The white waffle dial King Samurai just came in this morning and I wanted to share my likes and also disappointments. Feel free to leave your comments and opinions about this watch cheers Peter #seiko #kingsamurai #prospex #watch-buying
As most of us know, Japanese car manufacturers addressed reliability issues over a generation ago and became a dominant force in automobile sales. This is because the manufacturers listened to customers complaints and made improvements. I think there is a lesson in this for watch manufacturers.
To put a fine point on the issue, I've seen more problems with the watches coming out of the Malaysian Seiko factory than from the Japanese home office. I think the "King Samurai" shows that Seiko has listened to it's customers regarding a best selling product. For years people who buy these have been forced to go to other companies and upgrade crystal to sapphire and switch the bezel inserts to more durable and attractive ones. Now, Seiko responded- and that's progress. The misalignment that is the most common complaint now, but on my brand new "King" everything seems lined up very nicely, including the bezel markers, but then again- not exactly "perfect." Good enough or my eyes though. I don't walk around wearing a loop!
I was not sure whether to get the black one or this white one, but after watching your video - you've convinced me to go for white...amazing quality capture - you made the watch look a lot more than it's asking price! Thank you!
That non lining up bezel is a deal breaker for me. Again, a great video. Your camera work focus and refocus is head and shoulders above other youtube video makers. Thank you!
Nice video! Just got the white dial without any of the defects you experienced. Love it so far and I don’t mind the rubber strap that came with it. Going to live on a NATO most of the time anyway for the weight. Great video
Awesome video again,great to see them side to side.Really like the white dial,but omg,that orange with the stunning strap match combination,wow,summer,sunshine,long beach iced tea by the ocean with Bob Marley chilling on the speaker. Epic,thank you♥️👊
Thnx for the review. I have the regular samurai on bracelet and I really enjoy wearing it. It's a solid diver with its own aesthetic that wears comfortably for its size and weight. I don't care for the premium model as much, the dial in particular doesn't appeal to me. And I'm surprised they shrunk the winding crown. I love the larger crown due to the purchase it gives the fingers when using it. I agree that the original's threaded crown is a pleasure to use, as nice as any rolex I've handled. Take care.
Great review, nice observation about the crown, never would've known. Shame about the alignment issues, still baffles me how Seiko STILL struggles with lining up the chapter ring and bezel.
Great video! And I'm glad you mention the crown... I have the Dark Manta Ray and it's exactly as you describe. The crown doesn't pop out when unscrewing. And it's very grindy when threading... Solved it with the waxed dental floss trick. But it all feels as if something is wrong with the watch. My bezel lines up, but my chapter ring doesn't... It's quite frustrating because it's a great watch. Come on Seiko... Greetings from Belgium
Got the black one a few days ago, the crown threading seemed to sort itself out after a couple of days. Took some floss to it yesterday and it’s now perfect!
I lost my enthusiasm for Seiko years ago over QC issues. Being into sports cars, here's a "gear head" analogy that is apropos. They leak, they squeak, they creak. Ahhh, the car was produced in the UK.))) 😉
@@artagain8977, my best friend at university drove a Triumph TR 2. Talk about skake, rattle, and roll))) BTW in my university days I drove a Fiat Spyder. In high school, a Karmann Ghia. 😀
@@JeeGee114, I think you missed the point. Your Honda was built to the company's specifications. With regard watches and poor QC, built to Seiko's specifications???? 😉
@@PeterKotsa, sorry but I don't think your watch is defective. Try returning it. Seiko will give you the run around and say it meets their standards. Standards? I think they gave up their standards some time ago.
I have two Samurai, one Orange and one Padi. The Orange has perfect alignment and the Padi has a misaligned bezel and chapter ring. Having said that, the Padi is my favourite, that dial is exceptional. I’d be keen on the King Samurai in another colour. Nothing wrong with this colour though.
Just got this king samurai. Luckily mine do not have any issues on the bezel alignment, looking at the serial numbers, it showed that it was made early this year - 2022. 😁
I have 3 Samurai but this is by far my favourite, it also seems to feel flatter and not as tall on the wrist even though the dimensions are the same... not sure if that's an illusion. It is a great value piece considering the specs, dial and finish.
Just got a King Samurai (black dial) and I appreciate your eye for detail, I didn't notice the different crown depth compared to the old model. BTW I scored my watch for $300 USD. I was considering the beautiful; new "Save The Ocean" Samurai, but for the extra $100 I would have spent- the dial is so small I need a loop to enjoy all those details. I'd rather keep the $100 in pocket and enjoy the beauty of the watch in it's most basic iteration. This one has been on wrist for a few days. No problems with the crown- everything is smooth. There is no spring pusher on mine either. FWIW my watch arrived well adjusted and it's only showing a 2 to 7 second per day loss so far. This watch is a keeper. The ceramic bezel insert looks fantastic too, very shiny and almost a silver- grey metallic cast to it, unless you're looking dead on at the watch face. The whole package oozes quality.
