Awesome video! FWIW you can get a Turtle for $300 if you look in the right places. I personally don't see much difference between my 4R and 6R Seikos. Some run fast, some run slow. Spencer Klein did a great video where he disassembled a 6R movement, and found that the Seiko factory had over-lubricated the entire movement. Once he cleaned it up, the thing ran COSC. Great video, Chris!
Bought the Willard secondhand. Wanted an automatic Seiko in the collection and I’m a sucker for the looks of tool-watches from the 60s and 70s. Put it on a chocolate bar strap from Uncle Seiko and it wears really comfortable. Wish they could have gotten the shape of the case a little bit closer to the 6105 and dropped the Prospex-logo but they probably didn’t want to annoy those who had already splashed on the SLA033 too much.
I have both movements, my 4rxx runs better than my 6rxx. Seiko should have used the 4r movement in this new Capt Willard, more affordable for more people.
Like many others I have the steeldive willard, absolutely love the case and it fits very well. Gotta try the Turtle on in person, might be a bit too big and gotta give it a spin before i buy.
Should also be noted that I owned the Seiko SKX and the SRP PADI edition and the Heimdallr is equal to or better then the Seiko offerings. The sad part is I really love and respect the Seiko brand. AMAZING history that can’t be denied.
Enjoy your buys but (this monologue is for everyone, not really you). Heimdallr are not - 'homage watches', they are not 'taking inspiration' they were not 'complying to NASA Specifications '. They are backward Engineer/Designing - copying. Not even in the way that VW let Skoda, Audi, Seat or Porsche use their Designs, they are essentially fakes with different branding. Blatantly selling SKX007 etc Rolex get away what they do by buying the original company or 'homaging' their ideas. Seikos honourable morals to machining, polishing and tolerances are lost if you can't see the differences comparing them to competitors, still this shows their pro conduct doesn't waver. They had to up the quality and pricing of their lineup essentially removing the low budget options, seeing as 80% of all their watches are still running, or in the process of being refurbished in India. That said Seiko need a kick up they bum to change the mocking they get from the failure to fix rookie mistake. Albert Einstein said it best talking about repeating a test and expecting different results. Seikos bracelets are average at best, 99% don't match the material finish of the case. and the clasps look to be an afterthought, but they're not. It's amazing what good or bad PR can do, word of mouth has made Seiko look bad (usually by people who own one low range product) Yet Tissot are polar opposite because of the power of PR especially word of mouth, they take advantage of all positives and hide the disadvantages. Powermatic 80 is a Robot Manufactured Lemon, but they've made us believe Lemon tastes nice.
@@stequis Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I totally agree with you on all your points except to me a fake would include the name Seiko. I think a better term would be copy. Please don’t get me wrong Seiko makes great watches and are a very strong brand. I have a few Seiko watches in my collection and think they are great but they were all purchased used as new thus to me represented good value.
The Captain Willard is a more expensive Turtle.... The Turtle for me wins hands down since it is more accessible and affordable. To me the Willard is a big cash grab.
Unless you are an real Apocalypse Now fan....the Willard is pointless. But if you dropped acid and watched it til it was burned into your soul...well then its money well spent.
The original didn't have sapphire crystal and had an Aluminum bezel. If I bought a Willard I would want it to be exactly like the original. If you want upgrades, get a different model.
Thanks Chris… I’ve owned the mini turtle and presently have a turtle that I modded by adding a Sapphire crystal and a loomed Bezel insert. I wanted the Willard reissue But I really see it as a $700 watch Max. I bought a Merkur Homage. $200 after discount (has saphire and saphire bezel insert with as good of finish as the turtle). Just can’t justify buying the Seiko at that price...
I recently purchased a Heimdallr 'Captain Willard' through Amazon - knowing that I could easily return it if I didn't like it. ... It's now one of my favorite watches.
The cannibalisation issue seems likely, but also, not using sapphire increases profit for Seiko. It really adds up when you are making millions of watches. A dollar here , a dollar there.
