It works, sleeps, wakes up, and goes back to work (Seiko Watches)

Member Name: Modena

Product:	Seiko Watches
Date:	15/08/01 (6937 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Reliable, Many features, Hi-tech, Good looks

Disadvantages: Can’t set the date when relaying, UK prices and range, Weight, Poor presentation,

This opinion is about the Seiko Kinetic series and will primarily focus on the Auto Relay which I have one of. I previously had a TAG Heuer 4000 series and will make comparisons with that. I asked Dooyoo for a separate product category for that but they told me to submit this opinion here, so here it goes…

>>About The Range

The Kinetic Auto relay range consists of a few watch styles, it can mainly be summarised as the Kinetic Auto Relay 100 and the Kinetic Auto Relay 200. I have a Kinetic Auto Relay 200. In the UK these watches retail from between £295 to £395 (maybe £330 in the sales), a fair amount to pay for a Japanese watch don’t you think? Luckily, these cost about half the UK prices in south-east Asia…

>The Standard Kinetic
As you may know, the standard Seiko Kinetic series are watches that are powered by movement, but don’t suffer from inaccuracy because it uses a quartz timing system. There is no need for batteries, and these watches have become very popular. Standard Kinetics start from around £100.

>The Auto-Relay
So why pay £200 (or £100 if you don’t live in the UK) more for an Auto Relay? Is it made of gold? Nope. What’s clever about this watch is that if it detects 3 days of no movement, it stops itself, it enters suspended animation and it requires the user to shake it in order to restart it, and it will return to the exact time! And it can remain in suspended animation for up to 4 years until it cannot Auto Relay. I think that this is a great selling point because I often don’t wear my watch for a few days and find I have to reset the time. However, you have to set the date yourself!

>>The Auto Relay 100 and 200 compared

The main difference between a Kinetic Auto Relay 100 and a 200 is the water resistance of the 2 watches, the 100 can handle 10 bar (100m) and the 200 can handle 20 bar (200m).

>Clasp/Bracelet
Other differences include t
he 200 having an extra security clasp, so your watch will not accidentally fall off, the 100 only has a “pinch” mechanism to take the watch off, the 200 has the “pinch” mechanism and the security clasp, this justified buying a 200 for me, most sports watches have the security clasp and I enjoyed having one on my TAG Heuer.

Both of these watches have a stainless steel bracelet, which feels very solid, they are not the flexible type, but the feel fine.

>Scratch Resistant Glass
The Kinetic Auto Relay is equipped with Hardlex glass, this is extra scratch resistant, it feels really thick, and so far is unscathed, great!

>Relay Test/Power Saving Function
Want to know if the relay function actually works? Want to impress your friends? Can’t be bothered to leave the watch alone for 3 days? Well Seiko have included a power saving function for this watch, it basically initiates the suspended animation as if it has stopped for 3 days.

To do this, turn the screw down crown into its first position (turn anti-clockwise), pull out one click (as if you were going to change the date) and immediately push back to the normal position in less than a second, this will stop the hands, and you can shake the watch whenever you want to.

Warning from instruction manual: “ Do not pull the crown out to the second click position while the energy saving function is in operation. This will cause the time data retained in the watch to be erased, thus disabling the time relay function.”

Impressive isn’t it?

>Other Features
Lumbrite hands/dial markers
Uni-direction rotating bezel (200 only)
Date (Please note, there are NO perpetual calendar models in this series)
Energy depletion warning (movement every 2 seconds, all Kinetics have this)

>>Looks
I think the entire range bar the watch I have looks fairly average. I think that the 200 looks very stylish an
d classy, it has elements of some other designer watches which I like, but looks are subjective and I suggest you take a look for yourself.

Unfortunately, the UK has the 100/200 available in 3 colours and these are I think the 99 colours, whereas the rest of the world have newer colours (mine is a metallic navy blueish colour the SMP 119A), so Seiko UK, if you are listening, launch some new colours!

>>Accuracy
Seiko claim that the monthly loss/gain is +/- 15 seconds “under normal temperature range” (5-35 celcius), and I would agree with this, mine is 8 seconds a month faster. Beats 5 minutes a week slower with my old watch!

>>Weight
One of the first things you notice when wearing this watch is it’s weight, it’s very heavy for a watch, around 250 grammes I would estimate, there are no titanium versions, not that I know of, and it is only available in men’s size, no ladies size or unisex.

>>Presentation
If you buy a £400 watch, you expect a well presented product right? (Okay I didn’t pay £400 so I deserve less, but I am sure the packaging is the same for a UK watch). With a TAG Heuer, you got a lovely leathery box with a zip and a set of manuals and a nice guarantee card, plus the information on all the hard work put into them (like the tests they endure etc), not with this one.

You get an average box, one you expect from a £40 watch, a manual, probably printed on recycled paper, and a little piece of card for your world-wide guarantee. Now maybe the packaging I got is not what you get if you buy it in the UK. It’s nothing worth complaining too much about, I would be more than happy with just the watch in working condition and a receipt!

>>Verdict
I think the Kinetic Auto Relay series is wonderful, I have enjoyed wearing the watch, and it has not let me down at all. However if I paid the UK price, I would really question myself, I don’t believe it ju
stifies the UK price.

The watch market is really complicated, even at the over £100 and below £1000 scale, everyone tries to innovate to differentiate themselves and the Japanese manufacturers are trying to catch the market share of the established Swiss watchmakers, I think innovations like the Kinetic and Citizen’s versions of the Eco-Drive are clever, but there is a long way to go to reach the standards of the likes of TAG Heuer and Breitling, though it isn’t really aiming for that, just like the top Toyota is not aimed to compete with a Mercedes, (a Lexus is supposed to do that)!

If you are interested in buying one, don’t buy it in the UK, you won’t be disappointed at your watch, you also have to justify paying the £100 extra for a 200. It’s a really innovative piece of kit and suits my needs perfectly.

All in all, a world class product that doesn’t have the pedigree.

To find out more, visit www.seiko.co.uk or www.seikousa.com

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