in between the printed minutes track. I immediately took the watch off and I called the AD to request a refund. I was very disappointed because I really liked the BB GMT and at that time, I had to waite a couple of months for it when it was in high demand. I was also disappointed with the AD due to the fact they didn't check or detect the misalignment before shipping the watch to me.
That was a fun and diverse list! What I regretted getting were some watches where the time was not very legible. I (still) have this issue with a silvery dial and steel hands and I also had it with a G-Shock that I sold which had a negative (digital) display. I would never get a negative display again and I don't know why they keep getting made. I would also advise anyone who likes to switch between watches to avoid getting a traveler's GMT because setting them takes a lot of work on most days. I am sometimes even annoyed by needing to set the day, that's how lazy I am. There are also "novelty" watches where the novelty may wear off fast, especially if the type of watch is not what you usually wear. I would advise to not give in to a buying impulse too soon in this case.
Why do the guys at Seiko seem so hell bent on flushing their once good name down the toilet? The various watches that I have from Tissot, Hamilton, Longines etc, do not suffer from QC issues. Nor for that matter, does my plastic Casio that was purchased for £15. God knows, Seiko needs to get a grip.
Re: Panerai. I disagree. On a 6” wrist, for example, a 40mm or 42mm Panerai wears proportionately large and bold. If you have a 7.5” wrist, you’d go for a 44mm or greater to maintain a bold presence. Fitting a watch is like fitting a shirt, the correct size is relative to your personal dimensions.
I think the smaller Panerai platform is a great way to go for the brand. Buying large watches merely because of the history of the brand and having bad wearing experience just doesn't make sense.
100% agree with this video. Also, super clones of Rolex, Panerai, AP, etc are so freaking good, I always wonder how much of Instagram are of these phony watches. I'll bet you the number is high, like 90%
I agree about Seiko, but it kinda adds character and an ongoing joke within the community. I don’t think a real Seiko fan would be upset if that bought one second hand with a misaligned bezel. In fact they’d probably have a triple heart bypass if it didn’t turn up without a QC issue lmfao! 😂
I was attracted to solar watches when I first started my collection, they suck if you don’t wear them semi regularly. It is annoying to charge whenever I want to wear. Non solar quartz are underrated
The thing about the Seiko Monster: how many other watches have a rotating bezel without using an insert? The only way to align it is the machining on the back side or the bezel spring.
7:52 well... this is a very well know thing with Seiko. Now, it was know/accepted issue when I got Gen1 Monster back in 2010 for $179... but totally different story for the $400 latest generation Monster :(. Better get the Islander version, cheaper and better executed.
mate, I love your videos but that you should only buy a large Panerai is complete BS to me, sorry. With Panerai it is all about the design and the 40mm has it as well. I love it. Also, I have a 1957 Longines for $400 with the original movement which runs at +2 secs a day!
I disagree with the skeleton watch perspective. Sure it needs to be a minimal watch without any bling though. Mine is a Bulova 98A113 automatic-mechanical, self winding 21 jewel that I bought in 2009. By far it’s my most complimented watch. I do agree about the GMT watch, especially the screw down crown. I just don’t have the time or patience to determine if it’s within the correct time of day to set the damn thing, let alone pulling out once, then twice, clockwise vs counter clockwise. Then the annoying press and screw, worrying about stripping it. Too much hassle. New subscriber here👌🏾
Good list of sucky watches, brands. Been looking at a an older Rolex . Think it was a 10460? Really appeals to me, but the price.,........ I have other divers at half the cost that are better quality. I have boxes of Seiko divers. Almost all have aligned bezels, good quality. Why? They are almost all JDM direct from Japan. There appears to be a difference between JDM, and exports.
I totaled agree on Seiko and manual wind with screw down crown. I stopped buying Seiko because of their poor QC on alignment. I did buy a Citizen NY0040 lume dial diver instead. Also I refused to consider a few watches that I liked because of manual wind and scratch down crown.
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 MAMACOO's watches are the most intriguing.
