See, the thing about Seiko is, they’re a massive brand. I mean, *massive*. And while they have some crazy high-end stuff, they’re also known for making really accessible watches, like the Seiko 5. Which, honestly, are perfect for modding. This is where things get messy, and I’ll be honest, I get a little confused myself sometimes.
You gotta remember, Seiko is *not* thrilled about fake watches floating around. Hurts their bottom line, obviously. But then you’ve got this whole world of mods. People buying dials, bezels, movements, and slapping ’em together in *their* cases. Is that “fake”? Well, technically kinda, if you’re slapping a “Seiko” dial on a case that isn’t a Seiko case. But is it a *counterfeit*? That’s the question.
From what I can gather – and I’m just piecing this together from the internet and a little bit of watch-nerd knowledge – it seems like dedicated, straight-up *fake* Seiko cases are probably less common than, say, fake Rolex cases (obviously, duh). Why? Because the value proposition is just lower. It’s probably more profitable to fake the entire watch, movement and all, than to painstakingly recreate *just* the case.
But hold up! That doesn’t mean it *never* happens. Those dodgy online retailers, the ones using the Seiko logo to trick you into thinking they’re legit? Yeah, they *might* be selling watches with fake cases. The article snippets mentioned that the case quality of fake SKX’s just weren’t up to par with the real deal. So, someone *is* making ’em, its just not common.
And let’s be real, with all the modding going on, it’s easy to get confused. You see a Seiko dial in a “Seiko” case, but is it a *real* Seiko case, or some aftermarket part? That’s the tricky bit. Especially online, where you can’t physically inspect the thing.
One thing I picked up is that the crown is often a giveaway. Real Seiko automatic watches *usually* have screwing crowns, while fakes often use quartz-style push-pull crowns. But even then, it’s not a foolproof method, especially when you get into modding and swapping parts. Oh, and also, solid casebacks! The text suggests that some aftermarket parts don’t have the same quality as authentic seiko parts.