Great comparison Chris . I’ve tried on a new Willard. It’s definitely a very nice Seiko. I like your sbdc061 much better though . I own a Padi Turtle and it’s a great watch but definitely not the same quality as the Willard or your 061. Just curious do you still own your sbdc033 Sumo/ Blumo? That’s still my favorite and best Seiko 👍🏻
Crowns at 3.8. I love the Willard dial and handset but not the 20 mm strap which is out of proportion so I just built a Turtle with Willard dial and hands.
I went with the Steeldive Willard. The homage/replica efforts wouldn't exist without Seiko, but the SD is well made and perfectly aligned, for a tenth the cost. Still think my 061 is one of Seiko's best. Not sure what would convince me to drop a grand or more on the brand though, considering other options as prices go up. Maybe I'll save for a Grand Seiko!
@karldelta LOL, it's a better watch for less money. Too bad if someone is too brand blind to understand. Go ahead and pay more, to get less, since that's your thing. Your money, your wrist.
@karldelta I just mean you're demonstrating that you're obviously not familiar with the industry, if you find homage watches so shocking, haha. I guess you're not familiar with Seiko's own "homage" copy DateJust? Wow. So, does that mean Seiko is a thief? If Seiko made a better watch, the many homage brands wouldn't be so successful. It clearly doesn't bother Seiko, which provides the movements to these companies. It's a watch. Relax.
@karldelta watch designs aren't copyrighted, only their brand names are, and many big watch brands blatantly copy other brands, Seiko has almost identical copies of Cartier and Rolex
Both bezel inserts are Al. You are paying a premium for the sapphire, diashield, upgraded bracelet and the overall design being a Seiko cult-classic. You can find an original turtle for about 400, and then get it serviced and it is a superior watch in every way compared to the SRP777. I have to disagree...the new Willard wears much smaller than the original issued version as well as smaller than the current SRP777, especially if you put on a Uncle Seiko strap.
The day wheel on that turtle is not modified at all. I own an SRP777 and the day wheel can be set to display the day in conventional way or alternatively in black roman numerals mon-fri, blue numeral for saturday, and fully red for sunday.
I am really torn about this. I am about to purchase my first 'real' watch with my own money. My choices are SRPE93, SPB151, SPB143, SBDC051 (used 400-500usd), and a MM200 Reduced (used 400-500usd).
Not a fan of either cause the case shape isn't for me but I feel like if you want the Willard you should get that watch. The turtle has several different design cues that make it look very different. I mean the indices are rectangles on the Willard and circles on the turtle. Hard not to notice that.
I always wonder.. Do not get me wrong here - love people having resto-modding things, but - goddamnit - Seiko Willards & Turtles (maybe - in fairness - majority of Seiko dive style watches), they get "updated" like a lego. Every single detail except the cases and (maybe) calibers.. What is the point? :) Love the brand - it is legendary, but it gets so much "fixes" by owners, enthusiasts that .. Is that even Seiko anymore?
I enjoy my King Turtle's upgrades, though the rehaut is sever so slightly out of alignment at the 6 o'clock (nowhere else). I don't really notice it on a daily basis though, so that's fine.
I was thinking about buying a Seiko Diver but most of the models I like come with plus-thousand-dollar price tags and misaligned bezels as standard; I can get a quality Swiss automatic for way less, Hamilton, Mido, Certina, Steinhart. A pal of mine who loves Seikos managed to get a 200 m diver whose bezel aligned perfectly with the dial markers and was so disgusted he sent it back.😜
I bought a Turtle from a vendor in Singapore whose bezel and chapter ring are perfectly aligned. It is made in Japan and the day display in English/Arabic. I paid about $425 US for it 2 years ago.
The arrow and lock on the crown is an homage to the original Willard. I hate how people mod their SEIKO watches. It makes those watches value drop, like a classic Chevy Impala that's been modded and lots of money invested to turn it into a low rider. It's value drops like a rock. While the stock ones get harder to find and the value jumps. You might not want to sell it now, but what about its future worth, even as a keep sake?
