For those who missed out on the Starbuy deal by @watchnerd last week, still a pretty ok price for the practically universally loved Seiko Panda.
Credit and shoutout to Kingdon at Australian affordable Watch forum for the heads up
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Features
Crystal/Lens - Curved Sapphire
Diameter - 39mm
Band width -
Case Thickness - 13.3mm
Seiko Solar V192 Movement
Small Second Hand
Resuming Electric Power generation
Water resistant - 100 Metres
3 Year warranty from Seiko (Australia)
Haha ‘poor man’ idk, $600 is a weeks rent for many.. if they are lucky 🥹 - it’s a very nice value watch though in a universally loved colorway with more than decent resale.
Times are tough right now… Even I stopped buying watches.. :(
Wow, that's hard to believe lol
Its "poor man" not because of a $600 price but because of its lack of precision mechanical tech. Just a cheap solar circuit board inside.
Or is a Daytona a rich man’s speedtimer?
Well this Seiko is basically a "homage" design of the Daytona. Its a joke within the collectors industry. Considering the actual Daytona starts at US$15,000 with some models well into 7 figures you could say it.
So you're comparing a $15k watch to a $600?
@Duece1995: Well there are visual similarities and even the OP's titles includes "Panda." But realistically, it's like comparing a Ferrari to a Celica.
Tell me where to buy a daytona for US$15,000 and I will spend my entire life's savings buying as many as I can and turn around and flip them for 2-3x the price
@Save Medicare: Go to an AD, wait 6 years on a waitlist and boom.
AD's hate this and will monitor you - they know patterns ect.
@AircraftFreight: Furthermore they just won't sell it. As I mentioned in a previous chat. The highly sought after watches would never be sold to a person without prior investment into the branding
@maverickjohn: Yep, my experience they will force to do under the table deals for the most (profanity) watches, gold or jewelry. Before they even consider you to be on the waitlist.
@AircraftFreight: All I want from Rolex is a GMT master ii in Pepsi. But won't even be considered unless I buy things like a date just or yacht master etc.
And a GMT master ii is not even as wanted as a steel Daytona… Or any daytona
@maverickjohn: Search around Rolex boutiques, the folks at Melbourne Airport International Terminal 2 are great. Give them a call and see what they can do.
@AircraftFreight: I'm in Syd but might do that. I have a watch friend in monards Melbourne . Really cool guy.
@maverickjohn: Given that there are 21 official ADs in Australia and 7 in New Zealand. There will be 1 who is willing to do it for you.
I have had to call around the world to find certain models. (GMT Master 2 Meteorite) - found a dealer in Guam who had 1 on its way.
@AircraftFreight: Ohh I have no doubt I could but the whole going to AD and building rapport to make sale was my go to thing. And then to kind of have to face those hurdles was off-putting.
When I'm keen again to buy .. I might do as you suggested.
@baldur: According to all ADs I went to in Sydney ( Rolex shop in King st, j Farren price, watches of Switzerland etc
They all said the wait list exists but you are more likely to get called if you have bought another Rolex prior.
Otherwise you will keep getting pushed back. The waitlist is a bit of a joke honestly.
@maverickjohn: It's all fake marketing hype, there is no shortage in supply.
It's kind of like when nightclubs have a line of people outside waiting to enter.
@WatchNerd: Nahhhh they were legit out of stock on all models in the store except for a women's Day date diamond encrusted when I went there. There were no watches in the window at all
@maverickjohn: So maybe I shouldn't have said "there is no shortage in supply". What I meant to say was the shortage in supply is a marketing tactic by Rolex to create hype.
$15k would be an absolute bargain.. lol.
Actually, was talking to my watch guy and he was showing me photos of a customer's Daytona. A$28,500 from crono24 and it turned out to be fake. The customer wasn't angry but sick..
The Seiko is nice but nothing like it besides being a chronograph and the panda colour (except not black and white).
It can't be as Daytona set the precedence.
When there is a homage to the original you can't name it the other way around
The question is which came first
The daytona by a long shot
But what came before the Daytona?
the first of its own design
The one which they had to ask Zenith help make a the movement? Or just 3 subdial chonos in general?
Bought this watch last week with the Starbuy deal - decent watch for the money, but I do have a few gripes (which I was fully aware of before purchasing):
- Only two holes of microadjust
- The 24h subdial is pretty much useless
- Timer only goes up to 60 minutes
- Date window is tiny
- Date window is closer to the 4 o'clock hour marker than the 5 o'clock marker, i.e. it's not centred between the two
Yeah practicalities aside, how’s the wrist roll tho - awesome right haha
This watch is not on my radar, I already have a Sea-Gull St19 powered chrono, but I don't mind its aesthetic. I also have a chrono with the Seiko mechaquartz movement and think at this stage that is the movement to go for. I don't want to service a mechanical chrono, that's for sure.
I think the date is the one thing holding me back. I know people prefer to have a date, but it just ruins the look for me on this watch.
