Recently, I bought a Seiko 5 Sports SBSA199 (I believe it’s the Japanese-made version of SRPJ83) from Amazon JP, sold and shipped by Amazon JP itself as a new watch.
Today, the watch arrived and at first glance, it looked great. I tested every function and found no problems. However, when I checked the back of the watch, I noticed three notches on the back case that had some shiny spots. Upon magnification, they appeared to be scratches. I have uploaded some images that highlight the scratches with numbers, both magnified and not magnified.
Now, the question is whether this watch was opened by someone before being sold to me or if it’s simply a Seiko QC issue. Or, am I expecting too much from an entry-level automatic watch?
By the way, I also own a SRPG37k1, which does not have this issue. TBH it’s a little bit sad as I specifically created an Amazon JP account to purchase this watch, just to think that Japan-made means better quality.
TLDR: Amazon JP sold me a non original sealed watch?
None of the Seiko 5s are made in Japan. Personally, I wouldn’t worry about a defect that is only visible under a microscope. You’re gonna put more scratches on the case after a couple of hours wearing the thing.
But the watch’s dial and case have “Made in Japan” markings, and the movement also has a “Japan” marking. Doesn’t that means it’s made in Japan? The scratches are also visible to the naked eye but it seems they are kind of acceptable. By the way, thanks for the reply.