SEIKO Willard SPB237 Full Review (Don't Skip this one!)
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For the last couple of years watch houses have been doing faux patina but today Seiko gets it perfect. A sprinkle of patina, just a hint on the new Seiko spb237 Willard or Seiko Willard-x. I'm trying my best to not buy this one and if you see the full video you can tell I'm a fan. Always a fan of the Seiko Willard, although I have trended my watch tastes to small watches, this still wears awesome on me. If I had any watch funds available, I'd own this one, or maybe the grey ice diver. Tough call! The spb237 like the spb239 are home runs from Seiko!
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Check out the brother 62MAS version with the same straps! czcams.com/video/sciWa37cUDA/video.html -Falling
Because youve handled all the Willard's . In your opinion is the 8L movement Willard's noticable better then the 6R Willard's in build quality and fell in the hand to warrent the 2x the price difference thanks đ
I met a Seiko rep at a watch store in Los Angeles, and he said this watch is Seiko's attempt to create an "aged" look for a Willard X. The dial is meant to resemble what an early 1970s Willard would look like after decades of sun exposure. Together with the feautina lume, it's like buying an early 1970s watch in brand new condition!
Agreed with everything except the strap color. That olive drab military green is the perfect color for it, so yes, youâre crazy!
Agreed. I have this watch and only wear it on the olive green Nato. It adds to the Vietnam war vibe.
fair enough guys! Seems like everyone is on the same page but me!
@@EscapementWatch We are all the same page mate. It's a great looking watch. Great video
@@EscapementWatch I agree with you on the grey strap. Much nicer. Did you buy it on the grey or did you buy that separately? If so, where did you get it?
Thanks
@@Tasmarabunta The SPB273 comes with two NATO straps in the box, the green and the grey.
I bought this a few months ago and I love it. The subtle coffee colour of the numerals on the bezel and the cream lume give it a perfect vintage feel. I cut the Nato strap down so that it is just single pass and now it sits on the wrist perfectly. I personally think it looks amazing on the khaki green Nato. It adds to the Vietnam war feel. Great video.
Grats! You cut this beautifully made weave!!!!??? ahhhhh
This is the Willard I want - just love everything about that dial!
Had mine a week now. This model finally made me get a WillardâŠand I think Iâve been lucky. The bezel alignment is perfect, and itâs gaining about +3 seconds a dayâŠwhich I certainly wonât complain about. Iâve been wearing it on the green strap which I really like, but Iâve got a silicone one (SPB153âs strap) on order. Great looking watch.
nice pick up! Yea the 6R can be hit or miss. Seems like you got a good one! Enjoy!
It's a gorgeous watch and i'll check it out once it hits our local ad. Great review as always! đ„
Had me at blue lume! Need this watch. Just started my watch journey with a couple of Seikoâs. Love the Willardâs.
Just got the SPB237. Love it and the nato strap, not used one before. This will be my daily from now on đ đ
I agree, it is the best Willard X in my opinion. I prefer it to to the green one you reviewed last year. My only criticism : no signed crown... But that dial !
I struggled with the strap at first with the end flapping around before realising one of the rings moves đ€Šđ»đ absolutely love the watch! Real military/vintage looking watch đ
I love these new seiko nato straps. Perfect strap for this watch. These look amazing quality , and the fact you get 2 is great. The grey dial is similar to the more expensive sla model that recently came out. I agree that the grey or black are the better options in the long term. It's a masculine watch by design, and a good nato gives it a more rugged and casual feel. I have the spb051, and just got the sla043 as well, so I'm happy with my seiko divers, although if I did get one of these I'd get the bigger sla version . The sla models are just different animals, and compete with the Swiss in terms of price and quality. Great vid as always , and it's still a cool watch.
I like that this is smaller than the uemura
I love the kaki strap more than the grey, it is the one which sold the watch for me when I saw it at the dealer, but I'm just a big fan of kaki/green straps in general....
Thanks, best quality, Seiko and your clip.
