Charcoal Willard, silky ceramic bezel, no horrendous X: a sublime Seiko for half the money
The glamorous one
Two of the kings of the Willard, and the 051 is a beautiful watch, a glamorous version of the original. It cost £2,840 and I don't think they make it anymore. Mr Jun paid £1,400 for it, in great condition, and it came to me in a trade. It's not as faithful to the 6105 as the 033; I'd call it a reinterpretation, with little arrows on the hand tips and a needle tip on the seconds hand. The finish work is just exceptional, insane zaratsu polish, drilled lugs. You can see the quality instantly. It really is better than most of the others.
Papery dial, butter bezel
Look at that dial, charcoal grey with a discreet, papery texture that doesn't touch legibility. I really love it. And no X. In the 033 video I called one bezel a bit clicky, soft and loose, but in the box video with Mr Jun I said it straight: beautiful ceramic bezel, smooth as silk, eating butter off a piece of velvet. Lovely bracelet too. Some people don't like the high-polished shoulders on the centre link, but I do. No ratcheting dive extension, a bit standard. 8L35, 200 metres, March 2021, not limited. The lume is super bright.
Verdict
This is just a sublime watch. Absolutely wonderful. Same movement, same finishing as the 033 for £1,400. It's a crazy world, the world of Seiko. 033 original, 051 reinterpreted, absolutely proper.
