Baselworld/SIHH

MTF
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Baselworld 2016: SEIKO ups its game & drops a bombshell - LIVE PHOTOS

UPDATE 20 March 2016:  LIVE PHOTOS added at bottom of this report

Forumners,

This is just a flash report of perhaps the most stunning news for both watch "lovers" and consumers globally.

Currently, it is buried amongst all the chaos and hype that are Baselworld public relations media distractions. This is like the 2015 announcement of Rolex 3255 movement being "photobombed" by Google/Intel/Apple connected wristwatch frenzy. Last year, everybody got excited by the Apple Watch and forgot to notice that the biggest innovation was the supreme precision of the new Rolex movement that "changed the game".

In 2016, at their 30th Baselworld anniversary, Seiko ups their game and drops a bomb.

They are coming out of Japan on the global market with their fine mechanical watchmaking and not with tentative baby steps but one giant leap. 

 We have always known of their mechanical prowess and watchmaking inventions like the Magic Lever winding system, Diashock protection and Spron (own alloy springs) as well as their chronometric dominance in the late 1960s, to the extent that they were essentially asked not to enter the competition again. Seiko invented the column wheel, automatic chronograph wristwatch.

Consumers in Japan always had the pleasure of mechanical watches in different ranges from the entry level through the mid-range Grand Seiko (YES Grand Seiko is only mid range in Japan) and up to the Credor stratosphere.

Now, they are coming!

A new mid-price range of fine mechanical watchmaking called Presage will launch with 16 models of different functions and finishing.  The star limited editions are shown here from the announcement slides but we will be taking LIVE in-hand images today.

The crucial message is that when you get past the pretty pictures in the Interweb, please be aware that this is the most stunning move by the second oldest family founded and managed watchmaker in the world still in action. CEO Hattori is truly executing his Great Grandfather Kintaro Hattori's founding motto to always stay one step ahead of the rest.

While the Swiss / German watch industry and media reporters are suffering angst about small downturn  in their business relative to their massive growth in the last 10 years or still wondering if the Apple Watch and connected devices will "eat their lunch", the real 800 lb gorilla or in this case 150 kg rikishi (Sumo) in the room are investing in fine mechanical watchmaking........

Forget the pretty pictures put up by a gazillion bloggers this week on the Interweb. They are pretty but not the key message. 

The key messages are:

With 20,000 points of sale, 64 Seiko own boutiques soon rising to 100 and a commitment to promote the appreciation of fine mechanical watchmaking from Japan, this juggernaut must not be ignored.

It cannot be....

The Presage range is priced at only a bit more than their normal quartz watches (with the exception of the Astron).  About CHF 500 - 950 for regular models. The enamel or Japanese lacquer special edition chronographs maybe CHF 2500.

The Presage range does not compete with current Seiko watches sold outside Japan.

The dealers have an opportunity to up-sell a new product range to customers

Regards,

MTF