Just bought this Willard today (but the JDM version) and the SPB143 last month and I absolutely love the pair of them. I bought the Alpinist in the Sunbeam Forest brown earlier in the year and I have that on a Strapcode jubilee bracelet and I love all three of them. Perfect three watch rotation whilst I put my more expensive watches in the safe. London is getting too rough to wear anything luxury on the out and about!
we have very similar taste, i have the spb147, alpinist, and now deciding which willard to get
Dial links gorgeous. Very similar texture to my Samurai dark manta dial, without the mantaâs đ
I appreciate that your reviews include the timegrapher at the end.
Thanks. Was thinking of removing that part on every other vid to make vids shorter.
This watch is absolutely stunning... i bought it and im just over the moon... If i compare it with my rolexes i am almost about to sell them and buy more seikos lol
I think the green strap is absolutely perfect for the watch and is the best match haha. Now we understand why it comes with those 2 straps !
I'm tempted on this one and I have the SPB239.
Great videos, I really like your take on the watches you present
Glad you like them!
I agree with you. What a great looking watch. Such a beautiful dial and strap. I'll order a strap for sure! I own a Monster Piguin and the dial is amazing, bug a bit fancy. This one is timeless. I like the "missalignement" of the crown position, but... why is the bezel missaligned?? And the index at 6 looks also off. For this price, I look for other better made watches.... Seiko do something about it!!!
Great color scheme ( sorry thatâs all I could come up with ). Great videography as always đđ»
No problem đ
I can't wait for mine to get delivered. I have the 45mm Turtle and I'm excited for the smaller size of the Captain Willard. I'll probably sell the turtle I have. I'm praying for good alignment of the bezel and chapter rings. This model seems to be pretty good in that regard, from the reviews I've seen. I'm sure I'll eventually ditch those Seichu straps because I usually opt for the slimmer profile and superior comfort/fit of a proper rubber strap (rubber is hit or miss but I found some that I like), but I still love the look of the strap that comes with it regardless, and the watch itself. Also has amazing lume for faux patina, which you usually don't get.
How are you getting on with your new Willard and is alignment okay?
Absolute banger. Man...this one is calling đ đł đ. Beautiful watch, usual amazing video. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it
It looks great on both straps! Change it up every now and then for a different vibe.
I wear my turtle on a 5 ring Zulu strap, and my Willard on an FKM waffle because they get worn as tools.
Bracelets are too much bling on a toolwatch.
You are indeed crazy!
I was sure I wanted the spb239 and was days away from being able to purchase it. Then for some reason noticed this Willard. I ended up getting the Willard instead. I feel like it was the right choice since I could only afford one. Iâm super stoked on this watch.
Good choice!
I have the same watch and I love the green strap too, has better contrast than the all grey look. But the stock straps are too thick for winter so right now I'm wearing it on the uncle Seiko waffle strap, it's perfect!! Great review too đ
Thanks for sharing!
I agree. I have the watch and I cut the Nato down so it is just a single pass. It sit much better on the wrist now. When it was a double pass it was too thick.
I keep coming back to this one even though I have a Uemura SLA049 that I love. I see this one coming home soon.
Understandable
I love mine...it's currently one of my favorite Seiko but after seeing pictures of the SPB265 and I want another one. ha ha
I found a clean 6105 Willard and I can say this one really hits on the vintage notes. I prefer the applied logo, no X and the Suwa symbol of the vintage.
I think we all do, but no getting around it unless you go vintage or that older limited edition model, which is 45mm.
@@ams914 This is true, hence why I chose a vintage over modern. Also I did have an SPB183 for about a year.
I own both, the SPB237 and the SPB239. They're gorgeous and I really love these straps. Nice macros.
Grats and glad you like them!
