How to tell when your Seiko watch was made (Part 2)
In my previous article on how to date your Seiko watch, I mentioned the nifty Jayhawk’s Production Date Calculator. In most cases it should return the correct date of manufacture.
However, there are circumstances in which the calculator may give you inconclusive or erroneous results. Or no results at all. When that happens, I would resort to what I call “dead reckoning” or rough estimation.
Dead reckoning is similar to navigating your way at sea by orientating yourself with the heavenly objects like the sun, moon and the stars. You won’t be accounting for wind conditions and at best your estimate may be a few miles off your actual position. That’s when a GPS unit comes in handy! 😉
Manually estimating the production date of a Seiko involves the element of anachronism. What is anachronism? Basically, it is the utilization of an event, a person, an object, language in a time when that event, person or object was not in existence. In other words, an anachronism is something that occurs out of its proper time. The chronological error of an anachronism can occur in either direction; it can result from something from the past being represented as if it belonged in the present, like an archaism, or it can result from presenting something at a time before it actually appeared, occurred, or existed.
And anachronism is the key to manually estimating the production date of your Seiko watch.
How to spot a fake Seiko watch (revised)
In the multi-million dollar world of fake and replica watches, you are certainly forgiven if you thought that only Swiss marques are targeted by counterfeiters in the Far East. High end Swiss brands like Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Patek Philippe, Longines and TAG Heuer are the usual victims. The replica watch industry exists so long as there is enough demand and believe me, there is enough global demand for knock-off timepieces.
How to tell when your Seiko watch was made (Part 1)
So, you’ve just purchased a used or new Seiko watch. Congratulations! Have you ever wondered when your watch rolled off the assembly line at the factory? In other words, when was it manufactured? Questions relating to the production date of Seikos frequently pop up in various watch forums from time to time.
Well, in case you didn’t know this, the answer to this question actually lies in the set of numbers that are etched or printed on every Seiko watch made. Chances are if you ask watch store assistants when that particular Seiko watch you’re interested in buying was made, you’ll get a blank expression from them. Either that, or they’ll come up with an excuse for not knowing by saying that it’s a new arrival (yeah, right!) 🙂
Chronometer and Chronograph – What’s the difference?
If you’re a newbie to the wonderful world of horology, you’ve probably heard of the terms "chronometer" and "chronograph". These two words contain "chrono" in them so they have to be related in a way, do they? Maybe you’ve heard the salesperson at the mall watch store trying to point out the Seiko you’re looking at has a chronometer that can time events. Or your friend comes up to you with a new watch and saying, "Hey, check this out – it’s got a chronometer!"
Did that sound right to you? If you’re not sure, then read on. 🙂
Seiko Sportura SNJ001P review
Watch History
- Date acquired: Aug 27th 2003
- Production Date: June 2002
- Source: Style Watches Sdn Bhd, BB Plaza
- Price paid: MYR1,070 (USD319)
- Status: Discontinued
Background
The SNJ001P was first Sportura model to use the analog digital H023 module. It’s not the first H023 caliber timepiece – that title truly belongs to the short lived Prospex Sky Professional series that debuted in 2001.
The H023 also happens to be Seiko’s last analog digital caliber with world time capability and a high precision, 1/1000sec stopwatch that times up to 100 hours. Its successor, the H024 caliber unfortunately lacks the world time function and a second hand.
This watch certainly has an interesting mix of a dress watch with useful, utilitarian functions. If you had to have just one multi-function watch, the Sportura SNJ001P would be a good candidate. 🙂
The controversial "Seiko 6319-7040" diver
If you have already read my previous article on spotting fake Seiko watches, you may have learned how to distinguish the counterfeits from the real ones. Some are fairly easy to spot while others need careful scrutiny to determine whether it’s fake or not.
Recently I came across an auction by a well known eBay vintage watch seller from the Philippines and what caught my attention was the fact he described the watch as “controversial”. This popular Power Seller eBay merchant has never peddled fake vintage watches in the past and he would know a fake one from an original Seiko.
However, this particular watch for auction stumped the seller and after looking at photos of his listing I have to admit that the watch stumped even me. The seller couldn’t verify whether this watch was a fake or probably a one-off Seiko model that nobody knew about, so he listed the watch as a “controversial Seiko diver“.
