Skin Diver case, jewellery looks, daylight in the end links: an almost perfect Seiko
One of Seiko's finest masterpieces
Out of a cardboard box you'd get with a Cocktail Time comes one of Seiko's finest masterpieces. The SPB143, or SBDC101 if you're JDM about it. Another twerp from my good friend Mr Jun, the true flipper, who found it used and unworn on eBay for £750.
The 6217 landed in 1965 as Seiko's first dive watch. The 2017 reissues were either three and a half grand and limited to 2,000, the SLA017, or too big and not much like the original, the SPB051. Then in 2020 this arrived: affordable and faithful. It's insane. I absolutely love this watch. I can't tell you how much I love it.
The case. That's why you buy a Seiko.
40.5 mm across, 47.5 lug-to-lug, 20 mm lugs tapering to 18 at the clasp. Seiko say 13 mm thick; I measured nearly 14, thanks to the tsunami relief and that double-domed sapphire. Who cares. It's a perfect size, and after a long day down at the allotments you won't be desperate to take it off. The Diashield gives the steel a slightly darker finish, and I love that.
The star of this watch is the case. Skin Diver profile, polished chamfers, brushwork, drilled lugs, beautiful finish work all over the place. You don't buy a Seiko for its bracelet, you buy it for the case. One of the most attractive watches I've ever worn. It's like a jewellery piece.
Seiko magic on the dial
Anthracite grey-black sunburst. Looks black in my kitchen, comes alive in daylight. Trapezoidal indices with extremely generous lume, and pencil-sword hands brushed on one side, polished on the other, glimmering with that Seiko magic. Second only to the Marinemaster 300 handset, the best of all time. The double-domed sapphire throws all kinds of distortions.
The steel bezel insert keeps the vintage appeal. The action's very good, a bit stiff, and the coin edge isn't the grippiest; personally I prefer something mushier, like the Sumo. Unsigned crown, which is a shame, but it screws in without a hint of negativity. No fear of strippage whatsoever.
The one thing they had to get wrong
Turn the lights down and you can see daylight in the gaps by the end links. Both ends. Over a thousand pounds. Extremely disappointing. The bracelet beats your cheaper Seikos and the milled clasp is nice, but it's not up with the competition at this price, and that diver's extension? I can't even undo it. Shinji Hattori, are you listening to me, bro?
Then the 6R35: minus 15 to plus 25. Minus one over 24 hours in the Slim Turtle test, about minus eight in the SLA065 video, and tomorrow it might be plus ten. What a lottery.
Versus the Slim Turtle and the SLA065
Next to the SPB317, the 143 is undoubtedly the better finished watch, with a proper steel bezel where the Turtle has aluminium (though I prefer the Turtle's action) and a dial that wins easily. The 143 wins, but only by one or two percent. Next to the SLA065: same case, same handset. The SLA gets Zaratsu polishing and a fancier bezel. Worth all that extra? Not really. You could say the 143 is a bit boring, but it just ticks every box.
Verdict
Despite its flaws, I absolutely love it. I cannot stop looking at it on the beef wagon. It's not worth £1,100, but it's certainly worth £800, and mint used ones turn up for £750 to £850. Don't buy new. An almost perfect watch. Never give up, bros.
