Where the two sides differ is really in design, and in basic philosophy. The 700P is not a watch that Seiko would probably ever make. Seiko’s stock in trade is extremely high basic build quality for watches that are meant to be worn every day; the 700P, on the other hand, is unapologetically a luxury watch, with a design that makes use of precious metals, a variety of finishes and coatings, and various levels of transparency that make an impression pretty much diametrically opposed to that made by a Seiko Spring Drive. The movement is front and center in the 700P in a way that it simply isn’t in most Spring Drive watches, and the movement architecture for the 700P – which is key to its aesthetics – is totally different from anything Seiko makes. The exception to this, of course, is Seiko’s work with Spring Drive Credor, especially the chiming watches – in these, the movement is as much the story (at least) as it is in the 700P.
Hands-On The Piaget Emperador Coussin XL 700P (Live Pics, Pricing, And A Bit More On Quartz/Mech Hybrids)