One thing most people donât notice - for whatever reason the first release of these there isnât a lume marker at 3 o clock. This one has it. Honestly Iâm not sure why they arenât both the same- but I would love this watch over the black dial but I also picked mine up for 750 so the price was hard to beat. Paired with a uncle Seiko waffle strap it looks great
The lume at 3 o'clock is a new requirement to get the official ISO diver certification for the watch
Good review, my favourite watch just for men
Yes the best looking willard, but i do think the armygreen strap works very well, both of them are super Nice on this watch with this dial.. Matter of taste i think..
Great looking Willard, would be a tough choice between this and similar priced `sharp edged' series timepieces. I would loose the thick Nato in favor of a bracelet option.
I think a watch like this looks best on a simple rubber strap. To each their own.
Great video. Thanks for sharing Jan.
Thanks for watching!
Outstanding review!!!
Thank you kindly!
Beautiful watch! Got one! Love it!
Good choice!
Been rocking it with the waffle strap. Insane!!! I have the beads of rice from uncle seiko but still not as nice as the waffle. The straps look cool... but not on the watch. My favorite retro seiko! For me it was worth every penny.
Sounds great!
Iâm getting the waffle strap
I would say the ODG NATO looks pretty good too
I like this watch but the price is too expensive for my budget, I have the king seiko turtle which I'm happy with I'll try and buy the same nato replacement strap you have on the Willard as i think it will look great on my watch.
Thanks now I added another watch to my wish list.
Any time Bro!
I have been coming back to this specific Williard now for months. I have a Turtle already but this watch looks so good boy it is hard not to pull the trigger on this one!
Same boat as you. Best Seiko in years.
Pull the trigger and buy. Found mine on EBay auction and won at $950. Both straps look stunning ! Makes me want to watch Apocalypse Now !
Lovely shots and camera work.
Glad you enjoyed it
I have this one on a strapco beads of rice bracelet. So comfortable, and handsome
Liked it so much that I brought one!
grats!!!
I definitely think grey watches are in at the moment. Maybe not as much as green but they seem to be in. And I'm totally here for it.
Yup! I noticed that too I'm only wanting grey watches now lol. That 38mm oris holestein big crown was calling my name as well.
@@EscapementWatch yeah that watch looked fantastic. I got myself a breitling aerospace from the early 90s In grey. I just couldn't resist.
†the green nato đ
Great video by the way as always! Definitely get the waffle strap for this. I didn't like the tropic on it as much.
Where did u buy a fitting one??
@@dehondvandeburen7800 amazon : )
@@lamarinchen can u share a link?
Wish its a 44mm.... great video buddy!
Thanks đ
Looks really good... But I'm sticking with my OG colorway 151.
Can't go wrong with OG!
i've got the SPB151J1 for my birthday. i 've dreamed of this watch, i could not not afford it myself. . i hesitated for a long time which one i prefered between the 151 and the 237 but at the end, i find the "faded" grey/black parts too drab, and the 151 with a black rubber strap, is closer to the martin Sheen watch. .
i just regret the 151 didnt have the two nato bracelets instead of the full metal one, as they cost the same price. i wish i had enough money to buy the 237 too.
Have with Natos, The high end tropic, and milled clasp ss. Like it better than the new glacier.
Bezel does not seem to line up. Good mouvement. Very fun watch if you cant get a ''good one'' :)
I replaced the NATO with the âchocolate barâ rubber band (20mm) from Uncle Seiko. Itâs a replica of the original 6150 band issued by Seiko and worn in AN by Sheen.
Would you mind sharing a link please?
Nice video. I always enjoy your videos. The amplitude for my Willard is 286 or above. Thatâs unusually low.
Leave your Willard on the time grapher for 30 minutes and let me know what it says
@@EscapementWatch
I placed it on my timegrapher 277 was the lowest. I do have NH movements that have amplitude around 210. Based on your experience, do these have a shorter life? Iâve been trying to figure out which places to trust when ordering movements for build projects. I find Aliexpress have lower amplitude or has erratic amplitude.