Chill , the turtle bracelets are just fine. Just as good looking as the Willard there but just no milled clasp. No big deal. Who looks at the clasp when you’ve got it on FFS. Way overthinking it. The dial on the SRP777 is better looking IMHO.
the sbdc 051 was the last seiko i purchased and probably the last. like everyone mentions, poor quality and always increasing prices have made them cost prohibitive. lots of other choices out there.
Matt I have three Orients a Triton with power reserve, a Mforce Bravo and the new 2020 Mforce and I couldn’t agree with you more . I love Seiko but as of late Orient is offering some outstanding alternatives for a much better price 👍🏻
You''d be mad to wear the turtle on a bracelet. I've done it but eventually gave up. It just becomes a hockey puck flopping around. MUCH better on rubber.
Just bought the green tortoise and I think it’s the superior turtle style watch from Seiko. It wears really flat, is less than 12 mm thick, around 42 mm in diameter, sapphire crystal, super legible dial, and bought it around $300. I do like the seconds hand and the ceramic bezel on the Willard, but love everything else about my tortoise.
Hardlex crystal is unforgivable on any watch at that price point. This is one reason I have moved away from Seiko branded watches. They are anything but good value for the money.
I find the Turtle 4R-36 movement very accurate. The 6R-35 is a dog. Yeah it runs 70 hours but accuracy is all over the place. Had to regulate the 6R, opened the case and it says Made In china inside, out side just says Japan. Seiko is using one of its chinese sweatshops to throw these Willards together IMO. 4R movements perform better just less power reserve-rather have better accuracy myself.
These Seikos are some of the most satisfying watches to own and should be in everybody's collection. Doesn't matter if you scuba dive or not :)
Awesome video! FWIW you can get a Turtle for $300 if you look in the right places. I personally don't see much difference between my 4R and 6R Seikos. Some run fast, some run slow. Spencer Klein did a great video where he disassembled a 6R movement, and found that the Seiko factory had over-lubricated the entire movement. Once he cleaned it up, the thing ran COSC. Great video, Chris!
Spencer is kind of a interesting fellow he sells 7002 seikos for 800+ dollars must be a call thing
Cali*
I just got a brand new Blue Turtle for $280, on a bracelet.
I have the Steeldive SD 1970, the Willard homage. A favorite of mine on the wrist.
@karldelta given the price of the seiko willard, seiko is the one ripping you off.
Bought the Willard secondhand. Wanted an automatic Seiko in the collection and I’m a sucker for the looks of tool-watches from the 60s and 70s. Put it on a chocolate bar strap from Uncle Seiko and it wears really comfortable. Wish they could have gotten the shape of the case a little bit closer to the 6105 and dropped the Prospex-logo but they probably didn’t want to annoy those who had already splashed on the SLA033 too much.
I picked up a SMITHS baby willard and love its more compact size. The Willard is a legend.
I have both movements, my 4rxx runs better than my 6rxx. Seiko should have used the 4r movement in this new Capt Willard, more affordable for more people.
Like many others I have the steeldive willard, absolutely love the case and it fits very well. Gotta try the Turtle on in person, might be a bit too big and gotta give it a spin before i buy.
Should also be noted that I owned the Seiko SKX and the SRP PADI edition and the Heimdallr is equal to or better then the Seiko offerings. The sad part is I really love and respect the Seiko brand. AMAZING history that can’t be denied.
Pearl Harbor?
Enjoy your buys but
(this monologue is for everyone, not really you).
Heimdallr are not -
'homage watches',
they are not 'taking inspiration' they were not 'complying to NASA Specifications '.
They are backward Engineer/Designing - copying.
Not even in the way that VW let Skoda, Audi, Seat or Porsche use their Designs,
they are essentially fakes with different branding.
Blatantly selling SKX007 etc
Rolex get away what they do by buying the original company or 'homaging' their ideas.
