{"id":1613,"date":"2015-03-20T19:07:22","date_gmt":"2015-03-20T19:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/?p=1613"},"modified":"2015-03-20T19:07:22","modified_gmt":"2015-03-20T19:07:22","slug":"apple-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/?p=1613","title":{"rendered":"Apple Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"

A couple of days ago, Apple announced the Apple Watch.\u00a0 To be honest, I think they are just the ugliest things out there, but I wanted to do a more objective comparison of what you get when you buy an Apple watch, as opposed to a Seiko. \u00a0Since Seiko’s line is so huge, I decided upon the most popular automatic watch line available in the United States, Seiko Diver’s and Prospex Diver’s. \u00a0I could compare to a 5 or Presage, or Superior line, or even Grand Seiko but I wanted a line or type of watch that went from entry level to professional. \u00a0Apple has 3 tiers:Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition. \u00a0For Seiko I chose SKX, Prospex 200m Diver’s aka Sumo, and the Prospec Marinemaster 300M Automatic. \u00a0I was tempted to do the Springdrive, but I wanted to go with conventional, mechanical watches for all three Seiko. \u00a0All are readily\u00a0available.<\/p>\n

The competitors, entry level:<\/p>\n

Apple Watch Sport, Aluminum on Silicone.<\/p>\n

\"Apple_Watch_Sport_38mm_Silver_Aluminium_Case_with_Blue_Sport_Band_600_lq_0001\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Seiko SKX007 on silicone rubber.<\/p>\n

\"DSC_0030\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The first comparison is the cheapest Apple Watch Sport vs. the cheapest SKX007 on silicone.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Attribute<\/td>\nApple Watch Sport<\/td>\nSeiko SKX 200M Diver’s<\/td>\nAdvantage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price<\/td>\n$349 Rubber<\/td>\n$156 Rubber, $167 Steel<\/td>\nSeiko, half the price<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Size<\/td>\n33.3×38.6×10.5mm<\/td>\n42.5mm x 45.5x13mm round<\/td>\nPersonal preference<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Material, Case<\/td>\nCoated Aluminum<\/td>\n316L Stainless steel<\/td>\nSeiko, longer lasting, Corrosion resistant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Material, Crystal<\/td>\nCoated boron-silicate glass<\/td>\nHardlex<\/td>\nSeiko, probably.\u00a0 Unknown in real world
\nhow Apple glass performs. Hardlex is well proven.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>\n72grams 2.53 oz<\/td>\n149.7 grams 5.28 oz, on rubber<\/td>\nApple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Band<\/td>\nSilicone, Proprietary interface<\/td>\nExpansion Silicone, 22mm standard<\/td>\nSeiko, thousands of off the self bands.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Water resistance<\/td>\n1M, short immersion IPX7<\/td>\n200M Divers, ISO 6425<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Power reserve\/battery life<\/td>\n18 hours<\/td>\n40 hours<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recharge\/wind<\/td>\nDaily, attaches to back<\/td>\nWinds while being worn, no charger needed.<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Expected Life<\/td>\n2 to 3 years.\u00a0 Obsolete in 18 months.<\/td>\n20 years without service, lifetime with
\nservice. \u00a0In production over 20 years.<\/td>\n		Seiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Required Accesory<\/td>\niPhone 5.0 or above $549+$50 month plan.<\/td>\nNone<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5 Year cost<\/td>\n$(349+549)x2+60×50=$4796 Assume replaced ever 2.5 years.<\/td>\n$167 on steel, about the same one rubber.<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The only category that Apple won in was the weight, but even that is debatable when it comes to personal preference.\u00a0 I like a heavier watch.\u00a0 What really stunned me was the 5 year cost of ownership. A watch you just buy, that’s it.\u00a0 If you like the band or bracelet it came on, that is all you will have to pay for.\u00a0 If you are anal retentive, you can get the watch serviced every 5 to 7 years, but even that is less than $100.\u00a0 So, at least for the entry level, the Seiko wins hands down for being used as a timepiece.\u00a0 It can be debated you can do a lot more with an Apple watch, but dollars and cents wise, it is hard justify that kind of expense.\u00a0 There are things the Apple watch can never do, like go swimming or diving in, or run for years without winding or charging.<\/p>\n