Hey there, I really like your videos! Help me a lot deciding which watch to go for ... I saw the video for the green Willard as well. You were pretty excited about that one. So... Which one of those two do you prefer? Green or grey? I like them both. Really hard to choose one. Green maybe a bit more outstanding. Grey works with everything and I love the textured dial... Cheers from Germany. Harry
Those two would be my top with the blue being 3rd. A really hard choice. If you don't have a green watch the green!
Thanks a lot. Perfect! Let's see ;-)
Perfect watch to wear when you are given a mission of assasinating renegade Colonel deep in the jungle
Does this watch come with both the Grey/black,and the Kaki green strap? I have an original 6105-8119 that Iâm sending off for its first service since I bought it in 1976 and am intrigued by this watch. Update: I bought the SPB237 and love it. Especially the green strap.
Yes comes with 2 straps. Grey and Green
What is your wrist size?
Do you think the Willard or 63mas wears better on your wrist? My wrist is 6.5 as well
tough. the willard sits well on wrist but I'd say 63mas wears better.
Thanks!
Welcome!
Both strap is very nice, but olive wins for me đ
did you mention what the bezel is made of?
It is very strong. Anodized aluminum
The bezel looks a bit blueish. camera and lights playing tricks probably.whats the bezel material.
anodized aluminum. Yeah this is an older video and my setup was still being figured out. It was more blue light when I first switched to this new area.
Damit, I just got bought a watch and told the wife that was my exit piece. I didn't realise this pieces looked so good đŹ
There is no such thing as "exit watch"... unfortunately for us addicts.
Awesome watch & video FT !
Exit watch? Unless it is an A Lange Triple split it wont exit you! :P
@@EscapementWatchlol my man! My grail is the Zeitwerk but yeah that's never gonna happen đą .
Though dam Seiko keeps releasing great stuff.
It's actually the date wheel, that's why the crown isn't exactly at 4, the date wouldn't align correctly at 3 - you would be between two numbers.
Seiko could always make a new plastic movement holder. With the different position in mind, it would not be difficult if they truly wanted a 4:00 crown which they are making. I've heard in the new slim turtle releasing soon.
Very nice Watch Falling. Are you getting it?
watch funds are low. But I'm thinking about it.
Those straps are $300 each! Ridiculous price for a NATO strap.
Super nice! If I had to wear a NATO, that'd be the NATO - class. Love the dial and new case shape, but like a broken record, I've gotta hate on the Prospex logo! It would just look nicer without it! But, blue lume. Sweet!
Nice review. Nice watch but 1.300 for 6r35 movement and a watch on strap? No way.
You can sell those 2 straps for a pretty penny. $$$
Thank you Seiko God for this vid! â€
No problem đ
Do you k ow if these straps are sold separately??
I don't believe they are sold separately
Yes, they are! In Europe they cost about âŹ180,00. Contacted Seiko Service Centre. A lot of money, but I think I pull the trigger tof the grey one.
Yes some ADs in Europe sell them directly.
Seiko has to make a two piece nato style strap of the same material. 4mm added girth is just way too much
Great idea!
If it was 2 piece it would not be a nato. The whole point is you can lose a spring bar without the watch falling off. A single pass would reduce the thickness without compromising the security though so would be an option.
@@mstevens113 yeah i got it, i said nato style, something that looks like a nato but isnt. Thickness is paramount when it comes to wearability imo. I never had a spring bar fail on me in 15years of wearing watches.
This or the mini turtle if you were forced to choose? I am on the fence!
This! Mini turtle is awkward shaped, almost like a perfect square, lug to lug vs diameter.
@@EscapementWatch Thanks again! Because of the price, I am wondering if it is just better to get an 049 and pay the extra? What do you think? Worth stretching a bit?
if you have the wrist size for the 049 then yes
I prefer the SRP777! The wilard is not a luxury watch, It's a tool watch!
The strap keeper moves on mine?
Yes so you can lift it higher and tuck it in.
The 6R35 movement sucks. My watch is 30-60 sec slow everyday even after adjustment done by a watchmaker.
