After my neighbor saw me with my black Willard, he bought this green one, and he no longer wears his other watches as the Green Willard gets his everyday wrist time for the last several months.
This is the only Willard I still want. Love the particular green. Don't really care if indices are not true applied. Looks like it and just looks good with that added detail with frame around indices. I agree with your choices. I'd add I really like my SBDC105 Cappuccino Gilt Dial and the new 43mm Tunas, I have the SRPF81K1(SBDY073). Excellent size for a Tuna and around $500 an excellent value as well. Highly recommend!
Well that and the Alliexpress "homages" of the Willard are good watches and are only 100 bucks. Sure the watches like the Steeldiver 1907 only have a jobber Sieko movement in them but for allot of people that will be good enough to experience a Willard. Seiko is charging to much when those watches are on the market. Maybe it should be in the 5-700 dollar range? 1K is allot for most people
@@loganholmberg2295 1. No one buys Seikos for retail 2. Money has lost a lot of its value over the past years, so it’s only natural that prices are higher 3. A Steeldive is good for the money. But they do nothing but copy Seiko
Thanks for the review on this Rob. Picked one up a month ago. Up until now my Tudor BB58 had been my daily driver….yehhhh this Seiko hasn’t left my wrist since then! Bang for Buck, comfort and build quality is awesome on this piece. Far outweighs its price tag. Great summer watch
The one and only 62MAS is my pick SLA043 to be exact. Half price of a submariner with superior alloy *ever brilliant steel patented* and better fit and finishing under macro lens. Put together by a small team of elite watchmakers in shizukuishi GRAND SEIKO STUDIO. Movement assembled by HAND! A very important watch for Seiko and they do NOT mess around. This watch could sell for double the price and it shows us that Seiko still gives us great value even in the luxury game. I know you said I do not have to explain...but its hard not to brag about my one true love the 62mas.
SLA043 doesn't have a replaceable crown tube, so that's a hard pass from me. If you ever need the crown tube replaced, Seiko will replace the case for about half the original cost of the watch. If they don't have replacement cases, you can DIY and drill the tube out and replace it with a generic tube. Every other luxury diver has replaceable tubes in this price bracket, IDK why Seiko keep choosing to weld their tubes and make them non replaceable.
I got the black Willard (spb151) last July and I love it. Haven’t bought a watch since. I still think it’s going to be my last Seiko. But I’ve been kinda eyeing the sbdc125. So for me, those are my 2 favorite current Seikos.
Been wearing the green Willard. My AD calls it the Willard Jr. My only hassle was the length of the strap. Motified with a rubber O ring to the keeper. My other favorite is the Seiko 5 SRPD. Black on a Strapcode Oyster. The dial on that watch series really smashed the OO7. Not a diver definitely salty.
I own the slim turtle in black and the Willard in Green, they compliment each other as the slim is a bit less pudgy and round and the Willard is all tool
Late to the party too, but the only Seikos I could see buying from their current line up is the Willard re-issue, the 62 Mae re-issue, and the King Turtle. Just my opinion, but those are the three I would buy and keep in the collection. Willard is a must, but if you can’t/don’t want to spend the money, the king turtle is your watch.
I got you and would love to have a Willard, but the best deal out there for Seiko divers is most definitly the new turtle. I have it in pepsi and love it. Just below $300? You cannot beat those for pure value.
I really wanted one of these, and I almost pulled the trigger on it, but after watching a number of review pieces with misaligned chapter rings or bezel inserts, I decided I was not going to gamble 1K+ on a watch that may or may not have quality control issues. So, unless I can physically hold one in my hand to inspect, its a hard pass.
My favorites are the sbdc063, sumo, sbdc053, and the Willard. Seiko diver prices have increased from before but so have the watches imo. Finishing, movements, etc.. Imo the value is still there bc if It said Swiss made it would be way more. Awesome video as always rob 👊
Yeah I’ve got the sbdc051 and the fit and finish is incredible for the $500 I paid for it. As good or better than my spb147. The 061 and 063 look fantastic too
Yeah the Willard and the 143series and if you want the best value seiko , then buy a second hand 051 . It's half the price and equally as good if not better. The indices on that watch are beautiful.
