SLA051 vs SLA033
Geth put them head to head in "SLA033 VS SLA051 Seiko Saturday". Scores, specs and verdicts side by side.
Seiko · Prospex
Seiko SLA051 'Naomi Uemura'
9/10
Beyond thunderdome
A sublime, glamorous reinterpretation of the Willard: papery charcoal dial, silky ceramic bezel and the same top-tier finishing as the SLA033 for much less.
Seiko · Prospex
Seiko SLA033 'Captain Willard' Re-creation
9/10
Beyond thunderdome
The faithful original: top finishing and the best bezel feel of the pair, but the X on the dial and the metal strap keeper annoy him.
The winner: Seiko SLA033 'Captain Willard' Re-creation
Same movement, same finishing, and one cost £2,850 against £1,400 for the other: it's a crazy world, the world of Seiko. I probably prefer the 033 for that bezel and the missing X, but I love the 051's textured dial. The 033 is the original, the 051 is the reinterpretation, and both are absolutely proper.
Spec sheets
| SLA051 | SLA033 | |
|---|---|---|
| case diameter (mm) | – | 45 |
| thickness (mm) | – | 13 |
| lug to lug (mm) | – | 49 |
| lug width (mm) | – | 19 |
| case material | Steel, zaratsu polished, drilled lugs; shared case design with the SLA033 apart from details | Steel, Zaratsu-polished flanks and thick Zaratsu ring around the bezel, brushed concentric top; caseback brushed vertically; 1 mm larger than the original |
| crystal | Single dome (per his comparison; attribution check) | Double dome (per DKzO comparison; attribution check). Lacks the big bevel around the crystal of the original |
| water resistance (m) | 200 | 200 |
| crown | – | Original-style crown with lock-and-arrow, upgraded to screw-down, only etched |
| caseback | Traditional Seiko caseback, unlimited; build code March 2021 | Horseshoe, like the original; vertically brushed; etched, not engraved |
| bezel | Ceramic insert ('smooth as silk' in 8p6R); red flash of colour on the tip of the pip (his 'traffic light pip') | Lacquered coating, he thinks on aluminium or steel; not ceramic (jA3hVGuwolQ 6:24-6:44, agrees with DKzO 9:34) |
| dial | Charcoal grey with discreet texturing, no X; arrow-tipped hands, seconds hand with needle tip | Matte black; 'horrendous X' on the dial (DKzO) |
| date | Date window present; position remark (4:00) attribution unclear | Window at 4:00 (his remark) |
| movement | Seiko 8L35, 26 jewels, 4 Hz, 50 h power reserve, -10/+15 s/day (shared with SLA033) | Seiko 8L35, 26 jewels, 4 Hz, 50 h power reserve, -10/+15 s/day (shared with SLA051) |
| strap supplied | On the video: secondary strap from the SLA017, not its own | Factory silicone with metal keeper; dust magnet, impossible to clean, very comfortable, more comfortable than FKM |
