I remember that after graduating from university and working, I stayed in Hong Kong for a short time, and one of my favorite things to do in Hong Kong was to take the MTR, take the Island Line and transfer to the Tsuen Wan Line, from Taikoo to Lai Chi Kok, passing through Hong Kong's busiest business district, and observing the busy Hong Kong people.
As we all know, Hong Kong people love Rui watches, and Hong Kong is also one of the main sales destinations for Switzerland watches. The main road of the business district is lined with stores of various Swiss watch brands, but as I became more familiar with Hong Kong, I found that there are always some inconspicuous shops in Hong Kong's underground shopping malls or small road corners, they do not have any glamorous and luxurious doors, and even if you don't go in, you can't find a watch store, which sells cheap Japan brands Seiko, Casio, Citizen, or entry-level mechanical watches Titus, Cyma, etc., especially Seiko styles. In addition, the close-up of clocks and wall clocks in Hong Kong literary films appears very frequently, which is a bright wheel of time, but usually if you look closely, there is usually an English word "SEIKO" written on their disks without exception.
Hong Kong people love watches, and if you think about it, there must be something powerful about it. In the eyes of Hong Kong people, when a person gets results, he should buy a watch to reward himself, and if he is very successful, he will buy Rolex, of course, it is impossible for everyone in this world to be so successful, and there are ordinary ordinary working class, so it is a very good decision to buy a Seiko that can be easily afforded! As the so-called poor to the hole, wear Seiko!
Last month, in the middle of the night, I received a product push from Twitter's Seiko work account, which I had inadvertently clicked into, but I immediately decided to buy it, and I didn't hesitate in the process. When I finally bought it after tossing (how to toss it exactly, I have to look down) and finally bought it, I found that it was all worth it, and it was worth my dedication and impulse.
Today's protagonist is the SPB467J1 model (public price 7,700 yuan) in the new sub-series Classic Series (Classic Series) launched by Seiko. Watchmakers who are familiar with Japanese brands know that the Seiko Presage series is unique in that although it is technically Seiko, it is one of Seiko's high-end series, and it is often compared to Grand Seiko. The Seiko Presage collection features a wide range of mechanical precision movements, including the higher quality 6R and 8R movements.
Although it is officially said that their dial design is inspired by silk, the soft luster of the dial is revealed through criss-crossed, delicate and rich silk textured shading. But compared to the off-white plain and almost tea-like greenish-black, I prefer あらいがき / Araigaki, which translates to washed persimmon in Chinese, which is a little closer to salmon color.
I think this is because of the misunderstanding caused by different cultural habits, perhaps when you really understand the connotation of Japanese aesthetics and product concepts and marketing strategies, I believe you will be able to understand the product design logic of Seiko watches.
あらいがき / Araigak washed persimmon color is actually a traditional Japanese color, the color is like the color of persimmon after ripening, personal feeling as a whole between salmon color and light orange, closer to salmon color, as a traditional color of Japan, it is widely used in kimono, art and other fields, and deeply rooted in the life of Japan. Nowadays, it is also often used in interior design and fashion.
I asked my Japanese friends what this color means in Japan, and I was told that it symbolizes peace and tranquility. This color is said to have existed in the Heian period of Japan through the corroboration of historical books from literary classics, and this color was favored by the aristocracy because of its calm elegance, but also conveyed vitality, and it became famous in Japan through this persimmon dyeing technique.
Personally, I think that Seiko, as a Japan brand, so skillfully integrates such a complex cultural concept and aesthetic spirit into the products it designs, which can be said to be very delicate and ingenious, and the Swiss watch brand constantly changes the ordinary colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, which is really promoting the aesthetic connotation of its own country. And integrating such ingenious cultural and aesthetic connotations into their own products is also an ultimate embodiment of the spirit of craftsmanship.
Often, due to cultural differences, we have many misunderstandings. As for why Seiko wants to play this kind of concept that people in other countries may not understand very well, I think it is very likely to be caused by the strategy of product differentiation, after all, in terms of technology and brand power, there may still be a gap with the traditional Swiss watch, so it is clever to find a track to engage in its own cultural output. Those who understand will naturally love to pay.