This is such a nice looking watch and I love my Seiko Watches for sure. I could pull the trigger on this but I've had my eye on a Hamilton H77765541 for ages now and have never owned a Hamilton.
My 2 Seiko picks would be the green Willard (which I have already) and the SPB105J1 (waiting to find a heavily discounted one so I can mod the ugly hands out for more elegant ones).
Love this watch and I'm a HUGE Seiko fan but Watchdives makes a green Willard with a sapphire crystal and other things Seiko doesnt have. Has a Seiko movement as well but the best part..........$120.00.
Don't do it, the cooks is a future classic in the green. It's so light and comfortable to wear. I have mine on the beads of rice, and I purchased the dark brown leather of rado to have a change with it. So light on their leather it's unreal. I love seiko but the rado is on another level in my opinion.
@@martinharrison4245 I get what you mean but it's honestly my least worn watch. Since buying it last year, I've probably worn it 4 times. Rather it go to someone who would enjoy it.
@@N3VURMYND , no that's fair enough. If you don't bond with it , then it's fine. Rados are quite blingy, I've nearly got rid of mine, but it's so comfortable it's staying , for now.
Maybe it's the video, but if you look closely (5:00) the split on the 12h marker on the dial doesn't line up exactly with the seconds marker on the edge of the dial. I bought an SPB151 dial to mod and it was very off...I understand that every watch have some kind of quality issues but at this price point it's pretty disappointing. The green is the nicest of the current models but that new upcoming SPB237J looks amazing
Have Willard in Black on bracelet, by far my favorite Seiko and comfortable, could be to the cushion type case, and improvement in bracelet. Have a Monster, King Turtle and old and new versions of the Alpinist. After the Willard, I like the Alpinist. If staying with divers the King Turtle. Outside of the box and solar quartz is the flighty.
Noticed that after two years of sales that there are fewer green willard on the resale market than for other Seiko diver models.. one indication of how much buyers wish to hang onto it (devils advocate would say the high initial RRP may put folks off buying it in the first place)
I just picked up a SBDC111 - The JDM version of the SPB153 and so far I'm impressed. It's my 1st and only Seiko. What are some bracelet options ? I'm not really a fan of the Beads of Rice by Uncle Seiko but it's not totally out of the question.
I have the prospex king turtle in blue an its stunning was just under €700 here in ireland. Performance wise is the captain worth the money they are charging?
So I got it recently and a bit frustrated. No, no, the watch is super. But I've done one mistake - did not make few days pause between Willard and my current watch, so, I feel like wearing too small machine. Hope this feeling will be gone in few days 😮 PS what is the watch W compared with? It is PAM and King Turtle. However I love this "small" beauty. This is the first mechanical watch in my life I do not feel on hand and keep all day on. The comfort is extended by putting on elastic Nato strap instead of Seiko rubber, that does not keep the watch in the middle of wrist (( PSS my wrist is 7 1/4 inches.
Certainly a beautiful watch! I still just cannot get used to the crown not being EXACTLY aligned with the 4pm index as, for me, it should be on a Willard. Until I can afford an ‘authentic’ Willard re-issue, I will gladly continue to wear my SRP775 and 777 Turtles as I have for many happy years. Thanks for the review, Rob.
Just got one ☝️ today… went to change the bracelet put the rubber seiko rubber strap on it .. the drilled lugs were not drilled straight through…. 😳… never thought it could happen
Can you explain to me why this is worth several hundred dollars more than my 3rd gen Hulk Sumo? Or maybe you did and I'm stupid or inattentive. Can you explain it to me like I'm 5 years old?
@@RandomRobReviews Thanks for answering, anyway. I know you're just one of many, many people who love the Captain Willard. You can't all be wrong, whether I understand or not.
