zOwie Omega Discussion Forum

: I thought that Seiko always made cheaper
: watches than Omega, but the Grand Seiko
: costs about $4000!

In North America, Seiko only sells its cheaper lines. Grand Seiko is Seiko's premium line and currently only sold in Japan.

: Even though both the Aqua
: Terra and Seiko look very similar, I can't
: seem to justify the high price!

The Grand Seiko's are nicely finished -- much more so than your ordinary Seiko watch for sale in North America. The movement parts do receive some hand finishing, thus driving up it's cost. And bracelet and case are on par with Swiss ones.

: The AT still looks better, has the coaxial
: movement, and is made by a prestigest SWISS
: company, Omega.

Hmmm ... I thought Omega fans were interested in more than a prestigious name. Don't let the cheap Seiko's sold in North America fool you. Seiko is a capable and innovative watch manufacturer, making almost everything in-house.

: The Grand Seiko on the other hand is made by a
: popular japanese company that has a
: reputation for timepieces under $500!

See above.

: Any thoughts on why an Omega beat a Seiko on
: price???

The hand finishing on the movement parts does drive up cost. But this rarely explains the price of any watch -- it's all about market positioning. It's seems Seiko is taking on Rolex (within the Japanese market) with its pricing strategy.

I agree that Omega is a better value. However, with the introduction of the Spring Drive movement, Seiko is redefining the mechanical watch. Perhaps with the Spring Drive, Seiko can create a new market, where there are now no competitors, not unlike Omega with the introduction of the coaxial movement.