Heimdallr SKX to Grand Seiko? [REVIEW+MOD]

In this video Dan takes a look at the Heimdallr SKX Homage (2020 Version) and attempts to transform it into a Grand Seiko style watch. This video is a first impressions review and a build log of the modding process.
Parts list:
➤Heimdallr SKX007 Homage
➤Pilots Bezel: one-second-closer.com/shop/th...
➤Generic Display Caseback (I replaced this with one from SeikoMods.com designed for NH36 spacer)
➤Calendar Disk (Day/Date): www.aliexpress.com/item/10000...
➤Dial: www.watchpartsplaza.com/us/se...
➤Hands: www.aliexpress.com/item/40010...
➤Clasp: www.aliexpress.com/item/40004...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Equipment:
Microphone: Neumann TLM102
Camera: Samsung NX500
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Music Track: Staycation - Corbyn Kites (KZbin Audio Library)

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

One thing to note: I can't speak for the water resistance of this mod since I changed the caseback, and the threads on it aren't as tall as the original caseback. If you're concerned about water resistance, I'd leave the original caseback on this one.

[@maingun07]

I don't know much about watches, but my guess is that the water seal on the case back is created by the o-ring. As long as the o ring has sufficient compression (but not too much) then it should seal fine. I had no idea that you could swap out the bezel for a non-rotating one. The watch you built is very similar to what I want but haven't been able to find. I'd like a higher contrast dial and hands (because middle age sucks) but pretty much everything else is exactly what I want. Thanks for the vid! Now I've got to do some tool shopping.

[@K.Loukas]

Nice mod, one question what did you use instead of that fake click spring ? I have a similar case (a bit bigger, turtle 🐢 style) I opened the bezel and lost than spring :( don't know what to put now there. 😑

[@pw10a2sal]

This is a great tutorial video after the ones from Lumeshot. Great work ! You could have explained the work on the crown, just in case somebody wants a S Crown put on the case. Nevertheless super work and video. I did the same work with my SKX, but not with the same dial, I used a Aliexpress Grand Seikoish black dial which had both positions available. My problem was with the crown, which was at the end so wear down, that I had to use again the original one, because the work with the stem had ruined my S crown, which not liked to screw in smoothly anymore. The sizes of the hands are 8x12x12,5 mm (hour, min, secs) for 28,5 mm dials. Wish you Good holidays.

[@Huwberts_Emporium]

This video was sweet, such great quality and the mod is perfection I'm really looking forward to more uploads!

[@KaeptnMS]

print quality on the black date wheel is awful

[@shnider156]

Another excellent build log. These are great video and good to see the whole process. Makes for much more interesting watching thank you 👍

[@tomhill4003]

Thanks for your amazing modding videos! I especially appreciate your diy approach using alternative tools and techniques. It definitely appeals to those of us without the finest watch making tools. I'll be taking a crack at this soon enough! You have provided ample inspiration.

[@rbmwiv]

I like the full build videos that way you can witness the entire process. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on how to do these things.

[@scottlewis2372]

This was the first of your videos I've seen. Nice job! I'll watch more!

[@guiboubou23]

Realy great job for the mod, the video and the edit. A real pleasure to watch :)

[@davejarvis5279]

Thats probably the best modding video I've seen,wish I could get my heimdallr looking like that 👍

[@stikmalegecko6635]

Subscriber 54 right here. I can't stop thinking on myself when I saw this mod. Congrats it's beautiful.

[@darren591]

I've been looking more and more into Chinese watches and this video came up on my feed. Dude this was inspirational! You have motivated me to try to build my own perfect watch!

[@yesh6859]

Hey man great work and quality video. I recently finished a mod myself. I subscribed after you mentioned the alignment issue using the dial dots to secure the dial. That happened to me and I didn’t see anyone else talk about that issue. Look forward to more videos. Cheers.

