If you bought a Seiko five or ten years ago and look at today's prices, it's enough to make your head spin. The SKX007 at €150 on Amazon in 2015, the SRPD55 which is around €280-€300 today for half the water resistance... The feeling is stark. But has Seiko really increased its prices beyond inflation, or are we comparing incomparable eras? We'll crunch the numbers, adjust for Eurozone inflation, and compare with Casio, Citizen, and Tissot to see if it's a Seiko-specific problem or an industry-wide phenomenon.
The SKX007 case: the watch that started it all
The Seiko SKX007 is undoubtedly the watch that brought the most people into mechanical watchmaking. Produced from 1996 to 2019, for 23 uninterrupted years, it had an official price in Europe of around €230. But in reality, it was regularly found between €150 and €180 on Amazon or from online retailers. In 2015, it was entirely possible to buy a new one for €150.
For that price, here's what you got: an ISO 6425 certified diver, an in-house automatic movement, 200m water resistance, a screw-down crown, and a well-finished steel case. It was an objectively exceptional deal, and millions of watch enthusiasts remember it perfectly.
In 2019, Seiko discontinued the SKX and replaced it with the SRPD55, a flagship model in the Seiko 5 Sport range. On paper, it's an upgrade: the movement changes to the 4R36 calibre, which can be hand-wound and has a hacking seconds function, two features absent from the SKX's 7S26. But there's a significant downside: the SRPD55 has an official price of €295, and more importantly, it no longer has a screw-down crown. Water resistance drops to 100m. The ISO diver certification disappears.
The calculation with inflation is clear. Take the €150 from 2015, adjust for cumulative Eurozone inflation of approximately 25% between 2015 and 2025, and you arrive at around €190. The SRPD55 sells for around €250 to €300. This is well above what inflation would justify, and on top of that, we've lost out on water resistance and the screw-down crown. If we compare it to the price people actually paid for the SKX ten years ago, the SRPD55 is almost double. This is where the feeling of "too expensive" makes perfect sense.
The Alpinist: from the SARB017 to the SPB507, a dizzying price climb
The SARB017, nicknamed the Alpinist, is surely one of the most beloved watches in Seiko's entire history. Produced from 2006 to 2018, it was a JDM model reserved for the Japanese market, which European enthusiasts imported via specialized sites for about €350 to €400. Deep green dial, internal bezel serving as a compass, cathedral hands: a unique design, unbeatable value for money.
In 2018, Seiko replaced the SARB017 with the SPB121, integrated into the Prospex range. The movement upgraded to the 6R35 with a 70-hour power reserve instead of 50. The price, however, jumped from €400 to €780. Almost double in one go. In 2025, Seiko went even further with the SPB507, the latest generation of the Alpinist. It features the 6R55 calibre (72-hour power reserve, or 3 full days) and a DiaSHIELD coating on the case. Price: €950.
If we take the €400 from 2015 and adjust it for Eurozone inflation, we arrive at approximately €500 in 2025. The SPB507 is €950. The difference is €450 beyond what inflation would justify. The movement is better, the case back is transparent, the finishing has improved, but are these improvements worth an extra €450? The answer is debatable.
The Turtle SRPE93: proof that it's not systematic
To put things in perspective, there's a very instructive counter-example: the Seiko Turtle. The SRP77 model, launched at around €420, was replaced by the SRPE93. And here, surprisingly: it's almost the same watch. Same 4R36 movement, same Hardlex crystal, same aluminum bezel, same 200m water resistance. The only differences are the luminous index at 3 o'clock for the ISO standard and a different inscription on the case back. And the price? It has remained around €420, unchanged for years.
In 2026, this price still hasn't moved. Adjusted for inflation, the SRPE93 is therefore actually cheaper in real terms than its predecessor. It's the Seiko diver that best retains the DNA of the old SKX models, and it remains one of the best mechanical watch deals in this price range.
The Cocktail SRPB43, launched in 2017 around €400, is in the same boat: it is now exactly the same price. Adjusted for inflation, €400 in 2017 represents approximately €480 in 2025. Seiko is therefore actually below inflation on this model, having reduced its margin to avoid increasing its prices.
