From AP to Seiko. A Change For a Champion
Novak Djokovic, a nine time grand-slam champion in pro tennis, has recently signed a new contract. This may be shocking to you, but it shouldn’t be. For years he was sponsored by the ultra-luxury watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet, but recently his contract expired. Now the star is with Seiko. Yes, he is with Seiko! Is it for the watches? Is it for the money? I don’t know, but what I do know is that Seiko makes a real fine watch. Seriously!
If you deny that Seiko makes a quality watch, a simple Google search will prove you wrong. FYI Seiko makes a minute repeater, and a $400,000 one. It’s called the Seiko Credor Minute Repeater. This was the big sensation of Baselworld 2013 and will be in record books forever, if there are any record books for watches. Let’s just say this watch will be in my record books.
This Seiko, the Grand Seiko, is a legend in modern horology. The Grand Seiko’s dial is as simple as it gets, while its movement is arguably one of the most precise automatic movements in the world of watchmaking. The Grand Seiko is comparable, in my opinion, to many important watches including, the Rolex Datejust and the Omega Seamaster.
I can say with confidence that this is a good change. Audemars Piguet is undoubtedly a superb brand that I happen to like very much, but I think this is a fantastic opportunity for the guys at Seiko to show what they can do. My final statement: Go Seiko!
Luke Rottman (Executive Editor: thewatchadviser.com)