Seiko Diver

Seiko 6105 8119 “The Captain Willard”

THE BASICS

It’s no secret that I love a Seiko diver, but usually I go for the teeny tinies. This watch – affectionately nicknamed “The Captain Willard” after its predecessor’s role on Martin Sheen’s wrist in Apocalypse Now – is a rugged, masculine piece of work. Offered to combat soldiers in Vietnam, these divers provided a more affordable alternative to similar models by Rolex and Tudor. These underrated (but not for long) ‘70s Seikos are underdogs… war heroes! The military-style fabric strap goes very well with a casual jeans and t-shirt look, but is obviously suitable for fatigues-chic if you find yourself in combat with a squirrel in the wilds of the Hudson Valley. Just prepare yourself for an onslaught of watch heads ooh-ing and ahh-ing over your new piece as they notice what impeccable condition it’s in. 

DATE OF BIRTH: Circa April 1973

MATERIAL:  Stainless steel on a military-style fabric strap 

SIZE: 46mm x 49.5mm

MOVEMENT: Automatic caliber 6105

CONDITION: Unpolished, overall very good. Some scratching to the left side of the case from stacking! Dial, hand set and bezel insert are all excellent.

BOX/PAPERS: No/No

PRICE:  $2900

THE NITTY GRITTY:

When Seiko entered into the dive watch space in the 1960’s, they were slow to make a splash.  However, as the 1970’s rolled around, they made watches that are finally being recognized as the icons that they are. This watch presented here was the second version of the watch worn by Martin Sheen’s character Captain Benjamin L. Willard  in Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979). These Seiko dive watches were offered to combat soldiers in the Vietnam War on the U.S PX’s (Post Exchanges), and offered a much more affordable option to the Rolex and Tudor dive watches also on offer at the time. As a result, these bold and rugged titans were popular with both the early Special Force UDT troops and service members alike.

The large, C-shaped case, with winding crown located at the four o’clock position made these watches very distinguishable compared to their counterparts at the time – and even today, with many more dive watches on the market, most untrained eyes can spot a Seiko on the wrist. This watch is the second variation to be introduced where the dial would no longer read “waterproof” but “resist”, and the case back writing also was changed to “Water Resistant” on the back to meet U.S. Federal guidelines ahead of a January 1972 deadline. This model was also the first of the Seiko watches to no longer have the brand name on the crown. The unique crown design replaced “Seiko” with an arrow and the word “Lock” for the “anti-snag” crown. This, unlike watches such as the Submariner, is not a locking crown, but it has small beads to prevent the crown from turning when placed back into the case. Therefore, an obvious weakness to this watch is a lack of serious waterproofing. As a result, many of these watches see dial damage and luminous material degradation; however, this example has been very well looked after and has not succumbed to any serious moisture damage. Another indication of its good caretaking is the vivid shade of red on seconds hand. Very unusual and distinctive, this sweeps seconds hand is akin to a two bulb traffic light, an effect often lost with time. The color is clear, as are the luminous plots throughout the dial, which remain bright and even. Everything, including the lume pip in the bezel, responds the same and holds the ultraviolet light evenly. 

These watches, being more affordable and rugged looking when launched, tended to take a real beating. It is unusual that an example this clean can be found. Even the black insert that sits atop the thick and heavily knurled bezel is in excellent condition. The crystal has been replaced with a later version, and as aforementioned, the left side of the case is showing wear from perhaps having other jewelry compete for wrist space. The crown side of the case is excellent, however, and the top of the case still shows the concentric circles of original case finishing. This really is an exceptional watch, starting to gain the attention and respect it deserves. Finding great examples is really less frequent and should therefore be added to a burgeoning or already brimming collection.