The beautiful world of watchmaking is full of top-quality brands fighting for your attention and loyalty. Many offer contrasting styles and target different audiences.
While it’s possible to get a solid watch in the low-end price sector, it’s hard to deny that the highest level of craftsmanship and the best value resides in mid-to-high-end brands.
There’s little to zero doubt that Seiko and Tag Heuer are two of the most popular and much-loved watch brands that fit the bill perfectly.
Both have one of the richest heritages in the industry, and both continue to prosper to this day – even though the competition has never been more ruthless. Seiko, a Japanese brand, has been around since 1881 while Tag Heuer, a Swiss brand, was founded in 1860. Both have built up a strong reputation over the years for producing high-quality watches.
In today’s Seiko vs Tag Heuer comparison, we’ll be exploring both brands in detail and see how they fare against one another in different aspects such as their style, function, movement, durability, and price.
For a quick peek at some of the best-selling models:
If you’ve been contemplating the purchase of either brand, continue reading. We’re sure that in a few minutes you will have a much better idea of which one to opt for!
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Tag Heuer vs Seiko: Background & History
Before we move on to investigate the quality of both watchmakers, it’s only fair to get familiar with the story behind these two outstanding brands.
Seiko
The brand was founded in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori in Tokyo, Japan. The company started out as a jewelry shop before eventually moving into watchmaking. Seiko is well-known for being the first Japanese company to produce watches that were exported to other countries.
One of the biggest turning points in the history of watchmaking, known as the Quartz Revolution, was in fact provoked by Seiko! In 1968, they introduced the world’s first quartz watch, the Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ. This ground-breaking invention had a massive impact on the industry and single-handedly decimated many Swiss watchmakers who were struggling to keep up with the new technology.
Over the years, Seiko has released several notable models from lines such as the Grand Seiko, Prospex, Presage and Astron. They’ve also been responsible for many notable firsts such as the world’s first GPS solar watch, the world’s first Diver’s 1000m watch, and the world’s first Spring Drive watch.
For a more detailed insight into Seiko’s milestone-rich history, read our Seiko brand review.
Tag Heuer
The Swiss brand was founded way back in 1860 by Edouard Heuer in St-Imier, Switzerland.
The company has a long tradition of being associated with sports timing and is the official timekeeper for numerous sporting events such as the Olympic Games, Formula 1 and IndyCar. That makes it a popular choice amongst enthusiasts fond of the racing watch design.
Throughout its 160-year history, Tag Heuer has released several notable watches such as the Carrera, Aquaracer, Monaco and Link.
They’ve also been responsible for many notable firsts such as being one of the first watchmakers on the moon (worn by astronaut John Glenn), the world’s first water-resistant watch case, the world’s first automatic micro-winding chronograph (the Heuer Monaco) and the world’s first luxury smartwatch (the Connected Watch).
The brand is currently owned by LVMH, which is also the parent company of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior and Bulgari.
Seiko vs Tag Heuer: Style
When it comes to style, both Seiko and Tag Heuer offer a wide range of different designs to suit all tastes.
However, Seiko tends to be more traditional in its designs while Tag Heuer is more modern and contemporary. Hence, both watch brands have their own unique aesthetic that’s easily distinguishable.
Seiko
More often than not, Seiko watches are known for their clean and simple designs. The Japanese brand has a knack for creating elegant dress watches that often feature thin profiles and modest dials.
While Seiko does produce some sportier models (they’re known for their excellent line of dive watches), the majority of their lineup is geared towards formal occasions. This is evident in collections such as the Presage or the luxury sub-brand, Grand Seiko.
That being said, Seiko also has a few lines that are specifically designed for more casual settings such as the Seiko 5 Sports and Seiko Prospex.
Tag Heuer
Tag Heuer, on the other hand, is a brand that’s more well-rounded in terms of its design. They have plenty of dressy watches in their lineup but they’re mostly known for producing rugged sports watches that at the same time beam class and elegance.
The Swiss brand has a long association with motorsports, which explains why many of their watches have a sporty look to them. Collections such as the Carrera, Aquaracer and Formula 1 are all good examples of this.
That doesn’t mean that all Seiko watches oscillate in the dressy spectrum and all Tag Heuer timepieces are designed with car enthusiasts in mind but it does give you a general idea of each brand’s strengths in terms of design.
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| DRAW: There’s no accounting for taste. Each brand offers its unique style although some collections are clear exceptions to the usual design. What connects both brands is that the watches look outstanding on the wrist. |
Seiko vs Tag Heuer: Movements & Technology
Both watch brands are known for their cutting-edge movements and technology.
