Timex vs. Fossil vs. Seiko: Which Makes the Best Entry-Level Watches?

Timex vs. Fossil vs. Seiko

Timex Watches

Timex History

The Timex company started in 1854 under the name Waterbury Clock Company, producing clocks with brass wheels and gears in Connecticut, USA. Since the very beginning, Timex has stayed true to its philosophy of making affordable clocks and watches.

In an entrancing story distributed on the brand’s site, it’s composed that the organization creates a moderate pocket watch, which at the time cost one dollar (when five pounds of sweets cost 35 pennies). The organization sold more than 6,000,000 of these watches by the turn of the century. This occurred around 1901. At around 1914, nonetheless, the organization began moving to watches with ties.

What followed were effective ideas that have made the organization one of the greatest watch marks today: the Mickey Mouse plans, the V-conic (a reasonable, excellent mass delivered watch development), the Timex Ironman (the world’s first games watch), and the celebrated Timex Indiglo light.

Both, the Ironman watch and Indiglo backlight, have become the driving forces for Timex that, hand-in-hand with very affordable prices, have resulted in enormous sales volumes.

Timex Watches Manufacturing Place

Timex watches are primarily made in the Philippines, where the brand has a large factory in Lapu-Lapu City. China and India are also used as outsourcing countries. However, the technologies are being developed in the United States and Germany, guaranteeing the reliability of Timex watches.

Their new collection, the American Documents, is almost entirely made in the USA using American materials but employing Swiss quartz movements.  

Many watch aficionados completely cast aside the brands with strong connections to China or any other Far East country. For a lot of reasons, they’re right because the overall quality is inferior to the likes of Japan and Switzerland. On the other hand, the production sites differ from one another in numerous ways and can’t be regarded as equal.

Timex is not a brand that orders watch parts from different high-scale cheap suppliers and assembles them for the sake of easy money. The more than 40 years of production in the Philippines is transparent, void from shady tricks, and full of professionalism. High-quality machinery, along with experienced employees and know-how, is the assurance for the durability of Timex watches.

Timex Watches Reputation

Timex watches generally fall in the affordable category. The brand is known for its simplicity and durability and has a wide range of models, from simple $10 watches to divers and limited editions. 

This brand is considered by many as one of the best watches if you’re looking for an anti-investment timepiece; a good quality, affordable everyday watch. 

Not many watch manufacturers who rely so heavily on Southeast Asia in their production can boast with that kind of reputation.

The proof of acknowledgment is vividly showcased in a four-year agreement in 2008 that made Timex the Official Timekeeper of the New York Marathon. Most recently, they’ve become the timekeepers of ComplexCon, a music and clothing event taking place yearly in Long Beach, LA.

Timex Watches Quality

The vast number of watches are made of resin, a composite blend of high-impact plastic. Though it doesn’t possess the longevity of stainless steel, the resin is still a material that lasts long with proper care. The weight is probably the most significant advantage for the material, suiting well for sports-related activities. 

Brass is another popular material that Timex watches employ. Again, it’s not as reliable and carefree as stainless steel, but decent enough to serve for years to come.

Higher-end lines, such as Marlin and American Documents, employ stainless steel cases. The alloy is the most widespread material in high-quality pieces in the industry. 

Timex uses acrylic glass for dial covering in their cheaper-end watches, whereas more durable mineral glass is available in pricier models.

The bands are typically made of resin, fabric, silicone, and leather. Stainless steel is, again, available in pricier collections. Watch movements come primarily from China and Southeast Asia. Despite the typical quality issues with movements coming from that part of the world, Timex has been able to employ reliable and accurate quartz movements. The majority of owners are thrilled about the longevity of batteries and the accuracy of quartz that the timepieces offer. 

With the recent introduction of the U.S.-made American Documents line, the quartz movement you’ll find from the watch originates from Switzerland. 

Besides quartz, some of the higher-end watches come with Chinese Seagull automatic and hand-wound mechanisms as well.

