Comment just to thank you for the production value of the intro. Sometimes when excellence becomes the expectation, it can feel like the work is under appreciated. I assure you it is not. Thank you for caring about the quality of your work.
Thank you so much my friend. Knowing there are viewers out there that appreciate the effort is what keeps me striving to improve and keep going. I deeply deeply appreciate the sentiment, onwards, upwards and the very best of regards! TGV
@@theurbangentry The combination of your passion and intentional work to share it builds community. It's been so fun watching your success.... because it has been the fruit of something that's the opposite of everything else going on... Positive. Collaborative. Respecting history as well as creativity. Not divisive. Your influence is positive, and you're genuinely appreciated. More than watches are on display here.
@@theurbangentry All you intros are amazing and incredible. As I was watching I was wondering if you still do everything yourselves, and I couldn't believe it when it came up on the screen.
In early 1999, I bought a Seiko SKX173 from AAFES on Hickam AFB. I was in the navy at the time and was a recreational scuba diver. A dive buddy of mine, who was also a SEAL, recommended that I buy a Seiko diver to replace the G-Shock I was diving with. His rationale was that, should water penetrate the case at depth, the automatic Seiko would continue to run during the dive. He wore a Seiko diver from the 80s (I believe it was a turtle) and said that he had worn nothing else in the field since making it as a SEAL in 1983. I still have that SKX173 and it still runs beautifully. In the 24 years I've owned it, it's only been serviced twice. I've worn it scuba diving, on boardings as a VBSS team member, and on countless bicycle tours. The lume is still the best in my collection. The watch is an absolute tank.
Due to updates in the ISO 6425 standard to mandate lumed markers every five minutes, Seiko had to add that marker at 3:00. It doesn't look great, but they had to do it if they wanted to keep the date at 3:00.
Very interesting, I wonder how they came to that decision. Yeh I would deffo prefer a date moved, what they did such an annoying solution. Thank you, Best regards, TGV
@@theurbangentrySeiko has put the date at the 4:30 position in some divers but I think they wanted this watch to look as close to the original as possible
I still have the Seiko 7002-7009 diver when I joined the US Army in 1991. It still works and I still wear it. I wanted a Willard, but bought a King Turtle instead. Great video.
I just wanted to take a moment to say how amazing your video was! I was really impressed with the quality of the footage, the editing, and the overall presentation. You did a great job of explaining the topic in a clear and concise way, and I learned a lot from watching your video. I also really appreciated the way you made the video engaging and entertaining. You kept my attention throughout the entire video, and I never felt bored or lost. I would definitely recommend your video to anyone who is interested in learning more about the video.
Ahh..Captain Willard. For me, the most precious Seiko diver. I always demand personality from the watches in my collection, not just that they be "one more"...some contribution, something different...own personality. The Willard definitely gets it.
I appreciate how much efforts you put into the making of this video. It shows just how much you love your collection and how much you love watch history. Inspiring indeed!
Just picked up the SPB 317 and I'm completely in love. It has that classic 4 o'clock crown but with more symmetry than the Willard, it's smaller and thinner, and contrary to popular opinion I love the hidden away circular date window at 4.30 which enables it to avoid that little extra lume block, keeping the symmetry and the ISO rating.
Can’t go wrong with a Willard. And that gray color is very unique. Definitely not a bad Seiko Diver to retire with. Thanks for the great review and the history lesson as always.
It's interesting how finding a big watch you like changes our perspective on what's "too big". A Panerai 44mm 1950s case on my 7" wrist changed everything; so many more watches are now reasonable after wearing the 233. It seems like your Panerai has done the same for you. Your faces after mentioning Seiko's lack of alignment was pricelesss
There is so much to talk about a Seiko watch, their shapes, the dial, the stories behind each one. And placing one on the wrist makes you smile... I have 4 of them and I will probably add more in the near future
Thanks for the presentation. This is a special watch. While it's similar to my Uemura, it's significantly different in its more squat shape and I do love this gray dial.
Seiko movements are incredibly durable and last a very long time. The 7s26 in my skx from 1997 is still ticking but runs really fast. I don’t want to pay a crazy amount to have it serviced so I found a 4r36 and swapped it out. I kept the original movement incase one day I decided to put it back and have it serviced.
