The Best $1000 Diver...So Why Did I Mod It?

The Seiko Willard SBP237 is a tool watch with a Fancy Dial. In the metal, the build quality blew me away, but I still managed to find a couple of tweaks I can make to improve on this almost perfect $1K diver.
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Ribbed nato from Thestraptailor.com

[@jacklaporte472]

Really digging this channel. I’m not sure if this is a compliment or an indictment but your sense of humour is right up my alley. I appreciate the work you put into these videos.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Haha cheers Jack 🥂

[@drews4685]

Good choice and praise for correcting the bezel issue .

[@MrGrinch23]

Thank you for this video. I’ve been trying to decide on my first Seiko and gravitated to the Willard. You provided some great details which are confirming my choice. My 8” wrist won’t need me to mod it like you did! Super impressed that you did that.

[@shahnhughes4558]

I went with the SBDC109 almost by mistake. I put a low bid on it that I didn't think I'd win. Well Happy Mistakes I Won! I have a few turtles but the size difference alone makes this a great addition. The bracelet is actually great but I found one of Seiko's new silicon 20mm straps that came on the green dial and I'm in love!

[@Stache209]

I went back and forth for months debating between this exact watch vs the SPB143. Ultimately I went for the 143 but you can't go wrong with either. Love your videos, keep up the great work!

[@flow2tech]

@Reach2yen i hear you ... I had to buy both..

[@tomdawgfishingfootball8448]

I just went camping for a week and took my Tudor BB58 Blue on NATO... LUUUUUV IT

[@thetrentmeister]

I’ve had my SBDC143 (SPB237) for one month now, and I absolutely love it. I really enjoy mine on the OEM bracelet and the saichu straps that came with the watch. I didn’t predict that I’d enjoy the watch as much as I do. This video is great too.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks Nathan!

[@Kingstonsmac]

I have the 143 and will never let go of it. 👊🏼🤙🏼

[@ToolwatchBoutique]

Yeeeeahh another WatchCrunch video! Have a nice weekend bud ❤️

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

You too buddy!

[@richardhoulton4016]

The SPB237 is what pushed me over line on a reissue after years of being a 6105 admirer. I have mine in the SPB153’s black silicone because I think it looks more 6105-ish. The NATOs provided are beautiful quality however and watch does look good on them…it just sits a bit high. I got lucky with the bezel (spot on) and the movement (typically between-2 and +5 seconds a day). It’s a stunning looking watch and perfect size on my 7” wrist.

[@ahmada5207]

I got the exact same one and I will be taking it with me for my trip to Poland. Thanks for the great video as always🙏🏻

[@breakers1986]

I have this piece and its my daily go to watch!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Willard club!

[@Talon173]

Just picked up a Green Willard at the weekend after seeing this review. Incredible watch, so comfy on the rubber strap. Perfect on my 6.25 inch wrist. Oh and I got lucky. Perfect bezel alignment and +3 seconds a day

[@lawrenceong8501]

Vacation watch, knock around everyday watch, the Mini Turtle does it for me. Great video Max !

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Good stuff Lawrence 👍

[@luca_gragnaniello]

Love your videos man!!! Never stop doing them !

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks Luca, thanks for the encouragement!

[@kyleweber9760]

Quite a watch, never seen it this way, great video!!!

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks Kyle 👍

[@usgravyseal6274]

Was after a Willard for a while and I am glad I waited, this release is perfect to me! Vintage looking military watch 👌

[@perudolux]

Just came back from holiday with my 143 😎 can’t go wrong with either

[@simonwright6882]

Really like the look of this one and also the 143. But when the spb187 came up last week at only £650 from an ad I had to go for it. I'm extremely happy with the 187. The curved case is a real wrist hugger!

[@BartMan59]

Hi Max, thanks for another great watch video. There is no denying the Seiko Willard old/new is an iconic dive watch. However, I opted for another no-nonsense, nothing-fancy, tough-as-nails, workhorse - a proven dive watch in Japan, the Seiko Marine Master Professional 300m for less than $1K.

