Key Feature Notes from the Watch Restorer
Custom Seiko 6105-8110 “Captain Willard”. I built this watch as I wanted a 6105 that I could take into the water, it’s difficult to find a Seiko 6105 nowadays for under £2000, and seeing as very few are still waterproof, it would be a very expensive mistake to take one diving. Original 6105’s have an unusual waterproofing mechanism on the crown that makes it very difficult to reseal when the gaskets get old and cracked, this makes resealing the watch every few years an expensive and difficult process.
I used a 316L stainless steel case (made by San Martin) with a 60 click coin-edge bezel (just like the original), a domed modern mineral crystal and a screw-down crown to make the watch easier to service and more waterproof (200m) while still keeping the same looks and dimensions as the original. The watch also comes with 2 high quality aftermarket bezel inserts, one new, one ghosted. The movement has also been upgraded from the 17 jewel Seiko 6105B, which, while it is a good and reliable movement, hasn’t got hand winding. It’s been upgraded with the modern 24 jewel Seiko nh35 (possibly one of the best affordable automatic movements ever made?), which has hand winding and quickset date. The dial is a genuine, battle scarred 6105-8110 “resist” dial from the 1970’s. The hands are aftermarket (to fit the new movement) but have been customized to match the dial. It comes on a new tropic waffle strap to make it look authentic as it would’ve been sold on one of these in the PX stores of Vietnam. the watch is also worn on a tropic rubber strap in the film Apocalypse Now.
About Seiko
The Seikosha Co. was founded in 1892 in Tokyo by Kintaro Hattori. Initially, the company only produced wall clocks, however they gradually introduced other timekeeping devices into the mix, with pocket watches in 1895, watches with alarm functions in 1899, and finally wristwatches in 1913.
The brand name of “Seiko”, meaning “Precision” in Japanese, was first used on watch dials in 1924, and became the official brand name after the founding of the Daini Seikosha Co. in 1937. In 1959 Seiko founded another company, Daiwa KogyoLtd., which was later renamed to Suwa Seikosha Co. These two companies, Daini Seikosha and Suwa Seikosha, continued to produce Seiko-branded watches on an internally-competitive basis. Eventually, Daini became Seiko Instruments, Inc. (SII) and Suwa became Seiko Epson Corporation.
In 1960 the company launched the famous Grand Seiko brand, which in time would become a ‘halo’ brand specialising in understated, elegant, and precise watches. Eight years later, Seiko would reach the highest score ever attained at the Geneva Observatory Competition, receiving the award for “best mechanical wristwatch chronometer”.
The success of the Seiko brand only grew, and in 1987 they became the official timekeeper for the IAAF Athletics World Championship in Rome. Then again in 1991 at the IAAF Athletics World Championship in Tokyo, again in Stuttgart in 1993, Gothenburg (Sweden) in 1995, Stuttgart again in 1997, Sevilla in 1999, Edmonton (Canada) in 2001, Paris in 2003, Helsinki in 2005, and Osaka in 2007. They were also the official timekeepers at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 1964, and Barcelona 1992.
Today, the Seiko Watch Corporation belongs to the Seiko Corporation as a subsidiary of the electronics giant Seiko Epson. In addition to the brand Seiko, the brands Pulsar and Lorus (cheap and fashionable quartz watches) as well as the brand Grand Seiko (quality and mostly mechanical watches) belong to the Seiko Watch Corporation.
Servicing and Guarantee
This timepiece has been serviced with full disassembly. There is a 12-month guarantee, subject to the usage and care guidelines. The watch comes with a new, tropic waffle strap. This piece is a commission item, and sold as is.
Overview
Case and Strap
- Rounded case with 60 click coin-edge bezel.
- 316L stainless steel case body.
- Modern domed mineral crystal.
- Stainless steel screw caseback.
- Screw-down crown.
- Black rubber tropic waffle strap.
- Waterproof to 150 metres.
Dimensions:
- Width w/o crown 43.3 mm.
- Width w/ crown 44.3 mm.
- Full height 45 mm.
- Thickness 14 mm.
- Strap width 20 mm.
Dial and Hands
- Original, genuine black 6105-8110 “resist” dial.
- Chunky, typical Seiko style indexes with original.
- “SEIKO” signature below numeral 12 position.
- Square date window over 3 position.
- Aftermarket customised silver-tone hands with lume.
- Silver-tone centre seconds hand.
Movement
- Japanese-made movement.
- Seiko nh35 caliber.
- 24 jewels.
- Automatic with hand winding.
- Quickset date.
- Satin brushed plates and bridges.
- Mirror polished wheels and screws.
Servicing and Guarantee
- Fully serviced.
- Mechanics in full working order.
- New black rubber tropic waffle strap.
- 12-month guarantee.
- Guarantee Terms and Conditions.
Links and Resources:
The Return of the Seiko ‘Captain Willard’ Article