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Thanks! I appreciate it. The dial dots are a tricky issue. I did actually update the watch after this video, and remove the hands and re-fit the dial. I replaced the several dial dots I used with 4 half size ones and kept gently lifting the dial with a thin crafting knife/blade to move it into alignment. It took about 4-5 test fits to get it perfect, but I'm happy to say the dial is now perfectly aligned. One thing I did to help with alignment was looking at where it needed to be, in relation to the chapter ring, and making a small mark on the plastic movement spacer at the 6 o'clock position to align the dial roughly to.

[@michaeldempsey5676]

Great video, so enthusiastic and hilarious in parts, top mod also👍

[@canadianwatchmonkey3992]

Now that is a great looking watch! Well done, love your channel.

[@IfonlyIwasaPolarbear]

Great video. I have used this as reference on several builds. Thank you again.

[@AdrianGozali]

Soo detailed & fun to watch! Subscribed!

[@pauloftsushima3580]

Subscribed..shows the human elements of honesty, errors, panic, correction, and adjustment...this is the only mod channel for which i turned on the notification icon. Cheers brother. Let me know if we could discuss a build together.

[@vicgoldman251]

Incredibly well done and very educational for a newbie like me who hasn't even bought the tools yet for my first mod lol

[@trjb1767]

Comprehensive. Entertaining and educational. Thanks for posting. Great content

[@rbmwiv]

You created a beautiful watch. I would have never thought a SKX could look like that. Very awesome I think I want to build me one.

[@BigRigVic]

Amazing.The result looks really good.I am going to try to copy the process. Thanks

[@Darkmattersfrank]

I love my Heimdallr SKX. I enjoyed your review on the watch

[@jamair23]

Dude you're a watch surgeon WOW what a mod!!! Excellent job 👊🏽

[@Sr.D]

Mmm I love when I find a small channel and see it grow from the beginning, believe me, this is quality content if you keep uploading videos from time to time the channel will grow.

[@Tony455HO]

Nice video man. Keep up the good work. Cheers

[@phagraphy]

New channel and your first video is amazing. Greetings from Indonesia.

[@raimondwamelink5208]

Another great video and a awesome watch.

[@migoy13]

I had fun watching this. Thank you.

[@weasle6]

Brave Effort, well done.

[@ericb8888]

“ is that actually on ? “ the mantra of all who attempt to set a second hand ;) Excellent vid ! Subbed .

[@borisbarat4858]

Fantastic looking watch ... amazing job.

[@petermulhall2564]

Great video,and great job too,well done,and thank you👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@muliasiem]

Great upgrade.. really hope I can get one

[@SinzuSage]

Great job. Love the watch

[@rbmwiv]

My third time watching this. I am gonna build one like you did. Very nice and I really like it. Thanks for sharing.

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Glad to hear it! I'll be posting an update on this watch hopefully soon (waiting on parts) where I add a second hand like the Sarb035.

[@trevorhofmann1562]

Great mod. Great presentation. Great personal presence. Let's see more vids, as you seem to have that special je ne sais quoi a youtuber needs in order to become successful.

[@Tom_H327]

I've watched this 3 times. Just incredible.

[@rbmwiv]

That watch is stunning.

[@zh3us]

Amazing build

[@nyyyard]

Bit of feedback: Entertaining vid, but I'd say never polish a watch with a maschine while the movement is still in there. And dont lay the dial front down on a any types of cloth as the indices get scratched...

[@dangavsterGAMES]

Thanks for letting me know, I'm still fairly new to modding, so your advice is appreciated!

[@blooee1989]

If you have to lay the dial face down, what do you put it on?

[@phagraphy]

@@blooee1989 Bergeon 5395-55

[@blooee1989]

@@phagraphy Thanks mate.

[@mikebutler3846]

I have the Heimdallr and think it is great for the money. Somewhat chunky, but I like heavier watches. Good video!

[@pb8153]

Subscribed - great video

[@locobenno9435]

great work! I've modded a couple of Heimdallrs myself with aftermarket dials and hands, I agree they have great build quality

[@hzee13]

A wrist shot of the final mod would have been nice. Loved the rest of the video 👍

[@dangavsterGAMES]

Thanks! Yeah... originally I had the wrist shot at 33:08 up for longer but it got covered up when I added the overlays of the parts. I'll be sure to have a bit more of a zoomed out wrist shot that's visible for longer in the future. Thanks for watching!