The upscale trend: the real explanation behind the perception
Analyzing the entire range reveals a truth: Seiko isn't really increasing the prices of its existing references. What the brand is doing is gradually moving upmarket, abandoning the segment of mechanical watches under €300 to build a complete upward price ladder. Seiko 5 models are between €300 and €500, Presage between €500 and €2,500, the Prospex range between €400 and €3,500, King Seiko between €1,800 and €3,500, and Grand Seiko starts above €4,500.
This strategy has accelerated since Grand Seiko became a completely independent brand in 2017. The objective is clear: to create image consistency between the Seiko brand and Grand Seiko. Continuing to sell professional divers at €250 would create too much inconsistency with a watch line that starts at €4,500.
The second explanation is the regaining of control over distribution. For years, the distribution network was chaotic: parallel importers, Asian import sites, grey markets that undercut prices. Seiko watches were regularly found at 40% below the recommended retail price. Seiko regained control by strengthening its network of authorized dealers. Watches are now sold at the recommended price. This is not a price increase; it is the disappearance of the good deals that existed before.
The third reason: Seiko understood that the demand was there. After Covid, enthusiasm for watchmaking exploded worldwide. Faced with sustained demand, moving upmarket was a logical business decision.
Casio, Citizen, Tissot: is everyone doing the same?
To contextualize, let's compare with direct competitors. The Casio G-Shock GWM-5610 has existed since 2008, and its price has remained around €130 throughout this period. In 2025, it can still be found in this range. Casio has updated the internal modules but has almost never touched the prices. Even on high-end models like the MRG or MTG, increases have remained in line with inflation.
Citizen's Promaster NY0040 has increased by approximately €50 in almost 30 years. Citizen prices have remained extremely stable, and unlike Seiko, the brand has not shifted its entire range upwards. Tissot does the same: the PRX is still at the same price since its launch. Tissot and Citizen have played the competitiveness card to attract customers that Seiko is starting to neglect.
The conclusion is clear: it is not the watch industry as a whole that is increasing its prices. Most brands simply follow inflation, or even increase slower than it. Seiko's strategy is indeed a deliberate exception.
Seiko versus competition between €500 and €700: the real problem
This is where Seiko's strategy becomes risky. When the brand sold mechanical watches for €200 to €300, there was no real competitor at the same level of finish. But at €500–€700, the landscape is radically different. At that price, you can get a Tissot with a Powermatic 80 movement and an 80-hour power reserve, a Hamilton with very clean finishes, or a Citizen with superior technical specifications. And there's an even more recent phenomenon: the explosion of microbrands, which offer very serious and affordable mechanical watches, occupying exactly the niche that Seiko has gradually abandoned.
The irony is that some of these microbrands use Seiko movements in their timepieces.
Does Seiko still offer the best finish under €1,000?
Yes, and this is probably the strongest argument in favor of the brand. Anyone who has disassembled and assembled thousands of watches of all brands will confirm: below €1,000, no brand comes close to Seiko's level of finish. The attention to detail, the quality of surfaces, the treatment of the indices - it's in a class of its own.
The problem is that the majority of buyers are not sensitive to this. They look at the power reserve, they check if the bezel insert is ceramic, they compare specifications on paper. And in this area, Seiko is no longer necessarily the best option at the same price.
Key takeaways
If we look at the figures objectively, the answer is nuanced. For most existing references, prices have remained stable, or even below inflation. What has changed is the disappearance of the cheap grey market that made Seikos exceptional deals. In parallel, the brand is moving upmarket and gradually abandoning the lower end of its catalog. The combination of the two creates a perception of exploding prices, when in reality it is mostly a strategic repositioning.
Seiko remains one of the best brands for finishing under €1,000. But if your budget is between €400 and €700, take the time to compare with Tissot, Citizen or Hamilton: the competition has never been so serious in this segment. And if you are looking for the soul of the old SKX without paying the price for the move upmarket, the Turtle SRPE93 at €420 remains in 2026 one of the best deals in mechanical watchmaking.
To change the strap of your Seiko SKX007 and give it another dimension, find compatible straps on Braxen metal straps guaranteed for life, NATO and rubber made especially for Seikos.