LOL at the two holes microadjust. I would instantly replace it, but Seiko claps are pretty poor at the low end anyway.
Timer only goes up to 60 minutes
Tha'ts ok. Most on here would only need 14 seconds.
14 sec
Checkout mr marathon
Agreed. Picked this one up recently. I've been pretty happy with it. Fortunately the band has worked for me.
This one is the right size for me at 39mm and I like the panda style.
I am really l liking solar chronos. Having the second hand on a subdial is a lot less distracting than a quartz second hand.
I'll likely try and sell a couple of other chronos now I have this.
I also bought the watch from starbuy. I watched a few reviews before the watch arrived so all of those points are valid. I'll also add that the bracelet brush on the steel band looks slightly different than on the watch.
All in all though I love the watch. It looks amazing, feels weighty and nice on the wrist. Bargain for the price.
IMO, The SSC815P looks nicer to me and $538 with code.
I feel the panda is a bit easier to read but yeah that one is good too
I got that one for a friend. It's very nice. All of them are nice.
Yeesss, thank you @Jimothy Wongingtons, another watch post hoping to dilute the posts so noone grabs all the Tuna Arnie's by midnight.. 😁
If we go to war next week the Arnie Tuna can also double as fashionable portable cover 🥹
Why what happens at midnight?
I assume deal expires and he survives not making yet another impulse (yet awesome) Watch purchase
Nah Starbuy Weekend Sale doesn't end until 10 or 12pm Monday bro.
@WatchNerd: Ah have no idea what he could be referencing then.. maybe… that’s when payday is processed?
@WatchNerd: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/comment/13713056/redir
You guys don’t know? Because it’s a mystery to me.
Bingo to Jimo! PHAT moolah!
Okay, I maybe exaggerated the FAT in PHAT.
I believe in you
Yup.
And because you believed, I have achieved..
More financial loss, but also more drip.
Thank you. 😁
Also P.S. I'm at the stage where my 12 slot of nicer watches is full, I have a 5 slot traveller coming from China for daily's. But I want to sell my first of the nicer ones, which actually happens to be my first, then bought basically the same one in blue and love the blue one soo much.. But yeah, it may be time to start making room. 😅
Just buy more boxes, double stacked ones that fit 24.
my personal rule is never sell the first watch…..unless it's a tommy hilfiger lol
All good, you should leave solars out, not away in the drawer from natural light. I could use a 12 watch case though as 6 was full a while ago. Just get some kind of little post to wrap them around (got a few staked up around my bt speaker).
Seytona!
*Seitona
*Seikona
There's quite a few good deals, might grab a nighthawk
I've bought 3 of these fvckers - an ivory one for me ($700 grey import before it was cool), showed it to my friend who was wearing a rollie batgirl at the time, he liked it so got him a panda ($820), and other friend had twins and got him a coke bezel ($650). I might get the murdered-out one. i don;t like the new bigger ones.
My friend only had 1 baby so I got him a Skmei 1628 (~A$14).
i do often think i should just get a small haul of skmei 1628 with gift boxes and just use them as stocking stuffers haha prob more useful than my usual go to of the $15 or so browns brothers moscato or 6 pack of stone n wood.
all glory to skmei
Nice! Might get a few for the staff at my post office.
The watch is available for the same price directly from the Watch Depot site, what would be the advantage of buying via Lasoo?
There was an advantage a couple of months ago when Lasoo had a 15% code that could be used, but this time around I can't see the benefit.
direct via watch depot website still shows as 698 unless you have a 10% code for watch depot? I know there is a $20 off code for sign up.
Ah that's because Lasoo shows it as $698 for me, so the deal is either expired or I'm special.
That’s interesting! Because yesterday when I looked at it on google shopping it had under $698, a link that said pay $628 only. Clicking link spat out the 10% code. This morning that link ain’t there anymore!
Looking for some related advice: What is the best way to change the battery on one of these? Is it a DIY job, or will that ruin the waterproof-ness? If it has to go into a shop, where can it be done well, at a good price (in Sydney)? Thanks.
You may never need to. There's a three year warranty should it fail. Given the longevity of Citizen Eco Drive, one would hope Seiko solar would be at least as good.
I've read accounts of people still using the former after 20+ years without a case opening.
They are easy to change with a couple of cheap tools, and you'll find oodles of how-to guides online. But given you may only ever have to change this once in its life, if ever (unless the battery has died and refuses to charge - I've seen one where this was the case), then rather than buy tools you may only ever use once just take it to any decent watch shop or jeweller that does in-house repairs. Saves you the hassle of sourcing the correct battery too.
If you have a few quartz watches and will be changing batteries semi-regularly it would be worth the investment for the correct tools as it will save you time and money in the long run.It's one of those repair jobs that is simple enough to learn, but also cheap enough to have a shop do if you don't want to DIY.
I have it nicknamed the "Poor mans Daytona" a good value Chronograph that is a great starter for anyone that wants to build a watch collection.