G'day Pete, right, it's a lovely looking watch! But Seiko! What can you say, that's what you get from Seiko these days: they finally give you the right specs, but at a premium price, minus the stainless steel bracelet. And they still can't get their QC issues right. I prefer my two Zelos Swordfish all day long. Cheers mate! 👍
Peter did you keep this one? I wonder if the crown action got better? I know my San Martin Sumo homage was rough but after a few uses is butter smooth. This model has the fewest hangups for me in the Sub 1K class from Seiko when on the Rubber Strap and my local dealer feels the same and was pushing this for me over a modded Samauri or Turtle I would say this and the White dial Shogun are my fav new release from Seiko and suspect I will pick one up and perhaps grab a Strapcode Hexad for it as well to dress it up for when not at the beach.
With Seiko, I found I get more value (at sale prices) when I pay less than $500 USD. The SKX is gone and its replacement is an expensive, de-contented 100M "diver style" Seiko 5. Samurai's and Turtles are real bargains for real dive watches. When you pay over $500 USD for a Seiko, I feel I reach a point of diminishing returns. I own the orange Samurai (SRPC07) modded with Namoki stainless steel bezel, bezel insert and Strapcode Hexad bracelet. It looks great, costs considerably less than the King Samurai, there are no alignment issues, and I am a little over $500 all in. I love Seiko products, but the company is becoming greedy.
I wanted King Samurai for a time, then i found myself buying a black pvd case-gold tone indices baby Tuna. I just noticed no misalligment issue with Baby Tuna. Maybe i am lucky but i bought thinking it will go well with my Oris Aquis and shocked while i saw it kept better time than my Aquis. All i say: Seiko doing well on Prospex line divers.
I think you should "rant" on the QC issues. I picked up a green King Turtle and...Misaligned bezel, misaligned cyclops for god sakes! and yes, harsh winding. Who ever named this thing King got it wrong. I'll never forget this purchase. Thanks for the honest review, There aren't many of them out there.
I get frustrated when this sort of stuff passes through. One in a 1000 is understandable, it happens, but every second forum I see there are issues with misalignment on a variety of models from Seiko
Great video Peter, first English review of this watch on RU-vid, believe me I did search for one a lot 😂. Quick question, is the border of the indices black?
Thank you for the review, the King Samurai is on my short list. Too bad about the QC problems, the watch is lovely. I think the price will settle towards $400 in about 6 months (at least in the US), but we will see.
Another great video. I love seiko but how hard is it to align a chapter ring. Come on seiko you have increased your prices, it's time to increase your quality control.
If its not misaligned, something is wrong with Seiko. Thanks for the review. I owned two Samurai, both and lined up perfect. It made me think twice before jumping up. I still believe the colour of aluminium is better and have different pop. I don't know how they would do it with ceramic. I think the sapphire is a plus.
You are certainly tempting me to get one !! 😓😓😓 My great white version of the Samurai which was made in Japan also has misaligned bezel, so don't feel so bad ya....
Absolutely beautiful watch such a shame like you say about the quality control issues I thought that I had all the watches I needed however looking at this it's a lovely watch I would benefit from the cyclops because of my eyesight my preference also would be without the steel strap which would increase the weight too much and plus when you don't get the very high-end metal straps it feels like you've got clutter on your wrist absolutely lovely why should never heard of it before thank you very much... PS what does the rotor sound and feel like when you move ie is it silent is it grating? And what is the date movement feel like when turned via eye crown is it luxurious or unstable?
I commented above on this watch as I bought one. No QC issues. The cyclops window is one reason why I bought it as I like cyclops with dates. You can't hear the rotor winding when on the wrist. If you take it off and shake it close to your ear you can just hear it. And the date clicks over nicely. I have other watches including Rolex, Omega, Breitling and JLC so know what quality watches look and feel like. This watch compares very favourably. If you didn't know about watches and brands, and just looked at the finish, there is nothing obvious to say the Seiko is an order of magnitude cheaper.
I am tempted to buy this, It'd be my first Seiko.. But I really only like the steel bracelets.. Do they sell the steel bracelets separately for this? Or are the regular Samurais bracelets the same?
I recently picked up my Black King Samurai on bracelet from my AD and it is stunning! I put it on the black Seiko rubber and it wears so comfortably. My alignment is excellent and the bezel is spot on. The crown is smooth. How is yours working out? Has the crown smoothed out?