Such an iconic watch, and great to see your love of Seiko on the channel once again. My personal favorite is the 6309 divers as you can see the slow transition from Willard case shape and markers through the slim-turtle, towards what eventually became the SKX. I just love the Seiko diver design language.
Recently tried one for the first time and was very pleasantly surprised. Didn’t wear at all how I thought it would. Once again a brilliantly delivered piece, thank you. Gave me great pleasure again today to recommend your channel to a good friend. Onwards and upwards.
I bought the SPB237 just over a year ago. It's such an odd looking watch but gets more compliments than my Tudor. The natos that come with it are really cool, especially the grey one but sadly the keeper situation doesn't work for me and find them a little too thick. I have aftermarket natos, a bracelet from Uncle Seiko but mostly enjoying it on a black waffle. Oddly enough I took this watch around Vietnam for three weeks at the end of last year. Great video as always, nice to see this diver getting some more love - enjoy the watch.
Oh man, I had an eureka moment!! I have realized why I was drone to Seiko from the get go- in my mind they are the underdog , the little (not quite) more unknown guy sticking it to the big guys, the snobby Swiss and Rolex in particular. That’s probably why my dad liked them too. Many thanks Tristano, this actually means a lot to me🙏🏻😊
I have this too, I bought mine from Gnomon watches Singapore when I went there. It's flawless with no QC issues, keeps excellent time (+3spd) and pairs great with a black isofrane strap. It's like a perfect hybrid between a dive/field watch in my opinion. Wear it with love!
Seiko is really killing it with their SPB model dive watches. I personally like the SLA models, especially the turtle with the 8L35 movement. It is a really nice watch. I am also happy to have you promoting this quality watch. I feel bad for those spending large sums on SKX models. Hopefully they will see this review and buy a better watch instead of getting scammed and paying considerably above MSRP for an SkX.
lol, just purchased one the other day, and then you drop this gold! I got the sbp151, matt black. cant wait to flex it. Thanks for all you do man. Cheers
I bought my first Seiko, a Seiko 5, more than 20 years ago, but my first proper diver was the v1 Save the Ocean Samurai. It is a big chonky watch, but the blue dial makes me smile every time.
I believe the luminous marker at 3 was required for “diving” certification (it is meant to be a functional tool watch). But I agree, the date should have been framed and the crown inscribed. Seiko actually got these details right on the more expensive Willard Tribute, the SLA033. I very nearly bought the twice as expensive (but it is finished to Grand Seiko standard with an 8R35 movement) SLA033 but Seiko got one major detail on that watch horribly wrong, which the SPB237 gets right. The beveled glass. This actually reflects the minute markers all the way around so that when you directly look at the face, you get a double row of minute markers. This is such an important part of the 6105 look and the SLA033, which in other ways most accurately mimics the 6105, completely blows it. It was a deal breaker for me. I bought the SPB237 which I mostly wear on black silicone, and I couldn’t be happier with it. It’s become my daily.
The Willard is priced unrealistically so I bought the Steeldive SD1970 to allow me to at least enjoy the original design, and the quality is great value. Actual Seiko divers in my collection are currently the SRPC61J1 "Bottle Cap", SRPD21K Prospex "Turtle" & SRPE09K Prospex "Monster", though with Seiko's pricing creeping up well beyond what inflation would have you expect, they may well be the last.
I would've thought the SPB317 (Slim-Turtle) would be more your cup of tea. Reminiscent of the Willard, and a reissue from around the same period, but with the slightly more sized down specs?
Taking in pros and cons. The Willard is simply iconic and is a must for any watch collector intent on collecting classics from all price ranges. Out of my current budget - sadly..
I like the look a lot. I REALLY like the "Night Vision "Samurai, but I cannot reconcile paying a chunk of money for this level of QC. Compelling content as usual, well done.
SKX is my favorite Seiko diver for sure. Potentially also the LX diver. The former I have, the latter I've tried a few times. A cracking (big) watch. Outside of divers I really love my grey/black Seiko GMT. She's a looker. Thanks for another great video TGV!
