That said, feel free to sound off in the comments on which watch you like better and why, we’d love to hear it. Please keep in mind that this isn’t the be-all and end-all “which watch is better”, it’s one watch writer’s opinion.
I’ve gotten several questions myself on which one is “better”, and what better way to answer that than with a few thousand words and some side by side photos. We posted a side by side photo on Instagram that got a ton of attention, and people are pretty torn on which one they’d pick. This isn’t necessarily an article about which watch is better, because beauty (and function) is in the eye of the beholder. Was it just a honeymoon phase? Would I miss the Seiko more than I wanted to keep the Doxa? Is there room in my collection for both? Most watch collectors know this train of thought all too well. After doing a weeks-long swap of the Doxa for the Seiko with my buddy Shane, the question of whether or not to flip the Doxa for the Seiko was burning in my brain after we swapped back. Sure, you could tell from the marketing photos that this one was going to be good, but upon seeing it in the metal (socially distanced and outdoors), I began to question things with the Doxa. No, I’m not talking about quarantine life in general, I’m talking about the arrival of my friend’s Seiko SPB143. Everything was great…then it all came crashing down.
It really shines on the comfortable beads of rice bracelet, and dresses down just as well on a grey nato strap during a fishing run. I was as happy as can be with the watch, wearing it proudly nearly every day through the lock down. A few days after sending it back, the struggle was real and I ended up impulse buying one. After spending some time with a review unit, I knew I needed to add one to my own collection. If you had asked me a few months ago, I don’t think I’d ever consider getting rid of my Doxa Sub 200.