Went to twi different seiko dealers and fiund at both numerous qc issues decided not to buy was looking at new turtle save the ocean and samurai white dial maybe when they can get it right ill buy
Peter I think it depends on the watch because mine is buttery-smooth. I had gotten a turtle King and that was extremely bad what this white king Samurai is just beautiful I'm so happy I got it. I was thinking of putting a strapcode bracelet on it that's black. It's called a hexagon beautiful bracelet what are your thoughts?
I've got a save the ocean samurai and apparently the case isn't the same as the older samurai. The bracelet wobbles a bit, doesn't quite sit flush against the case. Guess they thought the change was small enough to not make new end links, it's annoying.
You are one the first to review this watch. I am a big fan of the Seiko Samurai and am in the process of building the best specced samurai. The mod list is custom caseback, flat sapphire with clear ar, strapcode hexad, lcbi chapter ring, lcbi sapphire bezel insert, custom signed crown, lumed date wheel and a +/-2 seconds a day regulated 6R35.
@@PeterKotsa Yeah, I will if I remember. The trouble is alot of the components I want to add aren't available yet. The LCBI chapter ring and Sapphire bezel are in production but not up for sale and I gotta wait for Seiko to sell the 6R15 as a spare part. So I doubt it will be done before next year probs midway through 2021.
Hi Peter , if seiko want to be taken seriously anymore , then they need to sort these issues out. Their prices have been going upwards in the last couple of years, the 051 was an example of that. But at least that was decent for the price. Since then the ordinary models are nearly as expensive as the 051. It's inexcusable to have misaligned bezels etc at this price point or any really. So many microbands are offering so much more, at so much less. It's a shame because they built the company on models that were unbeatable for price, but no more.
I picked up my King Samurai white dial today and I have no issue's with it the bezel lines up perfectly and the crown is smooth looks like it is just the luck of the draw with them which is not good but I am very happy with mine
That’s good to hear there are some out there that are fine. I’ve spoken to 3 others now who have issues, two of which are returning them to the ad, my ad sold out now so I can’t get an exchange. All that after waiting so long, very frustrating. I bought a cheap homage for 60 British pounds. A captain Willard homage, the screw down crown action is like butter, can do it with my eyes closed. Yet with the samurai for 500... I have to sit there trying to figure out which way is the best way to get that crown screwed back down. When it should be as easy Seiko write in there manual, push in and turn clockwise. Yeah right. And using floss, lubricants, screw back method... these should not be things a buyer of a brand new watch should have to consider. I’ll email Seiko with that information and see what (if anything) they say.
@@wristwatchtalk I may have had the same issue's but after watching Peter's video I double checked before I handed over the money and I would advise others to do the same but if your buying online good luck ,So it's thank's to Peter Thank's Pete
Dingodongo Australis any chance you have an instagram or somewhere I can send you photos of the crown threading on mine? I’m curious to find out if it’s meant to look how it looks.
OHHHH MY GOOODDNEEEEESSSS if this can appear on amazong for about 500$ ill be happy legit this waffle dial lookin like dark chocolate on the black dial bruh hwa better dial then the OG and matches this watch better then the king turtle
Hi, the misalignment part you went over a bit too quick. I can’t really tell a misalignment for the chapter ring once you rotate one over. Can you be a bit more specific? I just bought my spre37 king samurai and I don’t see misalignment on mine, however, my golden tuna SNE498 has an obvious misalignment on 6 o’clock marker and bezel. Do you know if Seiko service center can fix the issue for free?
The bezel and chapter ring and dial are all out of alignment at the 12 o’clock As for Seiko fixing this, I suppose you need to contact them and see what the outcome is Cheers
The case is actually different. They re-desinged the whole case. At first glans it looks the same and yes they kept the overal dimentions the same, but just look at the side profile of the two and you will see it. The srpe37 looks quite less bulky and more refined. The shapes of the lugs, viewed from the side, actually have similar but different shapes. AIso take a look at the back of the two watches where the crown is located. it is really different and you can also see at the rear that the lugs are beveled on the new case where on the old case they are straight. That's also one on the reasons why the side profile appears to look more slender despite the same overall dimentions. I pesonally prefer the new case.
@Peter Kotsa The store I deal with will be getting these in in a couple days. I ordered this same samurai, but the Save the Ocean Manta Ray edition. Eventhough the Manta Ray dial is really a no-brainer for me, this white dial version had given me reason to pause and look it over before checking-out. It's a real beauty with the black ceramic bezel insert and it's polished inner ring! I was maybe a little puzzled with the strap/bracelet choices that Seiko gave us; the white dial looks incredible on the s.s. bracelet! I guess they must have been thinking white is sportier than black, so we'll give it the "sportier" strap? A small detail that really caught my eye when I first noticed these models is the the way the cyclops helps balance the dial. On the models without a cyclops, when you glance at the watch, the 6, 9 and 12 markers seem to pop (naturally), but I also find it gives the watch a sense of being "heavier" on the left. With the cyclops, it seem to just make it look and feel even. Maybe that's jsut me though... :D I like that strap on your orange samurai... ISOfrane strap?