My Seiko diver grail is no doubt Marine Master 300, but it will have to wait for some better financial times to be on my wrist. That said, I really enjoy the SKX and SPB077 in my collection
The 38mm Seiko Solar diver in the prospex lineup has become my everyday watch, I was at a AD looking at automatic divers, but I saw the solar quarts, had to try it on and came back for it the day after, after some considerations for going with a quarts instead. I do have a watch box with a mechanical promaster, Laco type B pilot watch, a Seiko 5, a small dressy tissot, and a couple of G-shocks. But the Seiko solardiver is the one that just ends up on my wrist. It's so thin, practical, and accurate, and the bezzle has strong resistance with tight tolerances, and I just love how it feels. Had it on many silicone/leather/elastic/nato - straps and now have it on a bracelet from Mark. No matter what it is on, it looks and feels great 😄 Edit: it's called the seiko SNE573P1, I never remember these seiko references either 😅
I absolutely love the Willard due to my grandpas service in Vietnam. One day I’ll own one but I own it’s grandson the Turtle and love it. Thanks for another fantastic video
Just bought one & absolutely delighted with it , always wanted one . Few years back I brought a cheap steel dive, to be fair it was ok , but ended up giving it away because at the end of the day wasn’t the real deal ..
Completely agree, a Seiko diver in a collection is just a given. I do like their Save The Ocean range but my go to favourite is the King Turtle SRPE05 grenade dial ❤
I thought of getting this but got the 6105-8000 inspired SPB317 instead. I agree with your sentiment of that warm feeling that Seiko divers convey. Great video!
Told ya so! I wish I hadn't sold mine. I replaced it with the Uemara edition gray dial with the Grand Seiko movement, which is stunning, but I don't like it as much as I did the SPB237. Gotta get me another.
Love my skx007- To me it's perfect. Its funky, retro, function, versitile, and built like a tank... That said, I find myself in LOVE with my Citizen Promaster lefty. EVERYTHING about it is better, in my very humble view. Every watch in my collection gets one day of wrist a month(love em all). However, my promaster on horween leather strap has taken over. 185.00 on braclet, which has divers extention, V 800.00ish for the skx007. I only paid 200.00 for my skx.
I have a larger wrist, but I like the slim turtle reissue over the Willard. The slim turtle is everything great about the Willard but for me just a better looking watch in general. Also the date placement is very discreet and blends in with the design.
Working for a boatyard means constantly dealing with harsh marine environments and I also spend much of my time off sailing . I.e catchy ropes, mud, muck, water, dust, vibrations and so on. I have owned the Black version for a while and having tried various watches, it’s simply my everyday watch of choice in and out of work along with a Squale 1521 which offers similar comfort but a different vibe. It’s incredibly practical, comfortable, never catches on anything and has a handsome vintage look. Although it’s relatively expensive it’s linage feels satisfying and I really don’t mind if it picks up a few dings and marks over the years as to me it’s truly a ‘working’ watch that I can look at in old age and know it’s scars will spark memories of challenges faced, boats built or repaired and so … if you’re considering one don’t hesitate !
Not to have " buyers remorse " is the best way to be a true watch collector. Enjoy your purchase. Wear the watch. Savor the memories. The end game of watch collecting.
I use a 1997 titanium Seiko AGS "Grey Ghost". On the rubber strap it wears extremely comfortable being very light (titanium and only 39mm) and it also wears thin due to the shape of the case. Love the sandpaper finish on the dial, sword hands, applied indices, no-insert bezel, mix of matte and polished, and how it says "Scuba" on the dial. Waited years until I got a diver, and I was not disappointed. I also appreciate it being quartz, since I don't have to set it (and therefore unscrew the crown) every time I want to wear it. My ideal sports watch !
I bought my first turtle a couple of weeks ago and love it. I thought they were the ugliest watches before I tried one on but that quickly changed once I saw it on wrist and felt how comfortable it was. The Willard will be my next Seiko
As always another great video. I am a fan of Seiko, and have been thinking about a Willard for some time. I currently have a Samurai and really love it, I wear it on a black tropic strap and honestly can't find a reason to get anything else. The looks and the cushion case of the Willard are intriguing and the dial of the SPB 237 is nothing short of fantastic. The imperfections and misalignments are just part of the Seiko world. Strolling onto a yacht with fine linen clothes, or unloading from a Land Cruiser dusty and exhausted from the latest adventure, the Capt' Willard is always pure class.
Until I ran across this Seiko Willard reference a few years back I never thought I wanted one. It’s one I’ll never sell and love having on my wrist every time I wear it!