Timex Watches Style

Timex watch styles tend to be pretty basic and vanilla. They do have a few that stand out, but for the most part, You are not going to see anything new fashion-wise. That being said, however, Timex watches do have a style that can fit most any attire. These are not bad looking watches at all.

Timex Warranty Policy

Timex watches are warranted against manufacturing defects for one year from the original date of purchase.

According to the Timex website, customers who would like to avail of this service just need to go to an authorized Timex repair center, with a proof of purchase indicating the model, date purchased, and the retailer where the watch is from. Handling fees will be charged.

For more information on the brand’s warranty policy, visit their website here.

If you need to do some troubleshooting and you no longer have the hard copy of your manual, Timex has a comprehensive page on its website dedicated to instruction manuals and user guides. Here, you will be able to search for the guides of a specific watch.

Timex Watches Prices

The vast majority of Timex watches are available for less than $100. The cheapest resin case timepieces cost between $30-$50. Chronograph-featured watches have a price tag of $50-$100. The automatic and hand-wound lines can cost $200-$300, whereas the priciest collection with Swiss quartz movements, the American Documents, is priced at $500.

Where to buy Timex Watches?

You can go Timex official website to buy watches, and don't forget to sign up at Extrabux (What is Extrabux?) , then you can get 9% super cashback from Extrabux! Sign-Up Bonus: Free to join it & get $20 welcome bonus!

Timex Watches Promotions

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Fossil Watches

Fossil History

Fossil is a relatively new company compared to other top-tier brands in the industry as it was founded in 1984. Catering to producing well-crafted dress watches, Fossil steadily developed its reputation within this circle. Fossil is best known as a designer brand rather than a watchmaker, but that doesn’t mean they can’t offer amazing timepieces. In regards to Fossil watches, you can agree that they produce some of the most attractive timepieces in the market and the Fossil Group (parent company) includes many watch brands including Michael Kors, Emporio Armani and has recently acquired watch companies Zodiac and Danish brand Skagen among others.

An exciting aspect of Fossil watches is that Fossil incorporates tried and tested quartz movement into their watches. The company also opted not to be tied down to a specific quartz movement variation as their watches are known to use Japanese and Swiss quartz. This is a smart decision to improve the reliability of their timepieces.

Throughout the years, Fossil has developed partnerships with famous designer brands. These led to some of the most visually striking timepieces around. While Fossil is considered as primarily a fashion brand, make no mistake that their watches are just as reliable and well-made as those by the upper echelon of watchmakers in the industry.

Fossil Watches Manufacturing Place

The very first Fossil watches were from Hong Kong. The strong relationship with Asian manufacturing has been present since. 

However, since the brand grew into a billion-dollar company, it now has its own manufacturing companies around the world. This allows the brand to cater to various brands and various market segments.

The Fossil Group has a wide-range of sub-companies, each having its own product lines. As a result, Fossil is already designing, manufacturing, and distributing Mechanical watches and quartz watches.

For example, the high-end mechanical timepieces are generally made in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan. This type of watches is usually more expensive, at $750 for the cheapest ones and could go high to up to more than $25,000. Compared to other watch brands, Fossil is relatively affordable, considering that many high-end quartz watches with the price range of $250 to $750 are also manufactured in the countries mentioned, and possibly, China. Most quartz watches that are priced lower than $250 are manufactured in Asia, mainly in China.

Fossil Watches Reputation

Fossil is the most known and valued fashion brand there is. With the number of models circling on the market, they’re also the brand with one of the broadest arrays of different styles, catering the needs of a lot of people. 

The characteristics of Fossil suit the best for the younger audience. Flashy and modern apparel represents up-to-date style that attracts fashion-hungry individuals, rather than quality-obsessed aficionados.

Quality, in fact, is one of the factors why many opt for proven brands with long watchmaking history instead. The likes of Citizen and Seiko don’t boast flashy additions but are ahead of Fossil in terms of quality standards. 