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 MAMACOO's watches are the most intriguing.
Thanks for the video that speaks of my mind, in addition, my thoughts all the mechanical watches are such as the heavy weight of them if they are not made with titanium. My favourite watch is a thin, light that only shows time and under 38mm diameter with reasonable accuracy by quartz movement.
Great discussion Chris. As a guy with nearly 80 vintage watches (mostly serviced Seiko chronographs) I would argue that they are as reliable as any of my newer watches even at 50 years old in some cases. But a Bulova Accutron is a different story. And it’s true that I would never use a vintage diver to actually dive. So it depends on the vintage watch and its original purpose.
1) Spot on! 2) Use gems from God himself and me 3) Rolex earns too much to care; and maybe that's fine, but sometimes this behavior leads to legalized fraud, which basically originates from Rolex that legalizes discontent, which is the opposite of cool; same goes for RM (designs of which I don't like; soap cans! an nothing special about what's inside), and there are so little really cool-looking Seikos from after the 80s, incl. GS 4) UGH yess, hair 5) same goes for all Swatch's straps, bezels, etc. - not for generations; for years 6) yeah
Re vintage watches: yes they are more delicate and not as resilient as modern watches, but if you dig the style I think they can be well worth it. Also, can I just point out that any device you don't maintain is going to break down? I think a lot of vintage watches that have been running 50 years after the last service don't get the praise they deserve for the absolute Rock solid reliable machines they are. Try not doing any maintenance on a car for 50 years and see what happens. The first year will be great the rest of the 49 while it rusts in the scrap yard will not. Watches are really amazing machines, I'm at they can go 5-10 years between services is just astounding considering that they have to keep an accuracy of 5/10,000 of a percent. For most affordable vintage watches a service will not make financial sense if you intend to flip it. But for anything that you are wearing and using on the regular? The price of a service even if it ends up costing nearly as much as the watch itself is going to greatly increase your enjoyment of said watch.
Pretty much agree with all of this. An exception would be a hand wound watch where a screw down crown is necessary for water resistance. And I would add for Seiko watches (of which I have several) that the accuracy is generally terrible because their movements tend to have really low amplitude. And heaven forbid they should give you a 4Hz movement for under $3,000.
Misaligned bezels often can be fixed by adjusting the leaf spring. Still no excuse for selling a watch with poor QC, but no need to live with the problem if you’re willing to try a tweak. Especially if you love a certain model.
Also I think I would be hard-pressed to find a watchmaker who would ever recommend that you shower with your watch on. Water exposure even deep water exposure is fine but steam has a way of sneaking past seals that are otherwise completely tight. I shower with some of mine, especially if I have had a sweaty or dirty time outside and the watch needs a bath as much as I do, but I do it with full knowledge of the fact that I am taking a big risk and the skills to fix it myself if something happens.
I avoid Rolex because they are the aspirational brand of Mr. Big Hat No Cattle, which is a big reason why counterfeit watches posing as Rolex are so prevalent. I have one Seiko, which happens to be a diver and which of course has the misaligned bezel, as if they try to not get it right. They have really lost their QC, and their sensible price point. I would stay away from their stock
A screw down crown on a manual wind watch is a good mention. I will extend that to include automatic watches as well since watch enthusiasts have many watches and we generally let the automatic ones just wind down. Then we manually wind them when we want wear them.
I had to exchange 2 new monsters before I settled on the third. Srpd27 black on rubber, first two were horribly misaligned bezels. Third one I kept, has a slightly crooked candy bar date magnifier but perfect bezel alignment. Sad that if you like Seiko, you have to accept the flaws.
I am 8 for 8 on Seiko with no misaligned bezels. I own Omegas and a submariner on order. If I am in a high crime area, I have a carry permit, and all my watches are insured. I have two skeleton watches, but they are both tastefully done. I had to have the hands switched out on one of them to actually tell the time. Well done, video Chris, because you have many valid points!
