If watch collectors were baptized into the hobby, owning a Seiko would be a nonnegotiable rite of passage. Everyone seems to have an affordable, beater Seiko story; given that I had never owned one, shortly after discovering watches I came to see myself as abnormal in some way. I imagined I would have a conversation with other collectors where I would be found out and be made to confess to this shortcoming. It was an error that felt like it needed quick rectification.

The first Seiko I ever purchased – out of equal parts excitement, curiosity, and a desire to prevent the realization of my worst social fears – was the Series 5 SRPD79. The love affair burned for maybe thirty-six hours; I never wore the watch out of the house, and it got sold in short order. I tried again with the SPB149. After the first-week honeymoon ended, it’s gotten more grudging wrist time but it’s still one of only three watches I’ve been trying to sell for a while. In any case, retailing as it did for $1,300 it always felt like an attempt at a bare bones “luxury” diver that was not a suitable candidate for the “beater Seiko” narrative.

Neither watch sustained any real joy, and I remember thinking after wearing each for a while, was this really what all the fuss was about? There must be something wrong with me. How could it be that Seiko sometimes sparked, but failed to ignite, any attraction? After all, I am obsessed with the parent company, and own vintage Seiko and Credor watches, as well as multiple modern Grand Seiko references.

I worried it was because I was a luxury snob. I own and happily wear G-Shocks but my very first mechanical watch purchase had been a Nomos. It proved very difficult for me to dissociate mechanical and luxury watches as two distinct concepts. I had to force myself to learn it was possible for a luxury watch to not be mechanical, or mechanically interesting (most luxury watches, in fact, are not mechanically interesting in the least), and it was similarly possible for an affordable watch to be mechanical, and even mechanically interesting because of the severe cost constraints placed on it.