Is SEIKO just another glorified INVICTA?

[RolexDivers]

Hi folks,

I used tohave lots of respect for SEIKO as a pound per poud the best bang for your buck -- good mass produced, watches for the masses ....as far as value is concerned, the respect still stands but as a company, I rate them no higher than INVICTA when it comes to lack of originality.

I am also seeing that like INVICTA's habit of blatantly copying ROLEX designs, SEIKO is no less. Just look around and you will find thousands of examples where SEIKO has copied ROLEX designs.

SEIKOSs and INVICTAs make for good beater watches and good value but both are guilty of copying ROLEX designs.

Not trying to start a flame war here but I do not see ROLEX copying anyone's designs ...(except for the hodtorical 50fathoms thing with the submariner but that was long time ago).

OR

Maybe watches are such a small thing that there is not much you can do to them without looking like someone else's design???

I am not sure but definitely I do not rank SEIKO as high as I used to.

thank you

[swils8610]

Seiko was always a good quality watch for the money IMHO. It seems like most watch companies in the non-luxury market are copying someone. I've never owned an Invicta so I can't speak to quality. I see them on TV regularly so in would believe they are low quality. Citizen Eco drive wracked seem like good bang for your buck.


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[GradyPhilpott]

Don't even speak the names Seiko and Invicta in the same breath.

Seiko has a long and storied history in watchmaking and makes some of the finest watches ever made.

[Wesley Crusher]

I like Seiko very much and would be proud to wear one. They make fine watches. I would love to get my hands on a Grand Seiko.

Invicta ranks very low on my list. I think they build cheap, ugly watches. I hate how the company pretends to be something that it's not and how the MRSP of all of their watches are 1000% more than the "sale price" (funny how Invictas are always on sale). I would never wear or own an Invicta. I'd rather not wear a watch. You couldn't pay me to wear one.

[rbl]

Originally Posted by wesley crusher

i like seiko very much and would be proud to wear one. They make fine watches. I would love to get my hands on a grand seiko.

Invicta ranks very low on my list. I think they build cheap, ugly watches. I hate how the company pretends to be something that it's not and how the mrsp of all of their watches are 1000% more than the "sale price" (funny how invictas are always on sale). I would never wear or own an invicta. I'd rather not wear a watch. You couldn't pay me to wear one.

+1

[GoodThings]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

I like Seiko very much and would be proud to wear one. They make fine watches. I would love to get my hands on a Grand Seiko.

Invicta ranks very low on my list. I think they build cheap, ugly watches. I hate how the company pretends to be something that it's not and how the MRSP of all of their watches are 1000% more than the "sale price" (funny how Invictas are always on sale). I would never wear or own an Invicta. I'd rather not wear a watch. You couldn't pay me to wear one.

I looked at an Invicta diver at Sam's Club. I screwed out the crown to wind it and could not screw the crown back in without cross threading it. Low quality in my opinion. I would not buy it because it looks like a copycat of Rolex and I do not want a copycat.

The seiko watches on amazon do not look like Rolex to me. They all have a day and date window, no magnification, and bezels look different than Rolex.

[daveathall]

I respectfully disagree, TBH, a watch has a round face with 12 numbers on it, if one looks hard enough, one is bound to see something similar in design to any other makers watch. I don't think that Seiko try or desire to make their watches look like any other make, they simply don't need to.

They do make stunning watches to fit any pocket value, just look at a monster or Grand Seiko, both, absolutely stunning.

[salty_snack]

They are not even remotely similar companies.

[East Bay Rider]

No. I don't agree at all.

[Amez]

Seiko has a lot of history. Invicta is Invicta. Not even a remotely close comparison.

[SaddleSC]

Seiko and Invicta are not even remotely in the same league.
Seiko is far superior in just about every way. Not to mention Grand Seiko which are true works of art.

[T. Ferguson]

You need to bone up a little on Seiko and its heritage in watchmaking.

Do some light research on the kinetic and spring drives innovated by Seiko for example, and then tell us they have no more creativity than Invicta.

And don't even get me started on the difference in fit, finish, and attention to detail. Invicta is not even close. And the Grand Seiko is second to almost none but the highest of the high end.

[powerfunk]

Indeed, many Seiko designs are obviously influenced by other watches. But no, that does not make them Invicta.

[Andrés G]

Originally Posted by east bay rider

no. I don't agree at all.

+1.

[threemonkeys]

I don't have an opinion on the more common Seikos. The Grand Seiko, however, is an amazing watch that can out perform Rolex in several categories. And the GS is in a different league than Invicta.

[Presa canary]

This is obviously a joke...

[Laszlo]

Must be pulling our legs. Seiko watches are great.

[Lucky777]

I am going to respectfully disagree with you on this one.