As seen at the end this one is preforming Average +3s in 2 main positions. I think you should try a watchmaker more experienced with Seiko movements?
Mineâs (brand new) running less than +5 a day.
You supposed to tuck the end of the strap to the inside, not where its sticking out on the outside.
I just bought this watch off eBay, and will be mainly worn on the olive strap đ
Why are you wearing white gloves? You're not touching parchment or artifacts from the middle ages . Having said that, the review was very good.
So people don't get distracted with nails or any cuts on my hands I never do manicures. I once saw a review where the reviewer had a yellow crust cut on his thumb. Well I couldn't watch the video and vowed to never distract my viewers with anything. Most people do not mind it. We get one comment complaining about it once very 6 or so months
Lol
For me it's a little dull and underwhelming. I would prefer an applied Seiko logo and I'm really not keen on the strap. It looks too bulky and detracts from the watch head. Final issue I have is the price- Seiko are just ringing every penny out of the consumer now. I'll pass.
1:53 How come? Well that sucks đ
USA exclusive. I'm in Canada.
â@@EscapementWatch ahhhh, I'm sad because you're the best seiko channel đą
if they make solar and that shape it will be perfect
Is it just me, or you sound like ChrisFix?
You are the 2nd person to say this haha! but I don't think so.
@@EscapementWatch Love your videos, bud! Keep it up. I have been hunting for the SPB237 for months now. Quite hard to find already...
Missaligned at 11 đ
Sorry? How much? Errr, no
You can buy the steeldive for 100 dollars which has a Seiko nh35 movement sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel insert, and the lume is just as good if not better, my only complaint is the ceramic insert the paint is falling out I would change it out for the original aluminum insert. The only difference is the 1300 dollar price tag and the bezel insert which you can change out for under 20 bucks, I have had mine now for 3 years and wear it with a 20 dollar Barton, tropic strap bought off amazon with keepers that lock in place. Unfortunately Seiko has become a premadona living off there name rather then the quality and affordability of there products. Personally I would buy a used samurai, which can be easily purchased for under 200 dollars and mod it with a Sapphire crystal and aftermarket bracelet from long island watches. Then you will have a watch to be proud of...
1300, forget it!
If itâs a Willard, the crown has to be at 4:00, in my opinion. That is the single reason why I donât have a Willard re-issue in my collection. It is a beautiful watch, nonetheless.
The straps are $240 to replace! Outrageous for a cloth strap.
Drab olive nato or black waffle rubber strap, anything else and you're starting to turn it into a dress watch. Which it obviously isn't. Stay close to the original look I reckon.
Love the watch but seiko needs to stop the fauxtina already itâs so played out. They should keep the lume plots white.
The BLUME.
the logo at the case back is not a tsunami its called the kanagawa wave or the wave off Kanagawa. and Seiko never had a crown at 4 o'clock its always been at 3:42 position. and never measure the thickness of the case with the strap. thats dumb.
Yes I call it the kanagawa wave sometimes in my many seiko reviews but it is a myth has nothing to do with that. I spoke to seiko and they call it their tsunami wave. Seiko had the crown at 4 on the original willard 6105. And strap thickness is very important so people who are interested in buying will know how high it rides on their wrist.
Wasn't the original 6105-8110 at 4 o'clock?
squeeze that milk, seiko
If only it was 40mm...
It wears well due to short lug to lug. I saw a fake Willard at 39 mm from a company called Smith's and when the watch is that small that cushion case really doesn't work. So maybe seiko could pull off a 40 mil version but it seems impossible. With this style case the dial would have to be so small.
It's already too small! It should be 44mm.
@@adamski101 I used to have many seiko's chunky 44mm watches... I got rid of all of them
"distressed look" and fake patina are so unnecessary. Bezel to marker are still not aligned. I skip thanks.
It's another Seiko dive watch that looks like every other Seiko dive watch,boring.
No imagination when it comes to design.
exactly like Rolex!