That is why I would rather just wear a Tissot or Hamilton because nobody would want to steal some cheap Swiss watch. I have multiple Seiko watches and I don't notice any misaligned bezels. The biggest problem people usually have with Seiko automatics is their movements which aren't always very accurate. The Seiko Alpinist is a great cheaper alternative to Rolex Explorer except that 6R15 movement isn't that great. If I don't wear the watch everyday eventually the watch can be running 3-5 minutes slow and then I have to reset the time.
Yes agree they are pretty reliable. However, I've even run into problems with some vintage Seiko in the past. It all depends on how the person who owned it before you took care of them...
I owned a Submariner in the 1980’s. I eventually got rid of it. Three years ago ago I bought a Invicta two tone blue battery Quartz for $49.00. After 3 years it still looks good and keeps great time. I really like it. Most of my watches are Vintage mechanical Omega watches from 1934 to 1973. I have done very well with Omega watches.
I wear my Blancpain x Swatch every day and it’s been great. I did swap the strap. I also have two dozen Swiss Made mechanical watches with screw down crowns and they’re all fine. You have to take an extra moment to properly thread the crown, but I don’t find it to be an issue. The watches I have found to suck are my Seikos. All my bezels align perfectly but the movements inside feel like a toy. Same goes for my Blancpain X Swatch too, It’s basically a super overpriced little toy watch… But for some reason I still love it! It’s the only Blancpain Fifty Fathoms I can afford at this time. Lol
I’ve lucked out so much with Seiko dive watches. Whether I’ve bought them on Amazon, Joma or my local AD, they’ve all been perfectly aligned. My movements have also had scary good regulation. That said, some of the lume plots/pips on my Sarb017 are slightly off and the rest of my life is a total mess.
I work in a jewelry store and I can confirm that most of the rolexes we get in are fake. Some of them are hilariously fake and some of them are pretty close. Come in three general flavors: You can tell it's fake from 10 ft away You can tell it's fake once you pick it up You can tell it's fake if you open it up Haven't seen a super fake yet but I'm waiting. I dislike the idea of owning a Rolex for the very same reason. I know this I don't want every question I get to be about how much money I make and whether or not it's real. I have an Omega because only really watch nerds are going to know what an Omega is.
Imagine getting robbed for a Pagani Design Submariner. 😅. Thanks for the interesting and entertaining list!
QC is absolutely an issue with Seiko. But that’s ok because microbrands and Citizen are here to take their business. 😅
Exactly!!
Facts!
Yuck (most) microbrands.
Citizen is good though
I don’t know how many Seiko watches i have had to take the bezel off and put it back on in the correct position. It is annoying to pay more than 500 dollars for a watch and have to repair it to make it usable. If it is a chapter ring forget about it. Way too much work.
What if this is Seiko's calling card to know that it's genuine ? Like the cyclops on a Rolex or the Omega horseshoe on the crystal?
I was excited when I ordered a Tudor BB GMT a couple of years ago. I ordered it from a Tudor AD but online because I have no AD near me. When it arrived, I took the watch out of the box, it was adjusted for my wrist size and everything, I put the on my wrist and the first thing I noticed the misalignment of the 12 o'clock triangle. Then I looked again and examined the rest of the indexes, the 6 o'clock was also misaligned. Both of the indexes weren't centered properly in between the printed minutes track. I immediately took the watch off and I called the AD to request a refund. I was very disappointed because I really liked the BB GMT and at that time, I had to waite a couple of months for it when it was in high demand. I was also disappointed with the AD due to the fact they didn't check or detect the misalignment before shipping the watch to me.
That was a fun and diverse list! What I regretted getting were some watches where the time was not very legible. I (still) have this issue with a silvery dial and steel hands and I also had it with a G-Shock that I sold which had a negative (digital) display. I would never get a negative display again and I don't know why they keep getting made.
I would also advise anyone who likes to switch between watches to avoid getting a traveler's GMT because setting them takes a lot of work on most days. I am sometimes even annoyed by needing to set the day, that's how lazy I am.