Seikos honourable morals to machining, polishing and tolerances are lost if you can't see the differences comparing them to competitors,
still this shows their pro conduct doesn't waver.
They had to up the quality and pricing of their lineup essentially removing the low budget options, seeing as 80% of all their watches are still running,
or in the process of being refurbished in India.
That said Seiko need a kick up they bum to change the mocking they get from the failure to fix rookie mistake.
Albert Einstein said it best talking about repeating a test and expecting different results.
Seikos bracelets are average at best,
99% don't match the material finish of the case.
and the clasps look to be an afterthought, but they're not.
It's amazing what good or bad PR can do,
word of mouth has made Seiko look bad (usually by people who own one low range product)
Yet Tissot are polar opposite because of the power of PR especially word of mouth,
they take advantage of all positives and hide the disadvantages.
Powermatic 80 is a Robot Manufactured Lemon, but they've made us believe Lemon tastes nice.
@@stequis Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I totally agree with you on all your points except to me a fake would include the name Seiko. I think a better term would be copy. Please don’t get me wrong Seiko makes great watches and are a very strong brand. I have a few Seiko watches in my collection and think they are great but they were all purchased used as new thus to me represented good value.
The Captain Willard is a more expensive Turtle.... The Turtle for me wins hands down since it is more accessible and affordable. To me the Willard is a big cash grab.
Unless you are an real Apocalypse Now fan....the Willard is pointless. But if you dropped acid and watched it til it was burned into your soul...well then its money well spent.
No … imho the Turtle is a cheap Willard descendant. It looses design- and qualitywise by a large margin.
Get the King Turtle which has a sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel. Job done.
@@adamski101sapphire crystal & ceramic bezel yes, fit & finish of the watch no
The original didn't have sapphire crystal and had an Aluminum bezel. If I bought a Willard I would want it to be exactly like the original. If you want upgrades, get a different model.
I have the C.Willard version which came with back silicon strap. Is that proper, does it worth to replace it with the metal one?
Thanks Chris… I’ve owned the mini turtle and presently have a turtle that I modded by adding a Sapphire crystal and a loomed Bezel insert. I wanted the Willard reissue But I really see it as a $700 watch Max. I bought a Merkur Homage. $200 after discount (has saphire and saphire bezel insert with as good of finish as the turtle). Just can’t justify buying the Seiko at that price...
I own a sbdc063 and I’m a big fan of it! Been curious about the Willard
I have a sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel on my 777. Totally brought up the durability as a beater.
I recently purchased a Heimdallr 'Captain Willard' through Amazon - knowing that I could easily return it if I didn't like it. ... It's now one of my favorite watches.
The singular of indices isn't "indice," it's index.
I will never understand why they can't align the bezel properly. If Invicta can figure it out why can't Seiko?
The cannibalisation issue seems likely, but also, not using sapphire increases profit for Seiko. It really adds up when you are making millions of watches. A dollar here , a dollar there.
Where can one find that ‘LOCK’ crown? Very cool!
Great comparison Chris . I’ve tried on a new Willard. It’s definitely a very nice Seiko. I like your sbdc061 much better though . I own a Padi Turtle and it’s a great watch but definitely not the same quality as the Willard or your 061. Just curious do you still own your sbdc033 Sumo/ Blumo? That’s still my favorite and best Seiko 👍🏻
I have the king turtle, Manta, I believe it has applied indices, would love a nice blue strap to wack on it!
my rubber Seiko Strap on my 777 is superb
Great video, love the Willard 😍
Seiko king turtle has a sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel.
if it's misaligned call Seiko head office, they fixed my turtle better than new.
Hello Chris been talking a break from Utube after being locked down for over a year , good review as always 👍
Welcome back! Hope you are doing well
Locked down by tyranny only by choice
@@rustyjohnson7796 I follow the science !
Crowns at 3.8. I love the Willard dial and handset but not the 20 mm strap which is out of proportion so I just built a Turtle with Willard dial and hands.