Seiko
Seiko is renowned for its innovative quartz movements, many of which were industry firsts. The Japanese brand was also the first to introduce solar-powered watches with their Seiko Astron GPS Solar.
In recent years, Seiko has been increasingly focusing on mechanical movements with several notable releases (eg. Prospex Diver’s 300m Hi-Beat SLA017) which can easily be considered top-end automatic pieces.
Nowadays, the number of Seiko models in the quartz and automatic sector is relatively similar.
When discussing movements in Seiko watches, it’s impossible not to mention the brand’s line of kinetic timepieces. These are battery-powered watches that use the wearer’s body movement to generate electrical energy, which is then used to power the watch. In other words, Seiko’s kinetic watches combine the best from the worlds of quartz and automatic models by offering the accuracy of quartz with the self-sufficiency of automatics. This means that you never have to worry about changing batteries or manually winding the watch while enjoying quartz-like accuracy!
Also, Seiko is also one of the few watch companies that manufacture all of their own components in-house. This includes everything from the hairspring and balance wheel to the escapement and mainspring.
Seiko’s quality movements are appreciated by watchmakers from all over the world, including Invicta, Orient or Dan Henry.
Tag Heuer
Like Seiko, Tag Heuer is also no stranger to technology and innovation.
As already mentioned, the Swiss brand was the world’s first brand to develop a water-resistant watch case as well as the world’s first automatic chronograph movement with a micro-winding mechanism.
While the current Seiko offer consists of a similar number of quartz and automatic models, Tag Heuer continues to produce more top-quality Swiss automatic calibers.
Because of the focus on the sporty appearance, the watchmaker is most appreciated for its chronograph models such as the aforementioned Carrera, Monaco and Formula 1. These timepieces are equipped with one of Tag Heuer’s in-house movements, which are some of the most accurate and reliable chronograph calibers on the market.
In recent years, the brand has entered the ever-expanding smartwatch industry by releasing several smartwatches such as the Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45, easily one of the most popular luxury smartwatches on the market today, thanks to its great design, build quality and user-friendly interface.
Lately, the brand has also introduced several new movements such as the Heuer 02T Tourbillon Chronograph which is featured in their high-end watches.
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| TAG HEUER: Both brands offer excellent value in this field. Naturally, because of the pricing, you can expect Tag Heuer to be more luxurious in general. However, Seiko’s kinetic calibers deserve praise as well. |
Seiko vs Tag Heuer: Affordability
When it comes to pricing, Seiko is definitely more affordable than Tag Heuer with many of their entry-level models costing less than $500. In fact, some of the cheapest Seiko watches can be snatched for around $100.
Of course, there are also luxury Seiko watches that cost several thousand dollars but these are usually limited editions or pieces equipped with unique movements that are in minority. One of such watch lines is Grand Seiko which can easily compete with the likes of Rolex when it comes to the complexity and reputation.
Tag Heuer is definitely more of a luxury brand than Seiko, with most of their watches costing several thousand dollars. Of course, there are also more affordable models but these are usually entry-level pieces without super complex mechanisms or much older, not-so-popular releases.
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| SEIKO: Cheapest Seiko watches from collections such as Seiko 5 start around the $100 mark. To get a Tag Heuer, you need to spend four figures. |
Seiko vs Tag Heuer: Warranty
Now that we’ve covered the most important aspects of these two watch brands, it’s time to discuss the warranty which for many is a detail that can affect the final decision.
Like most other watch companies, Seiko offers a 2-year warranty on their watches which covers manufacturing defects. However, keep in mind that this doesn’t include damage caused by normal wear and tear, accidents or abuse.
As for Tag Heuer, they offer a 2-year warranty on their watches as well which covers manufacturing defects. However, the brand also offers an additional 2-year warranty if the watch is registered within 30 days of purchase.
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| TAG HEUER: Tag Heuer offers twice as long protection if you manage to register your watch within the first month of purchase. |
Which Is Better: Tag Heuer or Seiko? Conclusion
So, which brand is better? Seiko or Tag Heuer?
It’s hard to say because both brands have their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Seiko is more affordable and offers a wider range of products while Tag Heuer is more focused on luxury Swiss-made watches.
If your budget is limited (at least for now!), getting familiar with one of the affordable Seiko lines is far from the worst idea.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a luxury timepiece, Tag Heuer is definitely a better option to go with. With that said, Seiko’s high-end sub-brand, the Grand Seiko, is a great and even more pricey alternative.
Both brands also have a rich history of innovation and technology so it really comes down to personal preference in the end.
