SKX007 vs SKX173

[Donavan]

These watches seem so similar to me, why does the 173 cost more?

[roversgonemad]

Seems to me, to be a supply and demand thing.... Same case, movement, bezel, strap, chapter ring, and the whole bit, except for the second hand and the dial. But, I have to say, I really like the 173!

[UpstandingCitizen]

Outside of the dial, there's absolutely zero difference between those two watches, so it must be a case of the SKX173 being more rare (or something to that effect).

[lvt]

These watches seem so similar to me, why does the 173 cost more?

You should consider other factors like movements, straps, factory location... generally a watch with newer movement, made in Japan with stainless steel bracelet installed will cost more.

[Dr. Robert]

I thought I heard somewhere that the SKX173 is a No. American model w/ a longer warranty than SKX007??? Isthmus would know for sure!!

[mars08]

The price will be set at a level people are willing to pay. The cost of building each watch would be about the same.

[roversgonemad]

If it's a 7S26, the robots that assemble it are the same, whether it's Malaysia or Japan. The dial might say Japan or Malaysia, but it's the same. The Japanese are masters of mass production, and also masters of manufacturing processes. In the case of something like a watch movement, the tools to assemble it are the bulk of the cost, so the people power whether in Malaysia or Japan don't cost that much different. I spent almost ten years in the world of semiconductor manufacturing and worked with fabs all over the world, and in the realm of high tech manufacturing, it's all about the tooling. That's not to say that workers aren't important, but they are of lesser importance and much less of a cost factor when it comes to automated assembly processes. I don't really put much credence in the location of manufacture if it's a Seiko or a Citizen (that's not to say it doesn't matter with other brands). I'd be willing to bet that the defect rates from the various Seiko assembly plants are extremely similar. I would bet they strive for that to be the case. That is what we did in Semiconductor. I spent many an early morning or very late night in phone calls with coworkers in Singapore discussing processes and what we could do to run the same and be in sync. I would venture to say that a company like Seiko would do exactly the same thing.

I think the 173s cost more because we are willing to pay more. If you look at the cost of replacement parts, they are identical for the 007 or the 173. Personally, I think the 173 has a great retro look, reminiscent of a 6105. The rectangular markers and the stick and ball second hand are sweet! I am willing to pay the premium to have one based on looks alone.

Admittedly, there is, what I would call, an artificial stigma about a Seiko movement made in Japan, but I will still contend they are identical to one made anywhere else in the world. The process dictates the quality, not the people. Besides, even if a worker in Malaysia makes a few dollars less per hour than someone in Japan they probably take just as much pride in their work. That has been my experience with workers in other countries. The Malaysia plant wants their product to be just as good as Japan! Seiko goes to places like Malaysia because they get a break on things like export tariffs and government taxes. That's why we went there for semiconductor.

Bottom line, IMHO, the 173 looks cool, people pay extra for it, so Seiko charges more for it.

I just looked at Bluedial and they are showing the same warranty for all the SKXs... That's not to say that's the gospel truth, but they are showing the same warranty... I am sticking with the supply and demand theory. Maybe there's a better explanation, but I have looked at the 173 for a while, and I have decided I am willing to pay the extra sheckles for the appearance. It's about sixes with buying an 007 and modding it to look similar, so why not buy it that way from the factory??!!

[lvt]

Everything is more expensive in Japan than other countries (raw material, salaries, operation costs...), it's impossible to sell a Japan made watch at the same price with the ones made in Thailand, Malaysia... Japanese workers are more skilled in the kind of jobs they are trained for, so the chance you have a defect Japan made item is much less. This applied for any kind of consumer products, not just for watches.

[roversgonemad]

just did some more looking, looks like 173's are made in Singapore.....

[jason_recliner]

Just because a Seiko says Japan on it doesn't mean it's made in Japan. It's some weird requirement for selling watches in Arab countries or something. I don't think any 7s26 movements are made in japan - they are made in Singapore and Malaysia. I don't think SKX watch cases are made in Japan, nor are they cased in Japan. I don't know this for sure, and it seems to be a bit of a grey area, but this is the impression I get from piecing many threads together.

I think the different price is because the 173 rarer, and sold in fewer markets.

Everything is more expensive in Japan than other countries (raw material, salaries, operation costs...), it's impossible to sell a Japan made watch at the same price with the ones made in Thailand, Malaysia... Japanese workers are more skilled in the kind of jobs they are trained for, so the chance you have a defect Japan made item is much less. This applied for any kind of consumer products, not just for watches.