I'm passionate about the Willard/Turtle shape-it's the most comfortable watch case for me. I owned the SRP777, which was flawless, but I regretfully sold it to purchase the SPB143. Unfortunately, I later sold the SPB143 due to accuracy issues. Despite being positioned as higher-tier in terms of quality, which should include QC, all the 6R-powered Seiko watches I've owned faced QC problems, whether accuracy or misalignment. I watched this video not only because TGV always delivers excellent visuals and content but also for my love of the Seiko Willard model. However, I won't risk another Seiko with QC issues. Ultimately, I chose a Seiko Willard homage from Steeldive. Even though it's powered by a lower-tier movement (4R family), it runs exceptionally well without any QC issues; and I am fine with that!
Excellent video as always! SPB151 is my daily - I love the legend of Uemura and Apocalypse Now. Now my favorite RU-vidr creates this ode to it. I picked the right watch for me.
Have to say I was always a watch guy, but being a military guy serving my time in the Irish ☘️ navy/ air corps & fire & rescue I always tend to go for a Gshock or diver watch ⌚️, back in the early 90s was on a diver’s course & treated my self to a citizen aqualand , savage bit of kit. Had that 20 year was devastating when it give up the life to live , But wanted something special, got a Seiko turtle 🐢 love ❤️ it but my hart wants a Willard , BUT … found another savage watch MWC500 submariner GMT…. With tritium loom …. Seriously other than changing strap & better push pins it’s one class bit of kit , but some day I’ll muster the money get me a Willard
this was old skool tgv! took me back to when i first started watching the channel...bought a save the ocean turtle ....swapped it out for single domed sapphire and rocked it ever since!...now i;ve watched this im checking out the "Aurora" limited edition willard....god that dial colour is amazing! ...big up seiko saturday!!
Congratulations on the new Uemura! I had the green one, and it is a cracking watch. The Uemura is an interesting watch. Oddly enough it wasn't this case shape that was in use in Vietnam. The Uemura is the 6105-8110, which was released in 1970. There was a 6105-8000 in 1968, but that was the more straight 41mm case that in 2022 got re-released in the modern SPB317 watch. While the Uemura was blobby and rounded, the 6105-8000 was a more sharp and angular c-shape case, with no pronounced crown guards. I now have the SPB317, and it too is a cracking watch, although I preferred the slight dome of the Uemura crystal, honestly. The reason everyone associates the Uemura with Vietnam is indeed because of Apocalypse Now, but at the time that was produced, the 6105-8000 was a seldom seen rarity, and it had been supplanted by the Uemura 6105-8110, so Martin Sheen ended up with it for that movie. That all being said, I love every iteration of the 6105. They are cracking pieces, but after having owned the Stargate, Baby Tuna, two SKXes, and a Mini Turtle, and after having tried on the Sumo, Shogun, Samurai and a variety of SLA divers from Seiko, I have settled on the 41x12mm SPB317. The OG turtle case. It is a delight to wear, and aside from the much more expensive SJE093, I think it's the best dive watch Seiko has ever made.
I love this SPB237J1 ...just 3 week old in my collection ... I like it so much that I keep looking at it when on my wrist...even I have forgotten when the last time I wore SPB153J1 ....
When Seiko put out the SPB143 it didn’t have the tiny lume marker on 3 but later added and became pretty standard and that is due to meeting whatever ISO standard spec they’re after.
I placed my seiko "Willard" on Green Gray 20mm Horned back genuine Crocodile leather strap and the attitude of a once living Crocodile on my wrist brings the ticking Seiko very much alive.
I normally don't comment before watching, but this got me so excited. I just picked this reference up in July from your boy Derek, and it hasn't left my wrist since. I didn't realize it when I bought it, but it's as close to the perfect dive watch for me that I've come across.
Great video as always TGV! I have a healthy or if you are my wife, unhealthy obsession with the Willard. I’ve five of them, but this particular one, whilst not being the most expensive of Willard’s is without doubt my favourite. Glad to see it reach your collection and enjoy!!
TGV, hello from Bulgaria! OG gentry here ever since I stumbled on your video about making the perfect espresso coffee! I love your content not just because of watches but because of the atmosphere you create! So many years later I have still not seen a review from you of my favourite Seiko Diver - SRP777 Prospex Turtle... Who knows maybe one day... Anyways I personally prefer it to other Seiko divers and I have small wrists. Onwards and upwards! ( :
I absolutely adore this watch....as soon as I laid eyes on it I KNEW I was going one. It's probably never going to leave my collection. IMO it's the nicest of all the variations recently released (although the SPB265 is close 2nd). Congrats on the new pickup TGV and thanks for the great video.