There are also "novelty" watches where the novelty may wear off fast, especially if the type of watch is not what you usually wear. I would advise to not give in to a buying impulse too soon in this case.
I own several Seiko watches, and I’ve never had a QC issue….i must be lucky…
@@aubsta1 yes you are!!! Im not unfortunately lol
@@WatchChris LOL
Why do the guys at Seiko seem so hell bent on flushing their once good name down the toilet? The various watches that I have from Tissot, Hamilton, Longines etc, do not suffer from QC issues. Nor for that matter, does my plastic Casio that was purchased for £15. God knows, Seiko needs to get a grip.
They dgaf
Bloody American pronunciation!
Graham pronunciation = Gray-ham.
Re: Panerai. I disagree. On a 6” wrist, for example, a 40mm or 42mm Panerai wears proportionately large and bold. If you have a 7.5” wrist, you’d go for a 44mm or greater to maintain a bold presence. Fitting a watch is like fitting a shirt, the correct size is relative to your personal dimensions.
I think the smaller Panerai platform is a great way to go for the brand. Buying large watches merely because of the history of the brand and having bad wearing experience just doesn't make sense.
Pretty solid list. I've heard the Speedmaster sucks to own - manual wind and the crown is not exactly easy to grip. Probably a theft magnet too.
100% agree with this video. Also, super clones of Rolex, Panerai, AP, etc are so freaking good, I always wonder how much of Instagram are of these phony watches. I'll bet you the number is high, like 90%
For the majority of those people a lie is just as good as the truth as long as it's believed.
I just wear a Steeldive SD1953 instead of a Rolex Sub and call it a day. Not that I would spend that kind of money on a Rolex. 😂Great video.
What's odd is that all 8 of my Seikos don't have misaligned bezels. Maybe I got lucky, who knows.
That’s a fake, lol
13:02 Yes. Right! As a vintage watch enthusiast, I’m all for others to stop buying them up. ;)
I agree about Seiko, but it kinda adds character and an ongoing joke within the community. I don’t think a real Seiko fan would be upset if that bought one second hand with a misaligned bezel. In fact they’d probably have a triple heart bypass if it didn’t turn up without a QC issue lmfao! 😂
It’s a feature! 😂
😂
I was attracted to solar watches when I first started my collection, they suck if you don’t wear them semi regularly. It is annoying to charge whenever I want to wear. Non solar quartz are underrated
Pam 243 submersible is the dogs danglers sir.
Lol
The thing about the Seiko Monster: how many other watches have a rotating bezel without using an insert? The only way to align it is the machining on the back side or the bezel spring.
7:52 well... this is a very well know thing with Seiko. Now, it was know/accepted issue when I got Gen1 Monster back in 2010 for $179... but totally different story for the $400 latest generation Monster :(. Better get the Islander version, cheaper and better executed.
mate, I love your videos but that you should only buy a large Panerai is complete BS to me, sorry. With Panerai it is all about the design and the 40mm has it as well. I love it. Also, I have a 1957 Longines for $400 with the original movement which runs at +2 secs a day!
I disagree with the skeleton watch perspective. Sure it needs to be a minimal watch without any bling though. Mine is a Bulova 98A113 automatic-mechanical, self winding 21 jewel that I bought in 2009. By far it’s my most complimented watch. I do agree about the GMT watch, especially the screw down crown. I just don’t have the time or patience to determine if it’s within the correct time of day to set the damn thing, let alone pulling out once, then twice, clockwise vs counter clockwise. Then the annoying press and screw, worrying about stripping it. Too much hassle. New subscriber here👌🏾
Good list of sucky watches, brands. Been looking at a an older Rolex . Think it was a 10460? Really appeals to me, but the price.,........
I have other divers at half the cost that are better quality.
I have boxes of Seiko divers. Almost all have aligned bezels, good quality. Why? They are almost all JDM direct from Japan. There appears to be a difference between JDM, and exports.
I totaled agree on Seiko and manual wind with screw down crown. I stopped buying Seiko because of their poor QC on alignment. I did buy a Citizen NY0040 lume dial diver instead. Also I refused to consider a few watches that I liked because of manual wind and scratch down crown.