[@hzee13]

@@dangavsterGAMES All good man. It was great for a first video

[@rafaelandreu]

Beautiful !

[@jerichowatches1]

That's a nice looking dial.

[@travislivengood7443]

I've done similar to an Invicta Prodiver. Its funny when you're done. Its a watch YOU love to death but probably not one you could ever sell. Mine ended up with a sanded down and brushed case, crown, smooth Murphy steel bezel, Dagaz dial and handset and lug tip turn downs sanded to rounded edges like you did your crown guards. I've named it Mongrel. Great job, save those Heimdallr parts as they're good leftovers! I've got a 6105 thats been through the wringer with one killed movement (invicta NH heart swap saved it) from a hard drop and one failed case gasket from being apart so many times. Still runs like....well.....a watch!

[@korbindallis]

Wow I would never try to mod watch hands I would totally ruin it, bravo to you for getting it done 👍🏾

[@ferenczitibor]

Pure beauty!!!

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Thanks!

[@watchcheapo1801]

Nice job👍👍👍

[@rbmwiv]

You created a beautiful watch sir very tastefull.

[@dr.s.p.]

I’m loving your video presentations (even the mess ups which can teach newbies what to look out for) and your dialogue keeps us engaged. Well done. As for crown guards digging into your wrist; all I can say is I don’t know of many people at all that wear their watches so low on the wrist it’s almost on the hand, which is why! Of course it is a personal preference but usually it’s not meant to be worn over the wrist crease and so low, but hey ho, it’s ultimately your choice and therefore, you live with the consequences.

[@andrewpantke1533]

Love the long style video leaned a lot from seeing all the steps.

[@khackett7]

I’ve come really close a couple times to getting a Heimdallr watch, mostly because of their cool dials, titanium offerings and overall “good value for the money”, but the little drawbacks here and there sway me.

[@Simplifier123]

Great video mate! The final product looks freaking amazing! I wonder if one can do the same with the Heimdallr monster, swapping the dial for a real Seiko dial.

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

It uses the NH36 so I think its definitely doable!

[@Simplifier123]

@@ItsAnotherWatch I'm sure I will fit the movement, the question is, will the chapter ring fit the case? I guess I'll have to try to find out xD The dial isn't cheap though.. 75 bucks o.o

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

@@Simplifier123 I think you can get away with just a dial swap if the indices don't exceed the size of the cutouts in the chapter ring that comes with the Heimdallr. Looking at them, and comparing to images of the actual monster watches, it looks like they're made to the same size (LOOKS LIKE). So as long as they didn't glue the chapter ring to the Heimdallr dial, I think a dial swap might be possible. www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001827073058.html

[@Simplifier123]

@@ItsAnotherWatch Wow thanks for the indepth reply my friend! I actually saw all these options but I always wanted an orange monster. Thats why I ordered the heimdallr, in orange. I actually found an original seiko monster 2ns gen dial but it costs 75€.. www.watchpartsplaza.com/us/seiko-srp309k1-2nd-generation-orange-monster-dial.html It seems like it comes with a chapter ring attached to it, as the Heimdallr does, I've seen it here: facebook.com/295833707874779/posts/715463825911763/ Hard to tell if the chapter ring is at the same height in both dials.

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Looking at those, I'd say if the Heimdallr is true to most of the dimensions of the original (at least internally) if the chapter ring doesn't separate it might be worth getting that dial+chapter ring from WatchPartsPlaza and just trying it out. If it doesn't fit, you could send the dial back, or just resell it on eBay for the same you bought it for, i'm sure someone out there would buy it. I wonder if you could get the dimensions of the height of the chapter ring on the OEM dial from WatchPartsPlaza, then you could compare measurements to your Heimdallr before you even buy it! Edit: yeah... looks like the chapter ring is part of the dial and is glued on.