The Manta Ray is also a great looking dial. I’ve heard it’s great in the flesh. As for the orange strap it’s a Borealis, check out my Borealis review about a few months back...TOP straps 👍👍
Lovely looking watch Peter, but yet again QC lets it down. My “ocdC” as I call it, does my head in too.🤣 Maybe each time you wear it you just need to tilt your head re bezel?🤪 And yes you can remove the bezel insert & realign it. Not that I’ve done it but Jody on Just One More Watch I think has done it on a watch mod!👍🏼
Peter Kotsa I fully agree with you Peter! Absolutely ridiculous on a $800 watch they can’t get something this simple, right! I but a few micro brand watches & they leave Seiko in the shade for WC, I mean QC!😂 Thx mate😎
Peter, nice watch this one. A strapcode hexad would look nice on it but to be honest lately I’ve been enjoying the OEM steel on my orange sammy like yours. We’re you tempted by the manta ray blue dial or is that a little too juvenile for us middle aged blokes?
I saw the Manta ray and it does look quite interesting. The contrast of the white waffle dial though was more of an attractive piece. And what do you mean by middle aged, we've only just begun LOL
Peter Kotsa The dial of manta ray reminded me of one of those cheesy Chinese electric blue wall pictures from the 90’s. The ones with a back light, 3D effect and built in fake ocean sound.
Cannot believe this! A(nother) well priced SFIKO (i've seen tones of SFIKO since the early 80's) with NO problems whatsoever! A real beauty ( by far) that makes you wanna jump when it gets close (to escape???). What was that product called in the 90's? Wonderbra? Alike... Now with cyclop crystal (cause we got older, needed!), black and white King (Pierrot from Commedia Dell' Arte???? not an emperor? is this a true samurai?) and no bracelet (so... passe' !). Bargain! I'm about to write some brochures for Seiko soon... I feel hot !!!!! 😈 Btw, not a(nother) bad - by any means - watch, surely a(nother) honest review and a(nother) pity for Seiko... A(nother) time mate! PS Continuing on last reply of yours, got to mention that (next) summer will come way sooner for you. Enjoy mate! 😎
Lol Summer might come soon here in Melbourne bro, BUT are we spending it indoors under lockdown?? We’re told when to go out, why to go out, what time to get home, we can only exercise for one hour etc 😳😳😳😳
Hey I love this watch.... I'm ready to buy one but is eBay a safe place to get them? There are two sellers with good rating. Time Gallery and Spot-on-times. I don't want a fake watch. 🤷♂️
eBay is a safe place to buy as long as you pay with PayPal you should be covered if anything should go wrong. I have purchased quite a few watches from ebay. Just do your research first, cheers
Those Quality Control issues are inexcusable. Otherwise, I really like the watch but Seiko needs to ratchet up their QC as it does affect their reputation.
Disappointing about the QC, but I'd much rather a slightly misaligned bezel than a mushier one. Still, can't a watchmaker easily align it properly? Great piece and review, btw!
@@PeterKotsa Yes. This has become a sore spot for me...or has it? On the one hand it's a bit of an insult that a $1k watch would have a non-regulated movement. It seem the movement itself is good, though. Why should we then have to pay more to have a watch guy finish the job? On the other hand, if you really like the design and heritage of the piece over it's competitors, then a bit of extra $ and fuss seems like a small price to pay for the sexiness. I'm considering the new Willard or an Oris 65. Could go either way at this point
I see so many ppl liking the white waffle dial, not the black waffle dial. While the white dial impressed lot of people, the black dial is actually much more subtly beautiful in real life.
We can complain all we want about Seiko QC but if we keep buying them and they keep getting rich why should the fix the QC problems???? We can love them but let stop buying them. That might help 🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️
Just paid for the srpe33k1 for $405 today. Have also asked AD to reserve this white one for me. This with strap, so, cheaper. His 1st batch sold out. Have wait for next batch. The K series are real cheap in Malaysia.
@@PeterKotsa ya, l will get my white soon. I bought the srpe07k1 king turtle with strap for $370. Perfect alignment. Expect the white Samurai to be about the same price.
Just received my mantra ray Samurai. Also perfect alignment like my king turtle. No problem with crown. The K series is definitely not inferior to the J.
I wonder if Rolex didn't intentionally introduce scarcity in their steel sports watches if there would be as many people complaining about bezel alignment (as they're far from exempt) or if it really just happens more often on a Seiko. We'll never know I guess
