- 01 Νοέμ 2016, 20:16
#320176
Seiko SKX031K “Submariner” reviewWatch History*Date acquired: July 23rd 2004
*Production Date: Nov 2003
*Source: Chun Cheong Watch & Pen Store, Sungei Wang Plaza
*Price paid: MYR400 (approximately USD115)
*Status: In production
BackgroundPop quiz folks – what resembles a Rolex Submariner watch, says “SEIKO" on the dial, has a screw-in crown and costs a fraction of the price of the watch that it pays homage to?
No prizes for guessing, it’s none other than the Seiko SKX031K – Seiko’s timeless tribute to the Rolex Submariner. The SKX031K has been around for over a decade (it debuted in 1996 with the introduction of the 7s26 automatic caliber) and sales of this model appears to be still going strong despite its age in the market.
It took me several months to consider one of this timeless classics from Seiko, albeit its design isn’t entirely original (after all, it is a homage to the Rolex Submariner) and I thought the SKX031K would fill the gap between my 200m, ISO-certified Seiko divers and my dressy Seiko 5 timepieces rather nicely.
The SKX031K and its Pepsi-bezeled SKX033K are Seiko’s only tribute models to the Rolex Submariner. There are several watch companies that also produce homage Submariner watches. Invicta, AMF, Sandoz and Orient are some of them that have these look-alike models.
Rolex Submariner Orient 2ER00001B
Top: A genuine Rolex Submariner (left) and a homage Orient “Submariner" (right)
In case you didn’t know, a homage watch is not a replica or fake watch. Basically a homage watch borrows some design influences from the original watch without infringing on copyright and trademarks of the patent holder. To the untrained eye, both the Orient and the Rolex appear similar but there are subtle variations in detail between the two.
For the rest of this review I will enclose the term "Submariner" (in quotes) to denote a homage Submariner.
Seiko’s own “Submariner" in detail
Unlike the other homage watches, Seiko’s SKX031K tries to retain as much design originality as possible while giving the “flavor" of the Rolex Submariner. Probably in an effort to avoid copyright infringements, Seiko decided to use the hour and minute hands from their SKX007/SKX009 diver instead of the famous “"Mercedes-style" hour hand.
The watch company also altered the dial design of their “Submariners" in a way, perhaps to protect themselves from legal infringements.
Ολόκληρο το άρθρο εδώ:
http://quartzimodo.com/seiko-skx031k-submariner-review/