Thanks for ‘look at’...like it...but...I presently have 7-8 Seiko divers...12 total from the brand in my collection. My good friend has this model in black...I bought the Chinese Merkur Homage(high end Chinese offering just for fun)....specs(Seiko lost)....finish(tie)...Value (Seiko loses ‘big time’)...Brand (of course Seiko wins hands down but at what point is that ‘not enough?’)...thanks for the review!
I’ve always felt Seikos’ bezel action are the best out there. Interested to know how these compare with king turtle because the turtle is half the price.
The bezels on these are a lot better. I have a King Samurai and a bunch of other 6R35 Seikos and the bezel on the Samurai is immovable. It just doesn't turn at all.
They're all different. Get three Willards and three King Turtles, they'll all be different. My KT has a better bezel action than my Willard and Samurai but I tried another KT and it was awful.
After my neighbor saw me with my black Willard, he bought this green one, and he no longer wears his other watches as the Green Willard gets his everyday wrist time for the last several months.
Such a beautiful green variant. For me the nicest one...will get one on 2ndary market sooner or later
Is the Willard a real exit watch???
@@DavidMartinez-hw8vu For some it is; for others, there is no exit watch. Perhaps the SLA023 is a realistic exit watch.
@@JeffreyMcMahon I think some of us are just destined to wonder on watch purgatory.
@@DavidMartinez-hw8vu Good topic for a video.
What a beautiful timepiece
This is the only Willard I still want. Love the particular green.
Don't really care if indices are not true applied. Looks like it and just looks good with that added detail with frame around indices.
I agree with your choices. I'd add I really like my SBDC105 Cappuccino Gilt Dial and the new 43mm Tunas, I have the SRPF81K1(SBDY073). Excellent size for a Tuna and around $500 an excellent value as well. Highly recommend!
Seiko may have raised prices, but if this were a Swiss watch at this price the watch community would rave about it and call it good value.
That's cuz then it would be a steal
Well that and the Alliexpress "homages" of the Willard are good watches and are only 100 bucks. Sure the watches like the Steeldiver 1907 only have a jobber Sieko movement in them but for allot of people that will be good enough to experience a Willard. Seiko is charging to much when those watches are on the market. Maybe it should be in the 5-700 dollar range? 1K is allot for most people
@@michaelp3010 You literally just illustrated his point
@@loganholmberg2295
1. No one buys Seikos for retail
2. Money has lost a lot of its value over the past years, so it’s only natural that prices are higher
3. A Steeldive is good for the money. But they do nothing but copy Seiko
@@chris_4477 ya ik cuz swiss quality compared to japanese
Absolutely beautiful.
I have both the Black and Blue Willard absolutely awesome watch. My favorite Seiko divers hands down.
Thanks for the review on this Rob. Picked one up a month ago. Up until now my Tudor BB58 had been my daily driver….yehhhh this Seiko hasn’t left my wrist since then! Bang for Buck, comfort and build quality is awesome on this piece. Far outweighs its price tag. Great summer watch
The sharp edge series has similar finishing on the hands, absolutely love it
The one and only 62MAS is my pick SLA043 to be exact. Half price of a submariner with superior alloy *ever brilliant steel patented* and better fit and finishing under macro lens. Put together by a small team of elite watchmakers in shizukuishi GRAND SEIKO STUDIO. Movement assembled by HAND! A very important watch for Seiko and they do NOT mess around. This watch could sell for double the price and it shows us that Seiko still gives us great value even in the luxury game. I know you said I do not have to explain...but its hard not to brag about my one true love the 62mas.
SLA043 doesn't have a replaceable crown tube, so that's a hard pass from me. If you ever need the crown tube replaced, Seiko will replace the case for about half the original cost of the watch. If they don't have replacement cases, you can DIY and drill the tube out and replace it with a generic tube.
Every other luxury diver has replaceable tubes in this price bracket, IDK why Seiko keep choosing to weld their tubes and make them non replaceable.
I have the blue one, and it has been a favorite for a while now.
Don't worry about being late.2020 doesn't count as a year. I'm taking a year off my age to reflect this.