[@babardurrani8959]

Loved the video. Any idea if an aftermarket domed crystal would fit this watch? I know u mentioned it in the video that you arnt sure, but I am sure ur curiosity may have forced you to look into it.

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Unfortunately not, one thing I avoid when I can is removing crystals. If I have to I will, but with the Heimdallr I just left it as it is.

[@ahmeda3050]

i wish you were selling these, i love the final product and finish

[@stevenmyers2252]

I was actually thinking the same thing

[@tiagomizuno3794]

Hey I have a similar case with that metal thread. Did you put another piece between the bezel and the case? I bought one, but it is not tight for me to press with the crystal press

[@Daveoheight0808]

This is a great mod thanks, where did you get the heimdallr watch, which web site

[@dodgydruid]

I am waiting on delivery for my first "big boys" Seiko a custom modded Tuna, the case has been knurled quite extensively in a diamond criss cross pattern with the bezel coin edge being matched by the machinist who did the work but retained the 4R36 dial and movement, only thing I am changing is the aftermarket Mercedes hands as I have a set of silohuette with red edging SKX007 hands although I also have a set of neon green fishbone hands I am eyeing as well. Actually I do have a custom Turtle, got it from Aliexpress this year featuring NH36 day date, sapphire crystal and sapphire bezel insert in a pleasing red to dark red to black theme with the numerals in the sapphire bezel being fully C3 lumed too...

[@amenhotep7704]

You deserve way more subscribers...

[@Kana0211]

Will that Chinese day wheel fit a 4 o clock 7s26? I can't seem to find one.

[@davidtodd907]

i love my sharkey 'skx' just the way it is.

[@Secondrunnerup613]

Hey you do good stuff.....I'm looking to put a clear case back on a Heimdallr Sea Ghost in brushed titanium. Amy idea where I can get one???

[@himashwitharana3263]

Great video. I'm thinking of doing this myself, but with a white dial. I got the heimdallr in white as well. Any clues as to how you found the dial replacement? The link only has the black version. Cheers as always!

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Thanks very much! I myself have looked for where to get a white SARY055 dial but haven't been able to find anything. The only solution I could come up with was to see if I could get a custom white dial from DIAL MAKER that has those thin polished indices from the great wave dial or the galaxy dial and have them print the Seiko/automatic text onto the dial in black. That's the best I can think of unfortunately, unless there's a more available dial that's similar, like perhaps a 28.5mm vintage Seiko dress watch dial.

[@guarovj]

Wow, That is interesting. I thought bezels were not compatible. Did you use a normal bezel gasket?

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

The pilot bezels are just a really tight friction fit. Since they're fixed in place, and don't rotate, they don't need a bezel gasket. As for regular rotating bezels, I've tried them on this case, and they're not compatible. Since the bezel click system is different.

[@ricardodiaz6187]

Turned my Heimdallr into a 6105 Captain Willard. Other than the unsigned crown, caseback, and crown slightly off of the 4 o’clock position, you can’t really tell.

[@johnrb9397]

Handsome watch.

[@infinitigjj6779]

Does heimdallr dial have a dial size of 28.5mm? Thanks

[@beingsneaky]

my first thought was "just round off the crown guard edges" and that is what you did lol.

[@clark3830]

WHICH case back is the NH36 one? A or B?

[@albertohernandez4921]

Merry christmas brother, what is the size of those hands you use? I am assembling something similar to this beautiful piece you did, the thing is that the hands I use on mine are too long; i cut the hands with a nail clippers hahaha their ok but I am not satisfied. I am going to try to send a picture to you that way you can give me an advice.

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

I recommend taking off a little bit at a time, holding them against the dial to see if they are where you want them to be, and if they need more taken off, adjust them until they sit where you want them to.

[@blazinkid5178]

Looks amazing! I'd love to try a mod like this but I'm barely a watch enthusiast, let alone a watchmaker/modder. Would it be reasonable to hire a watchmaker to make a mod like this?

