Feiko KiNOTic

[lexacat]

Was genuinely excited to have picked up a contender for the 404 club at a local thrift store. I saw this lonely Seiko Kinetic 5J22 sitting in a cabinet, and without too much investigation I grabbed it. Because it was $2.

I got it home and started a better inspection, and that's when the fun started. I actually wilfilly ignored a lot of red flags because who would make a fake Seiko Kinetic. And it was $2.

 

The bracelet is badly corroded, and doesn't look like stainless. The case back looks right, the model and serial info match up, but the model should have a date complication, which this watch clearly doesn't. 

Wait a second.... does that say SJ22?

I had given it a few rattles and didn't hear anything, so thought maybe the rotor had seized or there was some other issue.

It wasn't working so assumed it needed a new capacitor perhaps. I managed to open it with a rubber ball, and.... that is definitely not a Seiko Kinetic.

 

Closer inspection of the dial revealed some very, very obvious external signs of fakery.

 

There are lume dots on the indices. They aren't even centered correctly.

The SEIKO logo is slanted.

The 12 o'clock indice is slanted and not centered correctly.

 

It was $2 so... whatever. I'll probably throw a battery in and see if it ticks. But really, who makes a fake Seiko Kinetic!!??

 

 

[watchweasol]

Well that’s a handful of crap movement no markings, dial off beat, best kept as a prime example of fakery at its best. As kinetic you could shake the life out of and no charge. Ah Well.      Cheers

[SimonJ]

Where's my hammer?