Next up, the 42mm Apple Watch, steel case, on steel bracelet.<\/p>\n

\"Apple_Watch_42mm_Stainless_Steel_Case_with_Stainless_Steel_Link_Bracelet_600_lq_0001\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Seiko SBDC001 on Steel<\/p>\n

\"2a641751163f866aeeff82ae\"<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Attribute<\/td>\nApple Watch<\/td>\nSeiko SBDC001 Sumo<\/td>\nAdvantage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price<\/td>\n$999 steel link<\/td>\n$499 steel<\/td>\nSeiko, half the price<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Size<\/td>\n35.9mmx42mmx10.5mm<\/td>\n45mm x 52mm x 13.5<\/td>\nPersonal preference, Sumo is a BIG watch.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Material, Case<\/td>\nStainless Steel, unknown ANSI number.<\/td>\n316L Stainless steel<\/td>\nDraw.\u00a0 Stainless steel is a traditional watch material.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Material, Crystal<\/td>\nSapphire<\/td>\nHardlex<\/td>\nDraw, Hardlex was chosen for impact
\nresistance.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>\n125grams 4.49 oz<\/td>\n210 grams 7.4 oz<\/td>\nApple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Band<\/td>\nLink steel, Proprietary interface<\/td>\nStainless steel with Diver’s extension, 20mm
\nstandard<\/td>\n		Seiko, the Sumo’s bracelet is almost
\nlegendary.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Water resistance<\/td>\n1M, short immersion IPX7<\/td>\n200M Divers, ISO 6425<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Power reserve\/battery life<\/td>\n18 hours<\/td>\n50 hours<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recharge\/wind<\/td>\nDaily, attaches to back<\/td>\nWinds while being worn, no charger needed.\u00a0 Can be hand wound. \u00a0No battery.<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Expected Life<\/td>\n2 to 3 years.\u00a0 Obsolete in 18 months.<\/td>\n20 years without service, lifetime with
\nservice. \u00a0In production over 10 years.<\/td>\n		Seiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Required Accesory<\/td>\niPhone 5.0 or above $549+$50 month plan.<\/td>\nNone<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5 Year cost<\/td>\n$((999+549)x2+$50×60=$6096 Assume replaced ever 2.5 years.<\/td>\n$499 on steel.<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Again, the Seiko is ahead on many counts.\u00a0 Even though the Seiko almost tripled the price of the humble SKX, Apple did the same between the Sport and the Watch.\u00a0 The Sumo is a massive watch, so it will get just as much attention on the wrist as the Apple Watch will.\u00a0 The 5 year cost of ownership is creeping towards Rolex territories, and already above many TAG or Omega watches.\u00a0 At $101 a month, you can buy a new SKX every two months or a new Sumo every year and still be cheaper! \u00a0The 5 year cost is over 10 times higher.<\/p>\n

Finally:<\/p>\n

Apple The Edition<\/p>\n

\"e42yg-sbbk-sel-v1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Seiko Marinemaster 300M SBDX001<\/p>\n