I have the SRP777 and am very satisfied 😌 ☺ 😊
The seiko king turtle is just more than any reason why I didn't go with a Willard.
Sapphire glass, ceramic bezel, day date.
I went with the Steeldive Willard. The homage/replica efforts wouldn't exist without Seiko, but the SD is well made and perfectly aligned, for a tenth the cost. Still think my 061 is one of Seiko's best. Not sure what would convince me to drop a grand or more on the brand though, considering other options as prices go up. Maybe I'll save for a Grand Seiko!
@karldelta It's a Steeldive Willard. What's it's not, is an overpriced watch with disappointing quality control, lol.
@karldelta LOL, it's a better watch for less money. Too bad if someone is too brand blind to understand. Go ahead and pay more, to get less, since that's your thing. Your money, your wrist.
@karldelta "Support thief" ahahaha, wow, I guess you don't know much about watches. That explains the mentality.
@karldelta I just mean you're demonstrating that you're obviously not familiar with the industry, if you find homage watches so shocking, haha.
I guess you're not familiar with Seiko's own "homage" copy DateJust? Wow. So, does that mean Seiko is a thief?
If Seiko made a better watch, the many homage brands wouldn't be so successful. It clearly doesn't bother Seiko, which provides the movements to these companies.
It's a watch. Relax.
@karldelta watch designs aren't copyrighted, only their brand names are, and many big watch brands blatantly copy other brands, Seiko has almost identical copies of Cartier and Rolex
Both bezel inserts are Al. You are paying a premium for the sapphire, diashield, upgraded bracelet and the overall design being a Seiko cult-classic. You can find an original turtle for about 400, and then get it serviced and it is a superior watch in every way compared to the SRP777. I have to disagree...the new Willard wears much smaller than the original issued version as well as smaller than the current SRP777, especially if you put on a Uncle Seiko strap.
Do you think you will update your MM200 to Gen2?
No I don't think I will... Not a big enough difference for me
Great watches, but it’s the turtle visually and the wear wins it. Though would always go for the original vintage charm in both.
I love these for what they are….but as far as looks go, not really for me. The MM is my pick of the seiko litter.
The day wheel on that turtle is not modified at all. I own an SRP777 and the day wheel can be set to display the day in conventional way or alternatively in black roman numerals mon-fri, blue numeral for saturday, and fully red for sunday.
Or kanji. Or arabic. Or french
I am really torn about this. I am about to purchase my first 'real' watch with my own money. My choices are SRPE93, SPB151, SPB143, SBDC051 (used 400-500usd), and a MM200 Reduced (used 400-500usd).
I would recommend the SBDC051.
Not a fan of either cause the case shape isn't for me but I feel like if you want the Willard you should get that watch. The turtle has several different design cues that make it look very different. I mean the indices are rectangles on the Willard and circles on the turtle. Hard not to notice that.
Is it just me or does the Turtle seem to have more contrast and clarity?
Hey nice video! What’s your wrist size?
Hey I have a 7.5 inch wrist
I always wonder.. Do not get me wrong here - love people having resto-modding things, but - goddamnit - Seiko Willards & Turtles (maybe - in fairness - majority of Seiko dive style watches), they get "updated" like a lego. Every single detail except the cases and (maybe) calibers..
What is the point? :)
Love the brand - it is legendary, but it gets so much "fixes" by owners, enthusiasts that .. Is that even Seiko anymore?
I would just go King Turtle and only difference, would be the movement.👍 I still can't justify paying almost 1k for a Seiko.
That’s an outstanding point . I agree I would buy a King Turtle as well 👍🏻
I enjoy my King Turtle's upgrades, though the rehaut is sever so slightly out of alignment at the 6 o'clock (nowhere else). I don't really notice it on a daily basis though, so that's fine.
I have a King Turtle 🐢and agree.I prefer the look of my green waffle dialed King Turtle to the Cpt Williard. #commiesdontsurf
And the diashield treated case and bracelet. And the curved crystal. And the lack of "candy bar" cyclop.