[@MileZeroFilms]

Fantastic review, thanks! I've been wearing a Rolex Sea Dweller 16600 every day for years now with the absolute certainty that it would be the last watch I'd ever wear but...the SBP237 is testing that conviction big time. Also, as a card carrying member of Club-OCD I appreciate your "light switch twelve times" joke.

[@clintonshiells3095]

I really appreciate your thoughtful video. On vacation and tried on the Captain Willard and was quite surprised how well it fit on my 6.5 inch wrist. Movement worries me a bit but I understand it can be regulated?

[@BrandonMenancio]

Ribbed for your pleasure 😍

[@adamethancrow]

Loving the channel. Looking forward to watching you grow. 👍

[@craig2100]

The Willard is a great watch no matter the wrist. I gifted mine to a family member but used the daylights out of it and it performed like a champ. Maybe it's time for me to purchase another. Great channel, keep up the great work.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Thanks Craig 🙌

[@ClaudioDrews]

The Seiko Uemura is the perfected version of the Willard.

[@Cycletroll]

I've been wearing my SLA051 non-stop for almost two months. Pretty much ruined me for other divers.

[@timchan334]

I think the Prospex Land Tortoise is being overlooked. Its 42mm/12mm thick + 200m WR. Its got a sapphire crystal and screwdown crown….looks exactly the same but in smaller package. I got mines for $250 new.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Those cool SEIKO "urban" colors are great!

[@idid1866]

Lol, I was thinking G-shock! Nice review of a classic, man🤙🏼

[@tiongloo5310]

Grew up with Seiko. Now am into Rolex. Recently I went to Vietnam. Didn't want to wear my datejust or Explorer 214270. Put on an Orient open heart 38.5 mm. Work very well n keep excellent time.

[@garynico9872]

which orient open heart may i ask?

[@David-vz5mv]

You like the ladyboys in Vietnam?

[@SoCalWatchReviews]

Great video Max 👏

[@GCPlati85]

Great video. Thought about a namoki slim caseback too but I intend to dive with this guy and that would reduce the water resistance to 5 atm. C'est la vie.

[@137Furon]

I think the CWC Royal Navy Diver is the king of the Beater mid tier Dive watch, Actual military Heritage, top grade selita movement, Time only ( Chefs kiss)

[@thepaulanewman5649]

Vacation watch? The Oris Clean Ocean on bracelet. It’s perfect. 😉

[@melvsdlp9293]

Another awesome video 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@timothywillis8883]

Great review! I have three Willard’s, and they are all fantastic! 🎉

[@MrPleers]

I almost bought an original one. (The asking price was 1.200 euro). But I declined the offer because I'm saving up for another watch. The newer one looks nice. But the case shape and some details on the dial (the prospex X and the lack of a frame around the date window) makes the modern version too different from the original Willard.

[@DonYang73]

Very good choice as a vacation watch. I have several vacation watches. All rolexes. 1. 16618, 2. 16610, 3. 16700, 4. 124300, 5. 14060. Thinking of getting the blacked out SPB257 as a vacation watch now

[@garyshepherd9226]

Tried one - the 6R35 was very fast and unreliable - took it back. Got the Seiko Uemura grey Willard - more expensive but - the 8L35 is superb atm - very accurate. Worth the extra money.

[@minionofgozer7414]

I have the seiko slim turtle with the 6R35 movement and its been keeping good time and the bezel was / is perfectly aligned as well 🤷‍♂️ maybe I just got lucky!

[@jeanlefranc3817]

If vacation means beaches full of abrasive sand, over and underwater activities, fetching stuff in car trunks and lockers, carrying equipment and not having to worry about your watch, I would say Casio Duro blue dial.

[@fredericchicheportiche320]

Great video, i would take my SRPH81 WxW special, straigth to bali, and the volcanos.

[@sean58271]

Amazing watch. Great review.