\"56370d1184864837-new-diver-seiko-marinemaster-mm-2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Attribute<\/td>\nApple Edition<\/td>\nSeiko SBDX001 300M Marinemaster<\/td>\nAdvantage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price<\/td>\n$9999 on leather<\/td>\n$1999 steel<\/td>\nSeiko, one fifth the price<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Size<\/td>\n35.9mmx42mmx10.5mm<\/td>\n44mm x 50.3mm x 15.4<\/td>\nPersonal preference.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Material, Case<\/td>\n18K gold.<\/td>\n316L Stainless steel, helium proof.<\/td>\nApple, maybe?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Material, Crystal<\/td>\nSapphire<\/td>\nSapphire<\/td>\nDraw<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/td>\n125grams 4.49 oz<\/td>\n210 grams 7.4 oz<\/td>\nApple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Band<\/td>\nLink steel, Proprietary interface<\/td>\nStainless steel with Diver’s extension, 20mm
\nstandard<\/td>\n		Seiko, the Sumo’s bracelet is almost
\nlegendary.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Water resistance<\/td>\n1M, short immersion IPX7<\/td>\n300M Divers, ISO 6425<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Power reserve\/battery life<\/td>\n18 hours<\/td>\n50 hours<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Recharge\/wind<\/td>\nDaily, attaches to back<\/td>\nWinds while being worn, no charger needed. Can be hand wound. No battery.<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Expected Life<\/td>\n2 to 3 years. Obsolete in 18 months.<\/td>\n20 years without service, lifetime with
\nservice. In production over 5 years.<\/td>\n		Seiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Required Accesory<\/td>\niPhone 5.0 or above $549+$50 month plan.<\/td>\nNone<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5 Year cost<\/td>\n$((9999+549)x2+$50×60=$24096 Assume replaced ever 2.5 years.<\/td>\n$1999 on steel.<\/td>\nSeiko<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This was the hardest comparison to make.\u00a0 The Edition is a dress watch, the Seiko Marinemaster is a tool watch.\u00a0 An expensive tool, but still a watch that was purpose built for professional, saturation divers.\u00a0 The $10K price tag puts The Edition above a good chunk of timepieces.\u00a0 What is disappointing is that there is no way this can be an heirloom watch, like a Rolex or Patak Phillipe. 3 years, it is junk, unless Apple has some sort of refurbishment plan.\u00a0 The Seiko will last you a lifetime, the Apple won’t even get you through college. Another disappointment is the ‘movement’ of the Apple Watch really is no different across all the price points.\u00a0 $349 to $14,999 essentially have all the same guts.\u00a0 All the 42mm versions have the same hardware inside.\u00a0 The Seiko (and all watch brands) increase the quality of the movement from one tier to the next.\u00a0 The SKX use the entry level 7S26 movement.\u00a0 The SBDC Sumo uses the mid level 6R15 that adds features like longer power reserve, hacking and handwinding.\u00a0 The Marinemaster uses the 8L35 high end movement, beating at 28,000 beats per hour and is chronometer rated.\u00a0 The guts of the watch are consistent with the price point.\u00a0 It is like buying a Rolex with a Timex quartz movement.\u00a0 Nothing wrong with the Timex, but you expect a hand assembled precision machine at that price point, not the same machine assembled electronics as a $25 watch.\u00a0 That is exactly what you get with the Apple Watch.\u00a0 Fancy case, same guts.<\/p>\n

The five year cost is about the same as buying a car.\u00a0 Other than showing off, I have no idea who this watch is aimed at.\u00a0 Watch collectors stick to mechanical.\u00a0 A Rolex, Panerai, TAG, Cartier, or Omega are just as much of an eye catcher.\u00a0 Well, enough opinion.\u00a0 From a utility standpoint, any other smartwatch does about the same thing at a far lower price point.\u00a0 As can be seen, from the lowest to highest price point, a Seiko will win in almost every category.\u00a0 Let me know what you think in the comments below.\u00a0 Any watch collectors out there interested in the Apple Watch?\u00a0 If so, why?<\/p>\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>by <\/span>\"feather\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A couple of days ago, Apple announced the Apple Watch.\u00a0 To be honest, I think they are just the ugliest things out there, but I wanted to do a more objective comparison of what you get when you buy an Apple watch, as opposed to a Seiko. \u00a0Since Seiko’s line \u2026 Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-watch-musings"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1613"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1635,"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1613\/revisions\/1635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/watches.cyberphreak.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}