Regardless, Fossil stands out because of its modern styles and trends, and their top designers. The brands included in the Fossil Group portfolio include Burberry, Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, DKNY, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld.

The reliability of Chinese watchmaking you’ll find from the Fossil line is not yet consistent enough for a blindfolded trust. However, the standards keep improving with every year. 

Testifying to this is the fact that more and more recognized European and Japanese wristwear brands have already been importing some parts of their watches from the Chinese production line.

Cases, dials, and sapphire glass are the top components coming from that part of the world. This trend will, in no doubt, considerably increase rather than decrease in the following decades. 

Fossil Watches Quality

The Fossil brand produces mechanical, digital, and smartwatches. Fossil, by and large, has cases made of stainless steel. Their bands can be stainless steel as well, but also come in leather, or even silicone, depending on the watch. The dial windows on a typical Fossil watch will usually be made of mineral crystal.

Fossil watches usually don’t offer much water resistance, with many models having about 30 meters of water resistance. This means that you shouldn’t wear them while swimming or bathing.

So Fossil watches have an average build. They keep it pretty simple. Their builds are neither high nor low quality. They are about what you would expect in lower priced watches.

Fossil Watches Style

Fossil is a fashion focused brand, and as such, they bring a wide assortment of styles to the market. Their designs keep up to date with the latest trends. They even won a Fashion Tech Of The Year Award in 2017. Having styles that consistently gain favorable reviews in the eyes of the public is what helps keep them moving forward in the industry.

Fossil Warranty Policy

All Fossil watches are warranted by the brand for a period of two (2) years from the date of purchase. It covers material and manufacturing defects. It doesn’t cover any improper use, water damages, or defects in battery, case, crystal, and straps. 

The warranty is also void if the watch has been damaged due to accident, negligence, unauthorized service or other factors not due to defects in material or workmanship.

General feedback regarding repairs is positive – the job is done quickly in substituting the components or simply shipping out a replacement watch. However, they don’t guarantee that you’ll receive the same model. If your model is not available, a watch of equal value or a similar style will be provided. Also, the replacement watch warranty ends two years from the date you received your replacement watch.

The reason for this is the rather short span of time the collections are available. A typical fashion brand as Fossil is, the models get substituted every couple of years. 

Fossil Watches Prices

One of the defining factors in the success of the brand has been the affordable prices. 

The cheapest are dive-inspired and minimalist watches that typically cost around $100. Casual and chronograph watches are slightly pricier, available in the region of $100-$200.

Automatic wristwear and hybrid smartwatches cost somewhere between $200-$250, while smartwatches, the most expensive of them all, will cost you around $300. 

The prices are rough indications that largely depend on different resellers. Therefore, don’t be surprised if you encounter slightly different valuations.

Where to buy Fossil Watches?

You can go Fossil official website to buy watches thruogh Extrabux, then you can get 2% super cashback.

Fossil Watches Promotions

1. Sign up at Fossil  for $25 off $75+;

2. Extra 40% off sale items with code DOUBLE.

Seiko Watches

Seiko History

The Japanese watchmaker has been around for over two centuries, and they are still going strong. That’s a testament to the quality that Seiko offers with their timepieces. Founded in 1881, in Tokyo, Japan – Seiko began as a jewelry shop up until 1924 when they finally entered the wristwatch making industry.

The company quickly rose to prominence during the next couple of decades, building up its reputation with quality yet affordable watches. By 1969, Seiko finally reached their first milestone with the Seiko Astron.

The Astron was the first quartz movement watch made available to the public. With its highly reliable and precise timekeeping, Astron, and along with its quartz movement, rocketed Seiko to new heights. The quartz watch revolution has officially begun.

The quartz watch movement was so innovative that every other watch brand quickly followed suit. By the end of the 70s, quartz watches have become the standard in the market, all thanks to Seiko’s trailblazing efforts with their Astron watch model.