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 MAMACOO's watches are the most intriguing.
I'm genuinely impressed with how close MAMACOO were able to replicate every aspect of this very very goofy looking classic watch.
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 MAMACOO's watches are the most intriguing.
Something different to think about, enjoyed that throughly. Thanks, Chris.
Thanks for the video that speaks of my mind, in addition, my thoughts all the mechanical watches are such as the heavy weight of them if they are not made with titanium.
My favourite watch is a thin, light that only shows time and under 38mm diameter with reasonable accuracy by quartz movement.
Great discussion Chris. As a guy with nearly 80 vintage watches (mostly serviced Seiko chronographs) I would argue that they are as reliable as any of my newer watches even at 50 years old in some cases. But a Bulova Accutron is a different story. And it’s true that I would never use a vintage diver to actually dive. So it depends on the vintage watch and its original purpose.
I would say it sucks to own affordable mechanical watches. Most people will not spend $200 to get the watch serviced, making it a paperweight.
1) Spot on! 2) Use gems from God himself and me 3) Rolex earns too much to care; and maybe that's fine, but sometimes this behavior leads to legalized fraud, which basically originates from Rolex that legalizes discontent, which is the opposite of cool; same goes for RM (designs of which I don't like; soap cans! an nothing special about what's inside), and there are so little really cool-looking Seikos from after the 80s, incl. GS 4) UGH yess, hair 5) same goes for all Swatch's straps, bezels, etc. - not for generations; for years 6) yeah
Re vintage watches: yes they are more delicate and not as resilient as modern watches, but if you dig the style I think they can be well worth it.
Also, can I just point out that any device you don't maintain is going to break down? I think a lot of vintage watches that have been running 50 years after the last service don't get the praise they deserve for the absolute Rock solid reliable machines they are. Try not doing any maintenance on a car for 50 years and see what happens. The first year will be great the rest of the 49 while it rusts in the scrap yard will not.
Watches are really amazing machines, I'm at they can go 5-10 years between services is just astounding considering that they have to keep an accuracy of 5/10,000 of a percent.
For most affordable vintage watches a service will not make financial sense if you intend to flip it. But for anything that you are wearing and using on the regular? The price of a service even if it ends up costing nearly as much as the watch itself is going to greatly increase your enjoyment of said watch.
Pretty much agree with all of this. An exception would be a hand wound watch where a screw down crown is necessary for water resistance. And I would add for Seiko watches (of which I have several) that the accuracy is generally terrible because their movements tend to have really low amplitude. And heaven forbid they should give you a 4Hz movement for under $3,000.
Misaligned bezels often can be fixed by adjusting the leaf spring. Still no excuse for selling a watch with poor QC, but no need to live with the problem if you’re willing to try a tweak. Especially if you love a certain model.
Also I think I would be hard-pressed to find a watchmaker who would ever recommend that you shower with your watch on. Water exposure even deep water exposure is fine but steam has a way of sneaking past seals that are otherwise completely tight. I shower with some of mine, especially if I have had a sweaty or dirty time outside and the watch needs a bath as much as I do, but I do it with full knowledge of the fact that I am taking a big risk and the skills to fix it myself if something happens.
Agree the best way to make a watch look cheap is to skeletonize it. Screams "gimmick". A transparent luxury car would look just as bad.
I avoid Rolex because they are the aspirational brand of Mr. Big Hat No Cattle, which is a big reason why counterfeit watches posing as Rolex are so prevalent. I have one Seiko, which happens to be a diver and which of course has the misaligned bezel, as if they try to not get it right. They have really lost their QC, and their sensible price point. I would stay away from their stock
I believe no man can say no to AMZWATCH's watches
that Timex bracelet murders my arm hairs, definitely regretted not getting a version with a different bracelet
Quality with Timex is a constant issue, making them something I won't even give a second look.
6:47 Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both had their RM stolen at some point 🫥
🔥
Bezels can be realigned. The store surely could’ve done it for you right there and then.