[@ericmoss8344]

Such a great one from Seiko! I need more info on the slim case back as I've never seen that. Anything to slim down a case and I'm all for it! How accurate is your SBP237... I don't think I heard you mention. Only that it's a workhorse blue collar movement.

[@fw1421]

My 237 sits right next to my 1976 6105 I bought at the Base Exchange back in the day.

[@hitchhicker92]

I thinnk the bezel issue speaks to the QC problems seiko has... Hard to swallow if you pay full price, but a very cool watch nonetheless ;)

[@dogusatasoy]

I'll probably take my Longines Spirit 40mm white dial with a waterproof leather strap in any case if i would like to dive in to the pool while hanging around. But during the day i'll usually wear Tissot Seastar 1000 original blue dial with ceramic blue bezel together with Seiko Prospex Alpinist green dial according to my outfit. Don't wanna hurt the Spirit but also cannot resist to wear it all the time.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Both great choices!

[@ptzish]

You can make this watch, with an NH35 or NH36 for around $150. I've made three. It's a lot of fun.

[@georgeplungis5283]

When I was in boot I bought a Hamilton watch & wore it until one of the hands fell off & I didn’t know it could be repaired

[@jP-nw7nm]

Sickass Vato I like it aye!

[@roadgent7921]

Could you fit a VH31 movement in this case? 👍

[@Jackofdiamonds-l6x]

Hey man, I’m tired of scratching cases with that yellow pry tool. Is putting duct tape over it like that really the secret sauce? I wonder if kapton tape would work too…

[@sligo405]

I just got a SBP237. I'd be interested to know if you'd put it on a leather nato (anachronist?) or something brighter than the usual greens and grays?

[@brynybach7741]

Always loved this watch but yours doesn't have a sunburst dial. This is a vertical tree bark effect dial. A sunburst dial radiates from the centre to the edge in 360 degrees. I love your videos and easy talking. Keep them coming.

[@chrisp.9820]

Is it easy to swap out the standard green strap for a rubber one? I’m new to collecting watches and I want to buy one of these

[@morganthedruid1]

That is a great looking watch Max and your OCD realigning of that bezel was genius but the mod I would perform to make that Seiko into the best diver under $1000 is to put the Seiko back in the box, put it away in a draw and then buy a Doxa Sub 200 😂

[@garyshepherd9226]

Ordered one already

[@MrRyanlackey]

My seiko spb383 i love it for travel.

[@stephenrhodes3916]

Stunning watch but i passed it over in favour of the smaller Turtle recreation. It may not have the cool looking dial but in every other sense it's the equal of its bigger brother.

[@chinhwankim]

My summer watch is Citizen NY0040-50W.......strangely, It features the hacking second......no back play on the bezel~~!!

[@edrader]

great video. i have the same watch and as a seiko enthusiast for many years i agree with all of your conclusions (rare for me). this watch is THEE one! i wear mine on a single pass maratac strap or a maratac nato with the superfluous shorter strap removed. i would never replace the caseback :-)

[@DontEatFibre]

Turtles wear so comfortably!

[@irkypots]

I just got a squale 1521, absolutely love it same price range, comes with a higher end movement, blasted case, more water resistance, unfortunately, lume is kinda weak and it has similar bezel issues but is in my opinion a great alternative

[@bobhob35]

I also have a squale 1521 which I wear exclusively on nato straps and am now considering captain Willard to go with it.

[@drbobsnightmare2521]

Can I buy a spb151 as a birth year watch. Or do I need to look for a 6105 that's over 50 years old? Follow up question, why don't Gshocks count? I think they should.

[@glennbeadshaw727]

Hard to believe that out of all the controversy around Apocalypse Now throughout the years a Seiko Willard has floated to the top as a collector desirable watch

[@georgeplungis5283]

Does anyone know if that style of second hand first came out on the Willard??

[@CaptainSnappy]

I’d probably have one of these if I wasn’t so afraid of the alignment and movement QC issues. My Alpinist with the 6R35 had to go in for warranty because the movement would get stuck.