[@NW-lj6oo]

You can do that but it brings more cost into the project. My first build was an ETA 7750, which I could not finish due to a lack of tools so I took it to a watchmaker and was charged £45GBP for the work. The trick is to watch many videos like ‘It’s Another Watch’ and plan the project very well as these projects are doable (unless your have a shaky handy), but need handling carefully. They are immensely rewarding when done correctly.

[@highperboi]

Hi I’m looking into building off of a Heimdallr or a steeldive SKX style case. Are standard skx parts compatible? I heard the crows are different but it’s hard to find exact specs. Do you have any info on this? Thanks in advance!

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Yeah, the Heimdallr cases use different crowns to the SKX ones. I mention this in the video at 34:36. Although I don't have exact specs on gasket thickness or the threads for the crown, they're different enough just on a simple inspection that I wouldn't risk the water resistance of the watch by using an skx crown. My advice would be to stick to the Heimdallr crown, just get yourself the sterile version so it doesn't have any branding on it.

[@joeyhinton8]

For what it’s worth, I have 1 heimdallr, and it’s great. I could be happy with it as an only watch.

[@AMSOILRyan]

Do you need a Bezel gasket for the new smooth bezel you installed?

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

No, its a friction fit bezel. The gasket is only for rotating bezels to ensure a, hopefully, firm fit as well as smooth rotation.

[@guyfisher2050]

Was the original bezel insert installed with regular 3m adhesive? Or did they install it with super glue?

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Its an adhesive ring. I can't remember specifically but I don't recall it being super glued down.

[@himashwitharana3263]

The traditional Zaratsu hand polishing technique employed in the production of Grand Seiko watches: 21:00

[@dtroutmann]

A video of swapping the shark logo for a Seiko logo would be cool

[@vitzbig]

awesome mod. How only 47 subscribers??

[@grekm5780]

Where to buy such a bezel...

[@joecachia2]

THat seems to use the Vostok style of bezel spring.

[@rbmwiv]

Do you have any suggestions for a similar dial? Because they are out of stock and have ben, haven’t found one on eBay.

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Unfortunately not. There are some similar dials out there, but none i've found to even come close to how good this SARY057 dial looks. I've had the same problem when looking for the SARY055 dial to do a white version of this. I've even bought some aftermarket dials but they just don't look right.

[@rbmwiv]

Thanks for letting me know. I picked up a couple of aftermarket dials. They look good but there’s definitely room for improvement on them. I’m not complaining about the price but haven’t had much luck finding original dials. I have noticed that you are using a generic spring bar tool. I bought the Bergeon one and I bought both sizes of forks, screws in and out for change or replacement. It cost me about 40 usd for the tool and I found the other set of forks for like $5. It makes bracelet changes so much easier. That is probably the best money I have spent on a tool, it’s that good.

[@propblast82nd]

Wow, how much did that Seiko dial cost ?

[@joecachia2]

I dont use Bezels at all. Id rather they don't move easily . I hate to see it mis-aligned with the slightest touch. Good review.

[@renenob4065]

Please, please, please do something similar to the Steeldive 1970. I am curious what a "Dressy Willard" looks like.

[@krisztianlaszlo2157]

Do you also make watches to order? If so, where can I contact you?

[@monsta3038]

Just ten short years ago this wasn't possible for even a jewler,so it is apparent that the domination of Chinese machine tech has truly changed even low profit high machine time production work.

[@jadedsoul1]

How does one buff a bezel on a corse sandpaper wheel, I'm confused !!! allso anybody who knows about GS knows they are the watch with the sweeping second hand !! anyways props for all your camera work and nice efforts..great money shots too...

[@RaulGarcia-pt8eo]

Very nice piece and Beautiful, How much?

[@Rasukix]

good bit of UK youtuber action

[@kaynwells6936]

I have an srpd51. Can I do this same mod to my seiko?

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Yes, you'd swap the dial, hands, chapter ring and bezel. Because the SPRD51 is blue, you'd either have to get a similar blue dial (to avoid having to replace the chapter ring) or remove the crystal to change to a black chapter ring, which would require a crystal press to remove and put the crystal back in.