@@seabiscuit726142 Not to mention the 70hr power reserve for the 6r35...
In this video the regular turtle looks cooler. Imo.
The Willard doesn't suit a bracelet IMO.
Yep round markers
I was thinking about buying a Seiko Diver but most of the models I like come with plus-thousand-dollar price tags and misaligned bezels as standard; I can get a quality Swiss automatic for way less, Hamilton, Mido, Certina, Steinhart. A pal of mine who loves Seikos managed to get a 200 m diver whose bezel aligned perfectly with the dial markers and was so disgusted he sent it back.😜
I bought a Turtle from a vendor in Singapore whose bezel and chapter ring are perfectly aligned. It is made in Japan and the day display in English/Arabic. I paid about $425 US for it 2 years ago.
The arrow and lock on the crown is an homage to the original Willard. I hate how people mod their SEIKO watches. It makes those watches value drop, like a classic Chevy Impala that's been modded and lots of money invested to turn it into a low rider. It's value drops like a rock. While the stock ones get harder to find and the value jumps. You might not want to sell it now, but what about its future worth, even as a keep sake?
Chill , the turtle bracelets are just fine. Just as good looking as the Willard there but just no milled clasp. No big deal.
Who looks at the clasp when you’ve got it on FFS. Way overthinking it. The dial on the SRP777 is better looking IMHO.
the sbdc 051 was the last seiko i purchased and probably the last. like everyone mentions, poor quality and always increasing prices have made them cost prohibitive. lots of other choices out there.
Like what though? Name me a better looking, better finished watch with an in-house movement than the sub-$1500 Seikos?
I owned a 6105 for a while. It was just too big to wear. Even on my 7.25 wrist it looked like a hubcap. I ended up selling it.
None of these watches make me regret my Kamasu purchase.
Matt I have three Orients a Triton with power reserve, a Mforce Bravo and the new 2020 Mforce and I couldn’t agree with you more . I love Seiko but as of late Orient is offering some outstanding alternatives for a much better price 👍🏻
Orient sucks
@ all sub 1k watches suck
You''d be mad to wear the turtle on a bracelet. I've done it but eventually gave up. It just becomes a hockey puck flopping around. MUCH better on rubber.
I love bezel misalignment!
I LIKE TURTLES!
Just bought the green tortoise and I think it’s the superior turtle style watch from Seiko. It wears really flat, is less than 12 mm thick, around 42 mm in diameter, sapphire crystal, super legible dial, and bought it around $300. I do like the seconds hand and the ceramic bezel on the Willard, but love everything else about my tortoise.
Hardlex crystal is unforgivable on any watch at that price point. This is one reason I have moved away from Seiko branded watches. They are anything but good value for the money.
I prefer the 🐢 over the Captain Willard but I'd rather get 2 Orient Tritons/Neptunes for the price of the 1 CW imho.
...Or you can just buy the SteelDive 1970 for 100 bucks with a Seiko movement in it.
I have the King Turtle 🐢, save the ocean
I always thought they was the same thing
Turtle all the way.
The turtle is just a less refined and bulky shape with much less attractive indices.
Willard all the way!
There’s no REAL Captain Willard in your hand, sir.
I find the Turtle 4R-36 movement very accurate. The 6R-35 is a dog. Yeah it runs 70 hours but accuracy is all over the place. Had to regulate the 6R, opened the case and it says Made In china inside, out side just says Japan. Seiko is using one of its chinese sweatshops to throw these Willards together IMO. 4R movements perform better just less power reserve-rather have better accuracy myself.
Srp 777🌲🏔️💯
Round indices vs square. Nothing alike. Zero similarities other than color of dail
"Index".
O zaffiro è più resistente ai graffi ma meno resistente agli urti
The wrong video focus makes the video really bad!
Index. Index. Haha
20mm lug.. nogo... dismissed, sorry
Seiko bracelets are an absolute joke. Absolute TRASHHHHHH stop it. Stop