Now let's talk about the watch itself, as mentioned earlier, I went through a tossing process when I bought this watch, and after seeing the Twitter product advertisement and the actual shot in June, I liked it very much and decided to place an order to buy it. But at that time, the mainland area was not yet, Japan had to find someone to order the purchase of customs clearance mail, a series of procedures were very cumbersome so to give up, and then by chance I learned that the watch house in Macao had already distributed the goods, so I found a watch house in Macau, paid a deposit, and then made a "fly" to buy a watch in Macao. I think this is the case for people who really like watches, whether it's a Patek Philippe or a thousand-dollar Seiko!
After I got this watch, I studied it, and here are some brief reviews and usage feelings.
First of all, most of Seiko's 1,000-yen models use mineral glass crystals, which are slightly less durable, while this watch uses solitary sapphire crystal glass treated with a non-reflective coating, which greatly improves transparency and durability. The case, bezel and strap have been brushed to a certain extent, which has a certain resistance to wear and has a good gloss. The dial, hands, case and glass, when carefully observed, are not purely flat, but are designed with a certain arc, and there is a sense of delicate and mellow and gentle elegance that the designer understands. The function of the large three hands and the design of the date window at three o'clock are simple and elegant, echoing the other design languages of the whole watch, and the temperament is very gentle, elegant and capable after getting started.
The 40 mm diameter is suitable for the vast majority of people, and the 100-meter water resistance is completely enough for most scenes in life, but because it is not a screw-down crown, it is estimated that it is enough to swim while wearing it. The 6R55 automatic movement, 72-hour power reserve, colloquially speaking, is a 3-day chain, which perfectly solves the problem of not wearing a watch and not stopping on weekends, which is relatively worry-free. It also comes with a certain anti-magnetic function. The movement has also been made a back, and the primary ornamental polish has been done, so that the escapement structure can be clearly seen, and the golden balance wheel has a certain ornamentality.
There are three main shortcomings:
1. The accuracy of the 6R movement is still a little worse, between plus 25 and minus 15 seconds, and Seiko's factory is usually unadjusted, so the luck component is particularly large, there are accurate such as the observatory, and there is really a difference of more than 20 seconds a day, so people who pay special attention to the time are recommended to choose a better movement.
2. The calendar is not an instantaneous jump, which is a hard injury for patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Every night after 11 o'clock, the calendar stuck in half of the calendar suddenly makes the watch lose the sense of luxury it should have, but fortunately it can make up for it in other ways.
3. As a traditional dress watch of Seiko, the dial scale and hands are not coated without any luminous coating, so luminous lovers can choose carefully.
Compared with the Seiko watch below 5000 yuan that I bought before, this one is obviously better in terms of quality control and quality, and it is not as light as the former. The multi-row bracelet is similar to the link design of a bracelet, with a curved top surface, which reduces the contact points of the wrist and makes it more comfortable to wear. The persimmon color, which is close to salmon, is very distinctive and recognizable, and it is an unforgettable watch, after all, you must know that this color is generally only found in high-end models of high-end brands, and it is very good to experience such a high-end color for thousands of dollars.
Based on the above, I think 7700 yuan to buy such a big brand, high recognition, all the data are good, very suitable for commuting but a little personality of the watch is cost-effective, although some cousins may have to say that seven or eight thousand to buy a 6R movement is still expensive, but you must know that now the major brands are crazy in price (Longines main models have risen to the range of 2-30,000), it is not easy to buy a watch that is not bad in all aspects, and so rich in cultural connotation.
So if you are a veteran player who is tired of playing with traditional Swiss watches and wants to change your taste, or if you have a limited budget and want to buy a big brand that is close to the people but has a bit of personality and small temperament, and the demand for a not-so-ordinary commuter watch, or a lover of Japanese aesthetics and design concepts, then I will definitely recommend you to join this Seiko.
D
A pioneer who is always on the road and does not talk about empty talk, cultural people, real estate people, and wine dealers