Everyone seems to be making special edition watches at the moment. A question I’m often asked is “are they really worth buying?”. The answer to that depends very much on one’s expectations. If you’re buying a watch in order to sell it on at a profit, then the answer is probably no, as in most cases this will require a lot of luck and/or time. If you are a collector and want something unusual and exclusive to enjoy and talk about, I think the answer is yes. There are so many watch brands doing special edition pieces that an enthusiast really is spoilt for choice, but for this article, I have chosen to focus on one of my favourites: The Japanese brand Seiko.
Seiko are over 135 years old, and were the first manufacturer to market a watch with a quartz movement. They are one of very few watch houses who manufacture every component of their watches in-house, including cases, bracelets, batteries, and they even grow their own quartz crystals. While all of this is really quite impressive, Seiko don’t really seem to make that big a deal of it all, instead preferring to quietly get on with what they do best, and this approach to things shows in their watches.
For a number of years, Seiko have made a range of heavily water resistant dive watches which use very large cases and bright, highly visible dials. Nicknamed ‘The Monster’ and unavailable outside Japan, these watches are highly prized by collectors (although importing one from Japan via a third party is very expensive and often not without risk). Thankfully, Seiko have provided enthusiasts with an alternative in the form of the ‘Baby Monster’ (I know, I know. I didn’t name it – the fans did…). Daft nickname aside, it is a slightly less water resistant version of the original. It uses the highly robust 4R36 automatic day-date movement, and can go down to 100m, which is more than enough for most people. The bracelet version comes with a black dial with red markers, and the rubber strap version features a ver
y visible dial in what I like to call ‘Guantanamo Bay Orange’. If, like me, you’re a bit of a Seiko fanboy, this is definitely one to look out for.
While we’re on the subject of dive watches, I should probably mention that Seiko have long been associated with the Professional Association of Divers. The PADI logo is featured on the dial of their special edition ‘Turtle’ watch (I can only apologise. I promise we’re nearly done with the nicknames…), along with a really striking red and blue unidirectional bezel. There are a few other models using the Turtle case, which seems to be a bit of a ‘Marmite’ design (i.e., you either love it or hate it). Personally I’m indifferent to Marmite (admittedly making this a confusing analogy) but I think this watch is superb.
The PADI logo is also used on the last of the special editions I will talk about, named the ‘Samurai’ for the sword-like hour and minute hands (although in my head it has acquired the moniker of ‘Paddy the Samurai’. I know, I’m a bit odd…). 
A more recently produced piece, This watch is a bit more functional and sturdy looking than the Turtle, going for an angular look with cleaner lines and a bigger crown. It does fit really well on a smaller wrist, although as the links are a bit on the chunky side it feels slightly heavier when worn.
All of these watches are in stock at the time of writing, but as with most special editions they may not be for long, so give us a call if you want to come and have a look. This will be my last blog entry before Christmas, so I would like to give all our customers my best wishes over the festive season, and I will see you next year!
Ian Palmer – December 2017
