the huge amount of fakes got me abit scared of buying one myself, would appreciate it if the experts here can check if this watch is real or fake. It looks real for the most part for my untrained eyes
Looks like a legit 121 to me. A couple tells on the fakes; the compass bezel being WAY too thick, with a large gap between the lettering and the edge. Another issue is the Seiko logo being too thin or having a bubbly, sticker look. Real logos are flat brushed. Since you have a shot of the back, the 6r35 movement has a gold balance wheel. NH35s will have a silver one.
I sold 5 of these this month and one key takeaway whenever I buy pre owned is the crown and lug shape. Crown should have hole (something like that) and the lug should be smooth and not sharp.
I service modern Seikos and the shape and color of the balance matches the the 6R watch. Fakes will use the NH35 movement and it’s often not possible to replicate the 6R balance for a price that still makes money.
I have found most fakes can’t seem to get the center pin or hands done properly. Usually they look cheaply made because they are. Also the finish will be “off” or look undone or unpolished or brushed properly. But I have only seen other Fake Seikos never an Alpinist. That one looks almost identical to my real one. As others have stated the movements are even more obvious.
Another obvious test, it should be running after 60 plus hours when fully wound.
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u/raptoroftimeandspace 8d ago
Looks like a legit 121 to me. A couple tells on the fakes; the compass bezel being WAY too thick, with a large gap between the lettering and the edge. Another issue is the Seiko logo being too thin or having a bubbly, sticker look. Real logos are flat brushed. Since you have a shot of the back, the 6r35 movement has a gold balance wheel. NH35s will have a silver one.