McFonz
Can't Tell Time
Posts: 4
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Post by McFonz on Jun 28, 2013 8:19:36 GMT -8
So I turn here. After much deliberation and squirrelling away of dollars, I finally purchased myself a proper Automatic Diver, a SKX007J. It had quite a trip from Singapore (CreationWatches.com) to Queens, NY, and onto my wrist. I've been fawning over this watch since I received it. I couldn't be happier, but I'm trying to figure something out, and after scouring the internets, I turn to you, the Wrist Sushi community... What does the heck WP mean on the caseback, to the left of the serial number? From what I read WP became fairly common around 2011ish, but that's it! I couldn't find anything else in the 20 minutes I spent researching it before giving up and posting here! Thanks in advance to anyone that can lend a hand. Cheers.
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Post by daveswordfish on Jun 28, 2013 10:24:39 GMT -8
The code varies. It's not the same on every SKX007. Other watches also have this, such as some monsters. In some cases it's WP, some G, some A.
No answer as to what it is. It us not the caseback opener code, which is usually diagonally across, and it does not mean waterproof.
Sorry couldn't be more help.
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Hobbes
Timekeeper
This one goes straight to the pool room.
Posts: 446
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Post by Hobbes on Jun 28, 2013 10:40:23 GMT -8
Interesting question and (part) answer!
I just checked my 007K, and that has WP on it as well, whilst my 6306 an 6309 for example have the A, and my black Monster KG, etc. I sort of assumed without giving it too much thought that WP was 'Waterproof', and A was possibly 'Automatic', never really spotted the KG on the Monster which fully supports your answer and shows what I was thinking was gibberish, Dave.
Wonder if anybody can enlighten us a bit more? As in science, even every bit of negative proof gets us closer to the truth!
By the way, congratulations on your purchase of a watch that is cool enough to fit The Fonz!
thunbsup.gif
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2013 10:48:48 GMT -8
Those codes refer to the manufacturing plant that made that case. If I recall, the WP engraving means that your case was manufactured in Malaysia. Today, very little of Seiko's high volume sales watches are made in Japan...the SKX series is one of the lines that is manufactured almost completely outside of Japan.....even the coveted "J" model is suspected to be nothing more than just final assembled in Japan. In fact I believe less than a dozen models can completely claim to be fully "made in Japan" these days. The rest of their watches are bulk assembled in various manufacturing plants in Singapore, Taiwan, China etc.
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Hobbes
Timekeeper
This one goes straight to the pool room.
Posts: 446
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Post by Hobbes on Jun 28, 2013 10:52:23 GMT -8
Those codes refer to the manufacturing plant that made that case. If I recall, the WP engraving means that your case was manufactured in Malaysia. Today, very little of Seiko's high volume sales watches are made in Japan...the SKX series is one of the lines that is manufactured almost completely outside of Japan.....even the coveted "J" model is suspected to be nothing more than just final assembled in Japan. In fact I believe less than a dozen models can completely claim to be fully "made in Japan" these days. The rest of their watches are bulk assembled in various manufacturing plants in Singapore, Taiwan, China etc. My 6306 has an A, followed by the Suwa symbol. Would that indicate any A's would be Japan made?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2013 10:58:43 GMT -8
Interesting question and (part) answer! I just checked my 007K, and that has WP on it as well, whilst my 6306 an 6309 for example have the A, and my black Monster KG, etc. I sort of assumed without giving it too much thought that WP was 'Waterproof', and A was possibly 'Automatic', never really spotted the KG on the Monster which fully supports your answer and shows what I was thinking was gibberish, Dave. Wonder if anybody can enlighten us a bit more? As in science, even every bit of negative proof gets us closer to the truth! By the way, congratulations on your purchase of a watch that is cool enough to fit The Fonz! thunbsup.gif On 6306-700x and 6309-704x models the "Japan A" refers to the original Seiko SUWA manufacturing plant. Suwa stopped being the exclusive manufacturing/assembly plant for the 6309-704x series in September / October 1981 Seiko transitioned 6309 production to two other locations located in Singapore and in Hong Kong. the non-suwa models will have only "resist A" on the caseback and the lower bottom dial script is different. between those two variants. that is why you will see members refering to the Suwa and Non-Suwa variants of the 6309-704x To my knowledge, Suwa was shuttered back in the late 80's and the "A" code now refers to a their plant in china
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Hobbes
Timekeeper
This one goes straight to the pool room.
Posts: 446
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Post by Hobbes on Jun 28, 2013 11:01:23 GMT -8
Thanks, Shawn, your WISdom is much appreciated!
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Post by daveswordfish on Jun 28, 2013 11:20:48 GMT -8
Bravo Shawn!
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Post by 69ChevelleSS on Jun 28, 2013 13:29:39 GMT -8
Queens . . . . I'm up here in Rockland County! DaveSwordfish is up in Connecticut.
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cd_god
Is a Permanent Fixture
Finna set up a HOOD next door to your richie phuk suburban mansion
Posts: 12,214
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Post by cd_god on Jun 28, 2013 16:55:24 GMT -8
Interesting question and (part) answer! I just checked my 007K, and that has WP on it as well, whilst my 6306 an 6309 for example have the A, and my black Monster KG, etc. I sort of assumed without giving it too much thought that WP was 'Waterproof', and A was possibly 'Automatic', never really spotted the KG on the Monster which fully supports your answer and shows what I was thinking was gibberish, Dave. Wonder if anybody can enlighten us a bit more? As in science, even every bit of negative proof gets us closer to the truth! By the way, congratulations on your purchase of a watch that is cool enough to fit The Fonz! thunbsup.gif On 6306-700x and 6309-704x models the "Japan A" refers to the original Seiko SUWA manufacturing plant. Suwa stopped being the exclusive manufacturing/assembly plant for the 6309-704x series in September / October 1981 Seiko transitioned 6309 production to two other locations located in Singapore and in Hong Kong. the non-suwa models will have only "resist A" on the caseback and the lower bottom dial script is different. between those two variants. that is why you will see members refering to the Suwa and Non-Suwa variants of the 6309-704x To my knowledge, Suwa was shuttered back in the late 80's and the "A" code now refers to a their plant in china Japan A
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McFonz
Can't Tell Time
Posts: 4
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Post by McFonz on Jul 1, 2013 11:38:06 GMT -8
So I guess what we can take away from this is that my "Made in Japan" should read "Final assembly in Japan"
Thanks again everyone!
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2013 12:23:49 GMT -8
So I guess what we can take away from this is that my "Made in Japan" should read "Final assembly in Japan" Thanks again everyone! No; those markings don't mean final assembly in Japan. The J and the K are markets of intended distribution. The SKX J and K are both partially assembled in Malaysia with final casing in China. Seiko uses so many codes and misdirects that it's pretty certain none of these watches is made anywhere near Japan. At the very most; movement parts might be made in Japan with the final watch being assembled in one or two other plants outside of Japan. Recent discoveries have shown that 'Japan' on the outside of the watch is highly suspect when case backs are removed to reveal 'China Assembled' or China cased' stamped on the inside! It simply makes no business sense to produce entry level watches in Japan.
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