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Yeah it's not a great movt

[@Talon173]

Tbh the alignment is perfect on mine and has been running +3 seconds since I got it last week

[@flow2tech]

@@Talon173 SAme here.. Order from gnomon and they will gladly provide qc of alignment. All my seiko's are bang on.

[@Al_Prazolam]

Are the indices truly distinct & applied, or are they somehow extruded thru the dial surface and then finished off?

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Definitely applied. The dial texture actually flattens out in those areas to accommodate the indices 👌

[@madsdrastrup]

How much did you shave off the thickness with the slim caseback?

[@Vox-Populi]

"Ribbed for your pleasure"! Excellent reference.😅

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Join the discussion at WatchCrunch: www.watchcrunch.com/Max/posts/watches-that-make-you-smile-my-fancy-dial-willard-review-9592

[@daniel_chayra]

Do you have any recs for slim case back for the spb143?

[@alexhamilton2710]

Is there going to be an app for watch crunch?

[@pk1342]

i don't understand the bezel misalignment. They have a degree of back play and 120 clicks. it's basically impossible to have them misalligned because you can just adjust the position between the clicks with the back play. Can someone explain please? I have an SPB147 which does align, but i know that if it didn't align perfectly on the click I would still be able to align it using the degree of back play.

[@David-vz5mv]

Show us where you got the Parts and the parts numbers so we can do the same mod if we want!!

[@chrisbchester]

You never showed the side profile with the slim caseback!

[@orangedan5424]

Personally I still think King Turtle still the best value.. 👍

[@911_dan2]

Skx size caseback fits?

[@WatchCrunchOfficial]

Yes sir!

[@sean1e100]

Vacation watch? Well, I just had 12 days in Greece and the one watch I took was the Breitling Avenger GMT white dial on the bracelet. Perfect at the pool, at the beach, out sightseeing, at the bar, out for dinner… REALLY enjoyed the experiment of seeing if a single piece really can do it all 🙂

[@blairdalgleish8247]

SPB147 is my favourite, I love it but it gains 20s a day.

[@drbobsnightmare2521]

Only subscribed because you look just like the Average bros dude.

[@galaga8834]

I used to own the Willard X blue version. I ended up selling it because I did not like the shape of the case. It looked oblong compared to my turtles. I'm eagerly awaiting for the reissue of the 6105-8000 case in a month or so. That slim turtle case if done properly will blow these WillardX cases out of the water.

[@johnrb9397]

Isn't it nut-tella nor noot-tella?

[@alanho5500]

Is anyone bothered by the uneven sizes of the numerals on the date wheel? Eg 21 vs 22

[@jeffreyalbarandorivera9750]

For those who compared steel dive with the reissue willard take a look after the bezel being removed?.. I would rather mod a parts from Tokeilab namoki and watch and style than buying a steeldive..haha

[@johnmilner7603]

Too bad the inner dashes don’t line up with the outer dashes. How do you screw that up? Somebody’s blind making these watches.😂

[@canadianwatchmonkey3992]

Sumo for me all day every day.. in blue

[@lukewalker1051]

Just not a fan but thanks for your excellent presentation.

[@rhodes1591]

... hive mind ha ... 😏

[@tylerrohn6938]

So you didn’t mod it you just fixed it

[@Nalapombu]

Straptailor DOESN’T make those straps. NOTHING like that available on his site.

[@camarocarl7130]

Nice watch except for the 6R-35. Crap movement. 4R-35 would have worked IMHO.

[@derekshearer9049]

Not a Willard. Not one video without the watch having problems..

[@PINKFL0YD-s2h]

Jesus 🙄

[@genuinejojo]

Best vacation watch is not wearing one

[@wristcandy5451]

Overpriced, Chinese homage offer better value

[@kenlipper874]

Thanks for the video. Can you please tell me which slim case-back, from namoki, you used? None of them specifically mention the SPB151 or the Willard.