The Seiko SPB237J continues the Captain Willard-inspired line of vintage divers

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At this point, Seiko really have no competition in the way of textured dials. Sure, there are homages which can clone them, or microbrands who can create their own interesting patterns on occasion, and there are of course the luxury icons who’ve carved their way into history because of their bold dials. But, with full control over their own design and production methods, Seiko have been pumping out hit after hit of unique and impressive textures and colours. The SPB237J offers no exception, all the while turning up the vintage meter.

The dial

Seiko may not be a stranger to vintage reissues, although the SPB237 does take quite a different route than Seiko would usually go down. Mingling crisp silver and grey tones with the creamy beige of faux-aged luminous paint, every detail of this watch has been carefully pored over to create a harmonious look of old, battle-scarred, and full of stories to tell. The vertical-grained texture of the ash-grey dial is just subtle enough to not look too complicated or modern, but really becomes the key distinction between the SPB237J and just another 6105 reissue. The parchment colouring also extends to the bezel markings, meaning that there are no harsh white elements that jump out at you, other than the date window and printed minute markers that would have otherwise remained white through the decades as well.

The details of the hands and indices have been nicely executed, as they usually are from Seiko, with half-brushed, half-polished surfaces on the hour and minute hands that accentuate the light play as your wrist turns. All the muted shades of cream and grey really make the red dot on the traffic-light seconds hand pop, and of course they’ve all been generously filled with Seiko’s LumiBrite for superb after-dark performance.

The case

As with the Captain Willard, the SPB237J uses a Turtle case that more strongly echoes the reference 6105 from 1970, with a case shape that leans ever so slightly more into the wide cushion proportions, yet slims down with a diameter of 42.7mm, and a lug-to-lug of 46mm. The hefty shoulders of the lugs give off that "hulking mass of metal" vibe that we love from ‘70s cushion cases, but the shortness of those lugs weaves some wearable magic that enables it to fit on relatively small wrists. It also replicates the 6105’s exaggerated coin-edge bezel, giving greater grip than the standard Turtle models, especially with wet or gloved fingers.

The movement

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Part of Seiko’s high performance 6R series, the 6R35 has now been regularly popping up inside a wide range of collections, and within a wide range of budgets. With 70 hours of power reserve achieved through the slower, albeit vintage-accurate beat rate of 21,600vph, the automatic movement is generally regarded as a worthy successor to the ever-present 4R35, also known as the NH35. There are no particular bells or whistles, with 24 jewels, hacking and hand-winding, and some decent magnetic resistance, but the accuracy is usually much better than its stated tolerances of -15/+25 seconds per day, and low servicing costs.

The strap

In quite a rare move for Seiko, the SPB237J comes with two NATO straps purpose-built for diving. They’ve used an interesting thick weave which is really reminiscent of military canvas, especially with the muddy olive green colour that accentuates the warmth of the cream tones. The slate-grey strap matches the dial and almost makes the watch look like it came straight out of a black-and-white photograph from the ‘70s.

The verdict

The SPB237J really has everything going for it in its quest to latch onto the wake of hype that followed the Captain Willard, except for one thing. At $2050AUD, the SPB237J costs $355AUD more than the SPB153. For all of its wonderful detailing and undeniably heart-stopping looks, I cannot say that this watch is a bargain, and yet I can still feel the temptation to get one at all costs.

Considering that there may still be bezel insert alignment issues, I would recommend trying to see one of these models in the metal before purchasing it, although there is no doubt whatsoever that the enjoyment you’d get from it on your wrist would be worth every penny.

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