I have been blown away many times with Seiko’s creative expressions so far and I also wish to be so over and over again, but the Giugiaro 30th Anniversary Spirit Smart Watch simply fails this time. I would give this Seiko Quartz Chronograph an upper hand any day and if you accuse me of going only after the looks, then Hell may be it! I want my watch to look good and not gross and not every person on the streets is going to stop me asking its price. The SNAB85P1 outruns the Seiko Spirit and while many watch connoisseurs will look down at me with an exotic frown, I am not changing my opinion.
If you ask me why I marked it gross, well, just because it doesn’t look too sleek. Even this Seiko Superior Automatic looks slicker and is definitely of a better build than the Italian inspired Spirit. However, some may comment on its bright colors but hey, did we even see this one? Some chronograph collectors may find the Spirit uplifting enough, but not me. There are so many other good quartz chronographs from Seiko (like this one) that not keeping the Spirit in my collection is not gonna hurt.
Okay, so I already here some of you asking – “Which ones are then enough fortunate to be in your collection?” Well, the list is a long one and this time, it’s only the Seiko quartz chronos. The SNAB85P1 definitely tops the list, followed by the Seiko Spirit Solar Radio Wave Control World Time and definitely, the Seiko Titanium Military and the Seiko Flight Alarm Chronograph.
Now, whoever asks about the Astrons must keep in mind we are not discussing the sky-high priced Seiko-s, but those that can be afforded by those like me i.e. not the ultra-rich.
So, where does it come up to? I wear my watches to feel good, not to show people my faithfulness to the media. Maybe the Italian connection is something which shall always be sought after by a certain group, but those who value their money shall settle for something that offers something more than its price. If an exotic branding always did the job, there wouldn’t have been so many good stuffs from the Seiko factory. Esthetics do count and Seiko understands it well. And that says why there was no further follow up to the Spirit.