Of course, Seiko did not stop trying to reinvent the wheel with the quartz movement technology. By 1977, Seiko once again made headlines with the first solar-powered wristwatch.

This further propelled Seiko as a pioneer company in the industry and it along with Citizen (click to read a comparison of the two) are known for some of the best solar watches on the market.

Entering the new millennium, Seiko unveiled the Spring Drive movement technology.  This technology is designed for space travel, in particular. This movement technology will be able to withstand space travel while maintaining its accuracy in telling time.

Seiko also re-introduced the Astron series back in 2012, which is now upgraded with all of Seiko’s signature features. Seiko remains one of the most trusted brands in the market when it comes to timepieces. As things go, they will most likely retain this position for years to come.

Seiko Watches Manufacturing Place

Seiko is at the forefront of innovation and prides itself on its redeeming quality. In the past, all of its parts and movements were made exclusively in Japan. These days, however, they have subsidiaries in other parts of Asia where the movement is manufactured. These are namely Singapore, Malaysia, and China.

Seiko Watches Reputation

Being the official timer of the Tokyo 1964 and Barcelona 1992 Olympics, four FIFA World Cups, as well as numerous athletics World Championships, the five-letter brand is well-known to the majority of people.

Despite not being at the same level as the luxury powerhouses of Rolex and Breitling, Seiko has still achieved a reputation that often places the brand alongside the most prestigious in the industry.

A Seiko watch never disappoints neither apparel nor quality-wise. Moreover, technological accomplishments only add credit to their status as one of the top companies providing affordable timepieces.

Another factor that, without a doubt, has helped Seiko achieve worldwide recognition is stiff competition with domestic competitor Citizen. Often battling for the same customer segment due to similar features and technologies, the Seiko vs Citizen opposition has all but positive outcomes for the whole watch industry.

Seiko Watches Quality

Seiko has an excellent reputation, widely known for manufacturing watches that are precise, durable, and stylish. Many Seiko watch models, especially the higher end ones, are comparable to Swiss watch brands that can cost three to four times as much.

Seiko is most popular for its quartz movement watches—they were actually the ones who invented it. This site highlights that they produce some of the best quartz watches in the world. It’s reported that the brand’s high-accuracy quartz watches are accurate within five to ten seconds per year, and the more affordable ones ensure that you will have reliable time for years.

Seiko Warranty Policy

Seiko has a “guarantee period” that allows customers to get a free repair or adjustment service. This, according to the brand’s website, the guarantee covers service “against any defects on the watch head (movement and case) and metallic band, provided that the watch was used as directed in the instruction manual.”

Seiko’s support page has a comprehensive FAQ section, and The Knowledge section is also a very helpful tool if you’d like to learn more about Seiko’s technologies (ie. Spring Drive, Kinetic). Each topic has its own page containing comprehensive details (such as a Spring Drive watch’s history, key features, and technology).

Customers need to apply for this service by presenting the guarantee certificate provided by the watch retailer. The instruction manuals can be found on this page.

In order to get this warranty, however, customers must make sure that their watch was purchased from legitimate sources.

Seiko Watches Prices

Seiko is unique among watch brands for offering such a wide spectre of quality wristwatches in all price categories you can imagine.

Simple classic quartz watch usually costs less than $50, more advanced solar and Kinetic wristwear are around a couple of hundred dollars, and high-end Astron and Grand Seiko watches are typically priced in four-figure numbers.

Considering the quality Seiko offers in its wristwatches, often even compared to the Swiss manufactured counterparts, such as Tissot, the value-for-money is exceptional.

Where to buy Seiko Watches?

You can go Seiko official website to buy watches. No cashback availiable.

Seiko Watches Promotions

1. Sign up at Seiko  for 10% off your order;

2. Free shipping on all orders.

Verdict

The Timex, Fossil, and Seiko are all very good watch brands with similar prices. But each brand has its own style, so the most important thing to choose which brand is to see which style you prefer. It's up to you!

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