On the other hand, there the other side to Seiko, the luxury watch maker. Deep inside Japan are several Seiko watch manufacturers making some of the best and most reliable luxury watches ever created. These are the "Lexus of watches." Until recently such highly desirable watches have been mostly for the Japanese domestic market only. Bearing such names like Grand Seiko and Credor, most Westerners didn't even know of their existence. There also exists a large population of American and European (among other places) watch lovers who are aware of the Seiko treasures in Japan, and are almost pained by the fact that they cannot get them locally. The good news is that is about to start changing.

Enter the Seiko Ananta line of watches. Finally a global high-end product from Seiko that contain the high-end 100% manufacture-made movements and watches. Why the important of "manufacture-made?" Today everyone speaks about "manufacture movements." These are movements in watches made all in-house by the manufacturer with out having third part companies make them. Such in-house movements are considered to be at the top of the heap for luxury watch desirability. The majority of watch brands don't make their own movements. Seiko does however. In fact, Seiko is of the few totally vertically integrated watch makers in the world.

Match this with your $100 Seiko, I dare you. Actually, Seiko makes some VERY nice stuff. Most Americans have never heard of Grand Seiko, or their luxury brand Credor, but Seiko does some remarkable things when it comes to luxury and telling the time. Most of these more expensive watches and clocks are not available or really hard to come by in the US though. Seiko figures most of you won't take a $1,000 plus Seiko seriously. Well I do, cause I know better. Still, this $40,000 plus Seiko Decor Collection Perpetuity Mantel clock might be a bit overkill.

The clock sits on a wood and brass base. Much of the brass is gold plated. The housing is glass and brass with stainless steel as well as aluminum. The movement is totally mechanical with an 8 day power reserve manually wound mechanism. The big clocks weighs about 35 pounds and is anything but diminutive at over 15 inches wide and 19 inches tall. While the movement is mechanical, it does have a quartz regulator just like the Seiko Spring drive movements. This gives it the allure of a mechanical movement with the accuracy of a quartz movement. Everything is made using Seiko's highest level of quality (which is pretty high). Being part of the Decor Collection, the clock is meant to be a serious statement of class and taste in ones home (according to Seiko that is). Still wondering what the other $30,000 - $35,000 is for though.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

The Seiko watch company has a compelling story behind their latest watch the Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk launched at Baselworld. The watch has been engineered to withstand the extreme environment of outer space and will be worn on the wrist of Richard Garriott, the sixth private-citizen space explorer, when he takes his trip this fall. Garriott, a video game designer and the son of a NASA astronaut, will pay $45 million for his trip and plant to viisit the International Space Station and become the first private citizen to do a space walk outside of it. He will be wearing the Seiko Spring Drive Spacewalk outside of his spacesuit and so the watch has to be able to survive zero gravity and an environment where temperatures can get as low as negative 22 degrees Celsius. Battery-powered watches aren't viable for space and the spring drive was chosen over a mechanical watch for safety and accuracy. The watch was designed to be light and recesses on the sides of the case save weight. It also has a dial with a Lumibrite treatment for readability. The case is air tight and made of high-intensity titanium. The watch is a limited edition of 100, three will go with Garriott on his October adventure and the other 97 will be available in December and will retail for $25,000.

If you've got to have one of the ultra-modern Seiko "Spectrum" e-ink watches get ready to make your move. The watches won't be sold on websites or in stores. Instead, you've got to fight the throngs on eBay. There are only 500 of the watches and they will be sold from March 19-25 on eBay with proceeds going to benefit the Help A London Child Charity. The official price was listed as around $2,000 last year but once it hits eBay all bets are off. The watch is thin and flexible, bending around the wrist and adjustable through touch buttons.

Not sure how we missed this since Engadget covered it at the start of the month but Seiko has announced a new watch with an electrophoretic display (EPD) that will be available in March 2006. The watch is known as the Spectrum and will have a high contrast display similar to a printed page and will not need a backlight. The watch is being developed by E Ink and Seiko and will cost around $2,200 for the first watches. Only 500 of this limited edition will be made. Cool technology, but like a lot of Seiko products, not so much in the looks department.

[via Dexigner]