I got the black Willard (spb151) last July and I love it. Haven’t bought a watch since. I still think it’s going to be my last Seiko. But I’ve been kinda eyeing the sbdc125. So for me, those are my 2 favorite current Seikos.
My choice would be the Green Willard, and the SPB149, which I wish wasn't a limited edition.
I agree. The Willard, especially in the olive drag and a MM Tuna for sure.
The Willard Blue for me! Thanks Rob!
Been wearing the green Willard. My AD calls it the Willard Jr. My only hassle was the length of the strap. Motified with a rubber O ring to the keeper. My other favorite is the Seiko 5 SRPD. Black on a Strapcode Oyster. The dial on that watch series really smashed the OO7. Not a diver definitely salty.
Picked this one up today. Definitely a keeper watch, now how to work a MM200 option into the collection, with this willard, and a sbdc52/spb053 62mas.
Just bought the green Willard, it is just a stunning watch.
I very much agree with your preferred Seiko divers besides that I would add the solar tunas as well to that list of purchase worthy Seiko divers.
Yeah the Solar Tunas are acyually affordable too. I've had my eye on either a Safarnie or the uban tuna in green with the red highlights.
@@loganholmberg2295 I have a SNE499 and the PADI Arnie. For the price they are great watches. The SNE is better quality though.
I own the slim turtle in black and the Willard in Green, they compliment each other as the slim is a bit less pudgy and round and the Willard is all tool
Great review, thanks! I own this watch and love it.
Btw, the green Williards have now been discontinued.
Late to the party too, but the only Seikos I could see buying from their current line up is the Willard re-issue, the 62 Mae re-issue, and the King Turtle. Just my opinion, but those are the three I would buy and keep in the collection. Willard is a must, but if you can’t/don’t want to spend the money, the king turtle is your watch.
Green Willard and white dial King Samurai for me. Good review.
I got you and would love to have a Willard, but the best deal out there for Seiko divers is most definitly the new turtle. I have it in pepsi and love it. Just below $300? You cannot beat those for pure value.
Plus the 4R movement is more accurate than the 6R.
I went back and forth with either the black or green. I got the black spb151, the bracelet sold me. Wish I could have both!
I bought the green Willard and then the OEM bracelet separately, it’s a killer combo!
I like the green they chose. Thanks Rob....
SRPE05 (green king turtle) and SPB143 are my top 2 choices in their current lineup
I really wanted one of these, and I almost pulled the trigger on it, but after watching a number of review pieces with misaligned chapter rings or bezel inserts, I decided I was not going to gamble 1K+ on a watch that may or may not have quality control issues. So, unless I can physically hold one in my hand to inspect, its a hard pass.
it looks so cool that olive green suits the massive size of this watch
SPB143J1 with that lovely anthracite dial would be one of mine...The other would probably be a Sumo, the latest gen green dial SPB103J1
SBDC053. Great value and quality.
My favorites are the sbdc063, sumo, sbdc053, and the Willard. Seiko diver prices have increased from before but so have the watches imo. Finishing, movements, etc.. Imo the value is still there bc if It said Swiss made it would be way more. Awesome video as always rob 👊
Ditto on the sbdc053
Yeah I’ve got the sbdc051 and the fit and finish is incredible for the $500 I paid for it. As good or better than my spb147. The 061 and 063 look fantastic too
The newest Arnie in all stainless is my new favorite and EDC. 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
Agree - Willard & Monocoque Tuna. Also like the MAS62 reissue.
Maybe a crocodile skin watch straps or a king brown snake skin watch straps would be britty sweet on the captain maybe 🤔 what do you think
Marine master 200 Padi and the green Willard are my preference :)
King turtle and that green willard you have there are my picks
SLA023 is the iconic Seiko diver to own.
Completely different style and proportions.
Yeah the Willard and the 143series and if you want the best value seiko , then buy a second hand 051 . It's half the price and equally as good if not better. The indices on that watch are beautiful.
This is such a nice looking watch and I love my Seiko Watches for sure. I could pull the trigger on this but I've had my eye on a Hamilton H77765541 for ages now and have never owned a Hamilton.
tudor pelagos is awesome,especially in blue colour.