[RolexDivers]

My point has to do with design of the watches --- What I am trying to say is that if we look at ROLEX-LIKE designs, SEIKO is just as guilty as INIVICTA of blatantly making ROLEX-like watches and putting their stamp on it.

That's all I am trying to say -- Not comparing quailities of the Seiko vs Invicta. I rank Seiko quality way higher than invicta...

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by RolexDivers

My point has to do with design of the watches --- What I am trying to say is that if we look at ROLEX-LIKE designs, SEIKO is just as guilty as INIVICTA of blatantly making ROLEX-like watches and putting their stamp on it.

That's all I am trying to say -- Not comparing quailities of the Seiko vs Invicta. I rank Seiko quality way higher than invicta...

There is just no comparison between Invicta and Seiko, even if some Seiko designs are derivative of Rolex designs.

You might pick from a dozen watch companies to compare Seiko to, but Invicta is definitely not one--not by a long shot.

In fact it borders on blasphemy.

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by RolexDivers

My point has to do with design of the watches --- What I am trying to say is that if we look at ROLEX-LIKE designs, SEIKO is just as guilty as INIVICTA of blatantly making ROLEX-like watches and putting their stamp on it.

That's all I am trying to say -- Not comparing quailities of the Seiko vs Invicta. I rank Seiko quality way higher than invicta...

If you look hard enough, you can find similarities between all watches.

Just look at the Oysterquartz, Constellation and Royal Oak. They all look similar. Who copied who?

[jcd]

My "beater" is a Seiko Velatura GMT. I think the styling is unique, and the quality at the price point is hard to beat.

I get that you are not talking quality, but even on the styling front, I see Seiko as coming out with unique designs as well as keeping with their tried and true ones. They have plenty of heritage behind their GS designs. Most of which are timeless IMHO. Like the GS posted above^^^

[T. Ferguson]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

If you look hard enough, you can find similarities between all watches.

Just look at the Oysterquartz, Constellation and Royal Oak. They all look similar. Who copied who?

Or the Sub and 50 Fathom.

[Art 1]

Originally Posted by threemonkeys

I don't have an opinion on the more common Seikos. The Grand Seiko, however, is an amazing watch that can out perform Rolex in several categories. And the GS is in a different league than Invicta.

Out preform PP too.

[daveathall]

Originally Posted by RolexDivers

My point has to do with design of the watches --- What I am trying to say is that if we look at ROLEX-LIKE designs, SEIKO is just as guilty as INIVICTA of blatantly making ROLEX-like watches and putting their stamp on it.

That's all I am trying to say -- Not comparing quailities of the Seiko vs Invicta. I rank Seiko quality way higher than invicta...

Can you post some pictures or give the references of the Seiko watches that you find similar and have taken their design cue from Rolex please.

[GB-man]

Sacrilege

[tinger]

Dont see too many Seikos with fluted bezels and cyclops (2 most iconic Rolex design element).

[RolexDivers]

Originally Posted by daveathall

Can you post some pictures or give the references of the Seiko watches that you find similar and have taken their design cue from Rolex please.

WAY WAY too many to list ...

Go to ebay and type in "seiko submariner" and you will see sub like seikos and
even OMEGA like seikos...

Here are some GMT color schemes:
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...sc017&_sacat=0

(wow... what are the odds of an insert that is BLUE/BLK ...Rolex has it and SEIKO has it ... and they just recently showed up ... out of all the color combos possible, both have the blue/blk insert..I do not know who copied who but someone copied the color scheme)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Seiko-Di...#ht_318wt_1105

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEIKO-7002-V...#ht_4142wt_958

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEIKO-Mechan...ht_4814wt_1115

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SEIKO-7002-V...#ht_5055wt_958

Look at the bezels ... the inserts ,,, the fonts ... comeon ...I was caught cheating on a test when I was 12yrs old ... the teacher told me that next time, I should change something .. like the order of my answers or put some originality in there to confuse him ...

These copying fools are so lacking in their originality that they can't even make a design their own...do something a little original...


http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...sc019&_sacat=0

[jcd]

I've seen the black and blue solar diver for a couple years. I don't see any similarity between that and the GMT BLNR though other than those color choices.

The orange one you posted, based on the description, was modded with an Omega bezel. The rest of them, IMHO look plenty different from Rolexes. I guess I'm just not seeing it.

[Bangel]

Originally Posted by RolexDivers

Just look around and you will find thousands of examples where SEIKO has copied ROLEX designs.

Any chance you could share some examples to back up your claim?

As others have said, similarities in appearance are to some extent unavoidable when it comes to watches. The apparent level of similarity is very subjective.

That said, when I look at Seiko watches on display in the shop window, I see a myriad of styles and "Seiko has copied Rolex designs" is not what I'm thinking.