Thank you Mr TGV for yet another very informative and entertaining review. One thing that sets you apart from others in your business (in my opinion) is your extreme passion, research and attention to detail in said reviews. I also love the effort you put into the editing with your videos when including such classic and timeless movies such as Apocalypse now used here to show the relevance and history in your reviews.
Having owned 7 Seikos and 1 GS early on in my watch delirium, I mean collecting. I sold them, and then didn't own any Seikos for over 5 years. However, in the last 2 months, I've bought three 7s26 based 5's (snxs73 & 77, and a snkl43). Utter joy. 37mm on my big flat wrist, taking me back to when I just bought a blue Seiko when the old one broke. Great video, as always. Keep up the independent reviews 👍
I was not expecting to buy a willard untill i saw this model 2 years ago. It's been awesome. One making many don't mention is they add a special coating on the case that helps with scratches. I'm glad the date window is the same size as the markers and not in between them. They had to add a mini lume to keep the Divers 200 ISO rating. I love the straps but they lift the watch too far off the wrist. I've paried it with Uncle Seiko beads of rice and the waffle. My bezels lines up perfectly. This is an amazing watch for sure.
Love the especially chill vibe of this edition...great to relax to on a Wednesday. Of course, it helps that it's about a variant of my new favorite watch, the SPB153 Willard. (The grey dial was my 2nd choice but just had to have that green.) Congrats on the purchase and a stellar job with the sample clips and editing as usual. Coming from a filmmaker, you consistently do an excellent job with editing and the clip references/thematic ties are always very clever. Keep up the good work...and enjoy the Seiko, "the underdog" of the watch world.
Last Seiko diver - “the horror, the horror” indeed! 😂. This is such a cool watch because it is different, like Panerai - I wholeheartedly agree. Another enjoyable video TGV. Thank you! Best, David
Your videos are absolutely AMAZING quality 😮 I mean truly professional. But I wouldn't expect anything less from you. I've been watching your stuff since the very beginning and will continue to do so forever 😜 2 things i think you overlooked though! 1. You can't switch the FKM strap from the Luminor to the Willard because the Luminor is 24mm and the Willard is 20mm 😂 2. EVERY ISO certified diving watch HAS to have lume at EVERY hour marker/indice. But I agree. The NEWEST and most true to the original 62Mas that was released relatively recent, IMO, fixes the problem by just putting a single circular dot on the right side of the date. Hopefully Seiko will start doing that for more of their divers watches so it doesn't distract the dial as much as putting a smaller size bar indice to the right of the date! The newest (and probably my favorite looking) 62Mas is $3,500 and a limited edition release that sold out almost instantly! So quite a price difference there 😢
Good evening TGV! Great to have that Seiko on the channel! Would love to see when a Willard comes to your collection! This special model looks terrific in my opinion. I'm still wearing my SKX009, but I was thinking about upgrading, but still on the hunt for my perfect Seiko diver. Best regards!
Thank you Heiko, what can I say? It just feels right. Enjoy your SKX, I only wish I still had mine, then again, I would not of tried the Willard. O&U! Best regards, TGV
Hi TGV I think your collection is taking a very interesting turn - and this gem will probably be the next addition... It’s quite interesting, when you’ve been “up there”, owning a lot of the very expensive and prestigious pieces, you know exactly what to look for in the more modest price layers. Something that talks to your heart as well as your knowledge. Watch collecting surely is an education too. Keep up the good work👍
Thank you, I just found my dream watch! was planing on buying the black waffle king turtle but don't like the day date and magnifier glass on the king turtle. This is perfect.
Hi TGV, I have to tell you, I have only one JDM Seiko, it's A SARW019, signed crown, it cost 649.00. None of my 3 Seiko divers have signed crowns. I may have to start looking for a new model with that feature! It just adds that special touch! Thanks for sharing.
Ever since I watched your channel well over a year ago… I bought a Flightmaster 🤣🤣 it was pricey but wow I love that chronograph quartz! I have several Seikos but not a true Diver as of yet. 👍
Steeldives 1970 homage for 79 quid is astounding. Haven't taken it off for 5 weeks, sleep with it on and everything..it even has a comfy steel bracelet. I have a bunch of seikos..but why pay more for less? Plus the bezel is aligned.