My 2 Seiko picks would be the green Willard (which I have already) and the SPB105J1 (waiting to find a heavily discounted one so I can mod the ugly hands out for more elegant ones).
Seiko SPB143 for me, got one two weeks ago. And the green Willard, would love to own that one too
What are your thoughts on the SPB143?
Love this watch and I'm a HUGE Seiko fan but Watchdives makes a green Willard with a sapphire crystal and other things Seiko doesnt have. Has a Seiko movement as well but the best part..........$120.00.
Once you hit your 40s and your eyes start failing, those small details like the hour and minute hand mean nothing anymore 😂😉
I'm about to sell my green capt cook to get this watch. Looks amazing!
Don't do it, the cooks is a future classic in the green. It's so light and comfortable to wear. I have mine on the beads of rice, and I purchased the dark brown leather of rado to have a change with it. So light on their leather it's unreal. I love seiko but the rado is on another level in my opinion.
@@martinharrison4245 I get what you mean but it's honestly my least worn watch. Since buying it last year, I've probably worn it 4 times. Rather it go to someone who would enjoy it.
@@N3VURMYND , no that's fair enough. If you don't bond with it , then it's fine. Rados are quite blingy, I've nearly got rid of mine, but it's so comfortable it's staying , for now.
Nice retro piece Rob, like the green the best. But damn your wearing my grail piece before you put this on Tudor Peligos....drool
I want the Green Willard Seiko it’s on sale at this moment for £840. But at them prices you could buy multiple watches for that.
Maybe it's the video, but if you look closely (5:00) the split on the 12h marker on the dial doesn't line up exactly with the seconds marker on the edge of the dial. I bought an SPB151 dial to mod and it was very off...I understand that every watch have some kind of quality issues but at this price point it's pretty disappointing. The green is the nicest of the current models but that new upcoming SPB237J looks amazing
I like the smell of Napalm in the morning...... Smells like victory ....don't you agree Rob?😎
Had to think about this quote ... Seeing this watch
Been thinking about which one to get but hoping they release the brown and gilt bronze version
My 2 Favorites are the Mini-Turtle all blacked-out (limited to 500) and the Black Willard.
Have Willard in Black on bracelet, by far my favorite Seiko and comfortable, could be to the cushion type case, and improvement in bracelet. Have a Monster, King Turtle and old and new versions of the Alpinist. After the Willard, I like the Alpinist. If staying with divers the King Turtle. Outside of the box and solar quartz is the flighty.
Noticed that after two years of sales that there are fewer green willard on the resale market than for other Seiko diver models.. one indication of how much buyers wish to hang onto it (devils advocate would say the high initial RRP may put folks off buying it in the first place)
I just picked up a SBDC111 - The JDM version of the SPB153 and so far I'm impressed. It's my 1st and only Seiko. What are some bracelet options ? I'm not really a fan of the Beads of Rice by Uncle Seiko but it's not totally out of the question.
I have the new MM200 SPB185, that and the new 62mas, are my picks for best new releases...
Seiko SPB147 Brown and Seiko SPB207 Green best to Seiko Divers for me!
Spb 117 and spb 143 would be my 2 watch collection
My wrist is 8 inches and the Willard has a beefy look.
My picks are the SPB 143J1 & SLA037J1.
Crazy I just bought this watch today but I def looked for a random rob review before I purchased.
Went and saw them for the first time I think I liked the SPB 143 better in person the willards are nice but didn’t resonate with me
SBDC053 is my pick. Not sure if it's in current lineup.
Rob, I know you hold your videos and this may not even be possible right now but you should see if the steeldive bracelet will fit the seiko willard.
Already shipped both out.
I have the prospex king turtle in blue an its stunning was just under €700 here in ireland. Performance wise is the captain worth the money they are charging?
@@satherealest like what makes the captain more expensive over a king turtle? It's about €500 more expensive
did you mention the bezel material? aluminium or ceramic?