I’ll be honest it takes me too long to figure out what time it is on a skeletonized watch.
A screw down crown on a manual wind watch is a good mention. I will extend that to include automatic watches as well since watch enthusiasts have many watches and we generally let the automatic ones just wind down. Then we manually wind them when we want wear them.
I think i might have a watch stolen than a misagned bezel. It is then the thief's cross to bare!
Yakhi I couldn't agree more
I agree on Rolex in major cities. I sold mine just for that reason.
I had to exchange 2 new monsters before I settled on the third. Srpd27 black on rubber, first two were horribly misaligned bezels. Third one I kept, has a slightly crooked candy bar date magnifier but perfect bezel alignment. Sad that if you like Seiko, you have to accept the flaws.
Total agree with Rolex, I’m afraid to wear it cuz the high crime rate
I am 8 for 8 on Seiko with no misaligned bezels. I own Omegas and a submariner on order. If I am in a high crime area, I have a carry permit, and all my watches are insured. I have two skeleton watches, but they are both tastefully done. I had to have the hands switched out on one of them to actually tell the time. Well done, video Chris, because you have many valid points!
That is why I would rather just wear a Tissot or Hamilton because nobody would want to steal some cheap Swiss watch. I have multiple Seiko watches and I don't notice any misaligned bezels. The biggest problem people usually have with Seiko automatics is their movements which aren't always very accurate. The Seiko Alpinist is a great cheaper alternative to Rolex Explorer except that 6R15 movement isn't that great. If I don't wear the watch everyday eventually the watch can be running 3-5 minutes slow and then I have to reset the time.
Totally agreed with you Chris.
I like those Panerai VanGoghs.
Very entertaining and informative video.
Thank you for the info!
Great video!
Great content!
That's a lot of howevers
Thanks Chris 👍
Stick to vintage 70s seiko you can’t go wrong ❤
Yes agree they are pretty reliable. However, I've even run into problems with some vintage Seiko in the past. It all depends on how the person who owned it before you took care of them...
I owned a Submariner in the 1980’s. I eventually got rid of it. Three years ago ago I bought a Invicta two tone blue battery Quartz for $49.00.
After 3 years it still looks good and keeps great time. I really like it. Most of my watches are Vintage mechanical Omega watches from 1934 to
1973. I have done very well with Omega watches.
better wear the knockoffs when visiting the peoples republic of NYC & LA
I wear my Blancpain x Swatch every day and it’s been great. I did swap the strap.
I also have two dozen Swiss Made mechanical watches with screw down crowns and they’re all fine. You have to take an extra moment to properly thread the crown, but I don’t find it to be an issue.
The watches I have found to suck are my Seikos. All my bezels align perfectly but the movements inside feel like a toy.
Same goes for my Blancpain X Swatch too,
It’s basically a super overpriced little toy watch… But for some reason I still love it! It’s the only Blancpain Fifty Fathoms I can afford at this time. Lol
I owned a real Invicta watch.
good remarks 💁🇩🇪
Thank you 👍
I’ve lucked out so much with Seiko dive watches. Whether I’ve bought them on Amazon, Joma or my local AD, they’ve all been perfectly aligned. My movements have also had scary good regulation. That said, some of the lume plots/pips on my Sarb017 are slightly off and the rest of my life is a total mess.
I’m Brown so the assumption my Submariner is fake is very high. 😂😂😂
I work in a jewelry store and I can confirm that most of the rolexes we get in are fake. Some of them are hilariously fake and some of them are pretty close. Come in three general flavors:
You can tell it's fake from 10 ft away
You can tell it's fake once you pick it up
You can tell it's fake if you open it up
Haven't seen a super fake yet but I'm waiting.
I dislike the idea of owning a Rolex for the very same reason. I know this I don't want every question I get to be about how much money I make and whether or not it's real. I have an Omega because only really watch nerds are going to know what an Omega is.
I own the Tissot T-Complication Sequelette, it’s the best looking skeleton.