As someone who can’t get enough of tool watches, Seiko is a brand I’ve grown increasingly fond of over the past few years. Of course, that’s hardly surprising given that they’ve long been known for producing excellent dive watches. 

One of which is the 6105-8110 “Captain Willard”, a watch that was made famous by the film Apocalypse Now. In 2020 Seiko released an updated version of the watch, and since then they’ve produced several different models. 

The version I’m looking at today is the Prospex SPB237J1 Captain Willard Re-Interpretation, which was kindly loaned to me by Francis & Gaye Jewellers. If you’re looking for a reliable authorised dealer in the UK then get in touch with them and they’ll be happy to take care of you.

The watch retails for £1,220 or $1300USD, which is in line with the other Willard interpretations, but is still a lot more than some of the other dive watches in Seiko’s Prospex range. 

So let’s see if we can figure out why Seiko is asking that much for it. 

Exactly The Specifications You’d Expect

As you’d expect the SPB237J1 Willard is an ISO-certified dive watch, with 200m of water resistance, incredibly bright lume, and a unidirectional bezel with an aluminium insert. Somewhat unusually it doesn’t come on a steel bracelet, but it’s instead supplied with two NATO straps. 

On the surface, these features don’t do anything to explain the more premium price. Seiko certainly offers plenty of other divers with similar specs for less money. But, diving a little deeper, there are a few things that separate the SPB237J1 Willard from the cheaper models.  

For starters the case is covered with Seiko’s DiaShield coating, which offers improved scratch resistance over bare metal. And, instead of Seiko’s Hardlex mineral crystal, the watch has a more scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating.

The SPB237J1 Willard uses a 6R35 automatic movement, which is slightly better than Seiko’s entry-level 4R35. The 4R35 is rated to be accurate to a mere +45 to -35 seconds per day, and has an average 41-hour power reserve. In contrast, the 6R35 is accurate to +25 to -15 seconds per day, and has an impressive 70-hour power reserve. Whilst the accuracy of the 6R35 could do with improving, it’s still a higher specification movement than the 4R35. 

Whilst these features clearly put the SPB237J1 Willard at the higher end of the Prospex range, I don’t think they fully explain the watch’s cost. After all, there are plenty of other brands with affordable dive watches that have similar features. 

A Classic Design Reinvented

Which brings me on to the design of the SPB237. It’s naturally very close to that of the original Willard, and that carries with it a certain value. This watch gives you a chance to get an update of a classic Seiko design built to modern standards.  

The case is the same classic cushion shape as the original Willard, with the screw-down crown at four protected by some prominent crown guards. It’s a design that won’t be for everyone, but it’s what defines the Willard’s whole identity. At 42.7mm wide, the SPB237J1 is actually a bit smaller than the original Willard, which was 44mm. It also wears very nicely thanks to a decent lug to lug of 46.6mm, and a reasonable thickness of 13.2mm. Furthermore, the bezel is smaller than the case, measuring just 40.5mm wide. This makes the watch feel smaller on the wrist that the case dimensions would suggest, whilst still allowing it to have a good presence. 

Like the case, the dial layout is almost identical to the original Willard, but with a few modern tweaks. The indices have a very slight taper to them, and the lume is a light cream colour to replicate the patina seen on vintage watches. Unfortunately, the date window isn’t framed, as there isn’t any space thanks to a barely noticeable applied marker at the 3 o’clock position.