[@KINGKONG-ff7yw]

this bracelet end links is hollow? solid?

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Solid end links.

[@gerardoreilly9556]

What size dial did you use?

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

28.5mm

[@1a1r]

Any info on your original Seiko. Is it a 013 and if so how much? Cheers

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

The original watch was a Heimdallr SKX007 homage. Although the crown guards on it make it look like an SKX013 but its the same size as the SKX007.

[@1a1r]

@@ItsAnotherWatch ah my bad - sorry, I meant the custom build control watch you used? I'm guessing it's also an 007 case?

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

@@1a1r Ah, yes it is. all Namoki mods SKX007 parts. Strapcode bracelet, and Dial Maker meteorite dial. Technically its not even an original Seiko, since its all custom parts.

[@1a1r]

@@ItsAnotherWatch looks fantastic, regardless of authenticity. I'm starting a build myself but am trying to source an original SKX013. Prices are at £529 for one with a jubilee strap. I'm going to build a custom one and keep looking for an original! Thanks for the info, looking forward to more content 🔥

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

@@1a1r No problem! I'd recommend taking a look at www.seikomods.com/ since they have all the SKX013 parts you need and are based in the UK. I was tempted to go for a SKX013 full build from them recently, but I'm trying to hold back on doing too many mods haha. God speed with the build sir! I hope it goes well.

[@stonecold998]

Sarx035 on the thumbnail "baby grand"

[@shelbybloomingdale6670]

Would this be a gen 2 heimdallr

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Yes, I believe so.

[@martyngebhard7311]

Do skx parts fit this ?

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

Movements, Crystals, case backs and chapter rings yes. Bezels, bracelets and crowns no. Although. as you can see in this video, a Pilots bezel is an exception due to it being designed not to move.

[@fakenewsisthenews3542]

Hi Dan. I'm sad. I have just destroyed 2 Turtles. The bezels are nearly impossible to remove. I have removed a couple that weren't too bad, but I had 2 including my grail. the orange Nemo that the bezel removal required a hammer. I put a squishy foam mouse pad under the watch to absorb some of the shock. A couple taps of the hammer onto the knife will finally pop up the bezel, but then I noticed the dial rotated inside the watch. Not good. Took one for repair today (not the nemo) and there were several broken pieces. The nemo just broke tonight. The bezel was seized so i had to remove it anyway. Now, I assume there will be the same broken pieces inside the nemo. I think the weight of the rotor is breaking the spindle/stem? That's my guess as they said the rotor broke off on the one I took for repair today. I didn't think that hammering on the knife while the watch was stationary would cause breakage. Even Namoki mods page suggests a hammer may be necessary for really difficult bezels.

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

That sucks... Unfortunately there's not much I can say. I think you can still salvage these watches, but if the movements were damaged they'll need replacing and if the dial feet snapped off due to the force of the hammer, they'd need to be re attached with dial dots. This will just have to be one of those hard learning experiences, if you ever need to use impact force to remove a Bezel, its always worth removing the movement first. I hope that you're able to get them sorted out.

[@fakenewsisthenews3542]

@@ItsAnotherWatch Thanks brother. I honestly didn't think about removing the movements first. I wonder if they can fix the movements? I'll find out soon enough. The dial and the movement seem to have moved together as the day/date is still in the little window. I'm guessing the crown stem broke allowing it all to rotate?

[@fakenewsisthenews3542]

@@ItsAnotherWatch The funny thing is, the whole reason I changed the bezel and insert on the NEMO was to preserve the originals in perfect condition for the future. LOLLLLLLLL

[@ItsAnotherWatch]

@@fakenewsisthenews3542 If it is just a snapped stem then that should be fairly simple to repair, as long as there isn't any damage to the rest of the movement.

[@Rubin_A]

I want buy this

[@Ericdagreat]

If you like the Heimdaler, you would like the Ratio version a lot better.