So I got it recently and a bit frustrated. No, no, the watch is super. But I've done one mistake - did not make few days pause between Willard and my current watch, so, I feel like wearing too small machine. Hope this feeling will be gone in few days 😮 PS what is the watch W compared with? It is PAM and King Turtle. However I love this "small" beauty. This is the first mechanical watch in my life I do not feel on hand and keep all day on. The comfort is extended by putting on elastic Nato strap instead of Seiko rubber, that does not keep the watch in the middle of wrist (( PSS my wrist is 7 1/4 inches.
Oh Captain Willard!.....I expect a Heculodge comment shortly.
Certainly a beautiful watch! I still just cannot get used to the crown not being EXACTLY aligned with the 4pm index as, for me, it should be on a Willard. Until I can afford an ‘authentic’ Willard re-issue, I will gladly continue to wear my SRP775 and 777 Turtles as I have for many happy years. Thanks for the review, Rob.
Think I might godown to my local seiko dealer and get a black dial Willard this weekend
I actually bought three... The 143,151 & 187.
Great watch! Sadly, Seiko is now priced too high for me. 😨
don’t limit yourself
Sumo and Willard, these would be my 2 picks.
Spb317j1 slim turtle is good too…
in these days,seiko is clearly cashing its name.
Honestly, who wouldn't with such a long and rich history? Lol
*looks down at wrist, sbbn045 looks back up* nice 😎
If you would have choice between Wilard or Sinn 104, which one is better watch?
Looking for this without the X on the dial. The X just ruins the watch for me.
Does this also come with a bracelet?
Yes but not in green
I would pick sbdc063 and the spb143
Just got one ☝️ today… went to change the bracelet put the rubber seiko rubber strap on it .. the drilled lugs were not drilled straight through…. 😳… never thought it could happen
But in love 😍 with it … green dial looks savage
Can you explain to me why this is worth several hundred dollars more than my 3rd gen Hulk Sumo? Or maybe you did and I'm stupid or inattentive. Can you explain it to me like I'm 5 years old?
I can’t, lol. But I love the way you made the comment.
@@RandomRobReviews Thanks for answering, anyway. I know you're just one of many, many people who love the Captain Willard. You can't all be wrong, whether I understand or not.
nearly 14mm thick?
My 2: spb151 and spb149
There's a new color that comes on a NATO strap of some sort with part number spb237j1.
Woah, I like that thought matte grey dial. I’m curious where you found this model originally
Maybe I'll change my mind when I see one in person, but I can't see the design or execution benefit in this over a Turtle, particularly a King Turtle
Great video Rob, but I gotta know ... What's that strap on your 009?? 🔥
Thanks for ‘look at’...like it...but...I presently have 7-8 Seiko divers...12 total from the brand in my collection. My good friend has this model in black...I bought the Chinese Merkur Homage(high end Chinese offering just for fun)....specs(Seiko lost)....finish(tie)...Value (Seiko loses ‘big time’)...Brand (of course Seiko wins hands down but at what point is that ‘not enough?’)...thanks for the review!
I’ve always felt Seikos’ bezel action are the best out there. Interested to know how these compare with king turtle because the turtle is half the price.
The bezels on these are a lot better. I have a King Samurai and a bunch of other 6R35 Seikos and the bezel on the Samurai is immovable. It just doesn't turn at all.
They're all different. Get three Willards and three King Turtles, they'll all be different. My KT has a better bezel action than my Willard and Samurai but I tried another KT and it was awful.
You are joking right?
For me
1.) the green sumo
2.) the blue Willard
MM 300 auto 8l35 is the best Seiko divers !
I'd go mm300 and green sumo spb103j I believe
Personally IMHO, Seiko spb153j1 & spb147j1 !!! What a homerun combo...
Why don't watch makers incorporate the dial and chapter ring to be one continuous piece? Surely its not impossible?
Green Willard and white dial titanium Shogun
New MM300 and Spring Drive Diver.
SBBN045; yes.
I’m working with Mimo to acquire this
He’s the best btw, he hooked me up with a deal
Thanks for the review!
But why don't you like metal keepers? I've never tried it