Is it the Japanese made ones that are rated? Do they make cheaper ones outside Japan? China?
Yeah Japan made is highly rated, but so are the non-Japan assembled watches, they'll be using the same parts but just assembled in different facilities. Seiko has facilities in Japan, Malaysia, Korea and Singapore, all should to be to the same standard, although some argue that quality control is better in Japan, finishing especially the movements is also better in Japan, personally have had no issues with any Seiko watch where ever it was made. Country of origin will be on the watch dial/movement etc or you can often tell by the model code. Grand Seiko, JDM and mid range watches upwards are definately Japan made, below mid range will be a mixture of both, like our two watches, although same range, SNZF, your's is Made in Japan, mine isn't.
Seiko watches being made in China question is harder to answer, not that i know of would be my first answer, but especially with the global economy and coupled with Seiko don't provided enough info, then maybe. There may be some lower end quartz seiko's assembled in China but haven't seen one personally, as far as i'm aware Seiko watches will come from one of the above countries.
Sometimes the confusion is caused by Seiko themselves having their third party movement supplier TMI based in Hong Kong, they supply Seiko movements to third party brands like Vostok Europe, Solar Time brands, Resultco brands etc. Most of those movements were all made in either Japan & Malaysia and were marked as such, but there was a shortage a few years back and suddenly movements without country of orgin started to appear, leading to speculation that Seiko used Chinese manafacturers to fill in for the shortage.
