The problems of a cult brand.
Seiko Abuses Consumers’ Brand Loyalty.
In the realm of watches, many brands have managed to create loyalty and passion between watch enthusiasts. Rolex, Omega, Casio, all have people who would swear by them. However, none of these have arguably the same cult following that Seiko has.
It is easy to see why: beautiful watches, different styles, different price ranges.
So, what the heck am I talking about in the title?
Quality Control Issues:
And most of all: alignment issues.
So it would appear that most Seiko watches under 1k are a hit or miss. Definitely, some people have experienced different types of quality control issues, but most of forum-goers, YouTubers, and watch collectors seem to experience problems with their bezel alignment. Or, when the bezel is aligned, the dial.
Should we expect and accept that? Nope, especially not now that Seiko is growing not only in fame, but in pricing.
Akio Naito, Grand Seiko of America’s chairman and CEO, has said in a recent interview with Hodinkee that their main focus will be to bring the company into the luxury market. Yes, but, that’s “Grand Seiko”. He adds that Seiko’s core business will still be prominent across the mid-range watch market. But, prices have been hiking, and quality has been lacking.
Now, as you might have noticed, many of the complaints come from YouTubers and forum members. But it doesn’t end there, the quality control issues have been so evident that a well-known Seiko dealer has left a note as a disclaimer to calm anxious buyers:
A Brand Loyalty Issue?
Brand loyalty is a consumer’s tendency to buy products from a same brand, even when competitors may offer better features, deals, or products.
In the case of Seiko, I think brand loyalty of some consumers is so strong that these have become free advertisers for the brand. Sharing, reviewing, talking about, and photographing their Seikos. And I can see why. Seiko offers indeed amazing looking watches, and generally great quality when compared to other brands. Think about Casio and Rolex. They offer value on a budget, or value on a …bigger budget! Seiko has always been good at doing it all, and — historically — good. But what about the declining quality control?
Can it be, that Seiko knows, deep down, that its fans will continue buying their products and close one eye to their issues? Well, I think it may be part of the case, yes. Naturally, these are just my assumptions. But it would explain a lot about the problem, also given the fact that sales of Seiko are still going strong.
Is it acceptable because it isn’t a primary-use item? What I mean is, would we accept the same from brands that we “need” to use every day (yep, treat “need” lightly here)? Would we accept quality control issues rising slowly but constantly in our Apple products?
Seiko has a couple of questions to ask itself. First, if the backlash will affect the long-standing reputation of the brand. Second, if this attitude will spill into people’s perceptions of Grand Seiko as well.
When It’s hit or miss…
As the quality issues — specifically alignments ones — are something that “once you see you cannot unsee”, the same may happen to the brand as a whole.
Once people will really open their eyes to the problematic quality control issues (associated with rising prices), they may not want to unsee it, or even close one eye anymore.
Note: inspiration for this story came from many YouTube videos, and other consumers affected by the issue. Yes, I understand that “affected” is a strong word. However, brands like Seiko are built on the love and loyalty of consumers. One may assume they owe buyers a bit more than misalignment.