The Most Complete Seiko Diver Under $1,000.

So among the pantheon of dive watch heritage is the Japanese brand Seiko. Now, sure, they were a little bit later to the game than some of their Swiss peers. However, with a legendary lineup that includes the 62 MAS, the Willard, Turtle, and the SKX, you are as deserving as any name in the industry to get a seat at the table of diving brand legends. In the modern lineup, there's many places to look to, with the Prospex models available under $500, with reinterpretations of the 62 MAS and Marine Masters climbing into the thousands. In other words, there's an entire spectrum of Seiko dive watches. But for today's video, we look at a watch that sits in a rare pocket, falling under $1,000 and accommodating a variety of wrist sizes in the process with its case diameter, and overall is one of the most compelling dive watches under $1,000. This is the Seiko SPB 317. And the story of Seiko dive watches began in 1965 with the release of the 62 MAS, a creation that doubled as the first dive watch coming out of Japan. This set forth the momentum for Seiko to create alternative dive watches that set the mold for the decades to follow. A lesser talked about release of the 1960s from the brand was the reference 6105-8000, from the late 1960s known as Seiko's second diver after the iconic 62 MAS. Rated 250 meters, the 6105-8000 bridged the gap between the brand's earliest purpose-built divers and later models like the Willard and the Turtle, both of which expanded on the cushion case design ethos. As much as there is a ton of acclaim for the 62 MAS, the more influential watch, at least in the future of Seiko divers, probably likely needs to be paid to the 6105-8000 as it pioneered the case silhouette many of us come to expect from Seiko, including that four o'clock crown position. The SPB 317 released in 2022 and stands as a modern iteration of that 6105-8000 series. Offering a full slate of professional specs and getting the 6R series of calibers, being a step up from the more entry-level prospect series. And with the discontinuation of things like the Willard and the SPB 143, the 317 has become increasingly compelling. So the case of this watch can probably give us an idea of where the two nicknames come from, with this watch being labeled either the Slim Turtle or the Slim Willard, at least that's what I've seen on the internet. It's neither a watch that perfectly represents either the Willard or the Turtle entirely, given that the 6105-8000 predates the originals of both lines. In any case, the nickname does accurately convey the concept of being a slimmed down version of both. Similar to its bigger brothers with the Willard and the Turtle, the SPB 317 wears smaller than its 41 millimeter case diameter might imply. The height of the case locks in at 12.3 millimeters and the lug to lug is going to be small wrist friendly with a length of 46.5 millimeters when measuring with my calibers. When factoring in these other considerations to the wear experience, I would say the 317 wears close to a 39 millimeter case equivalent. Now further, it's reasonably thin for Seiko dive standards with this model upholding the ISO 6425 compliance and maintaining a water resistance of 200 meters. Finishing is tool wash correct with circular brushing on the anterior sides and horizontal brushing on the flanks. And with the much appreciated inclusion of drilled lugs, trap swapping opportunities are plentiful, especially thanks to the 20 millimeter lug width here. Another indicator of this watch's serious demeanor and being a step up compared to some of the entry level prospects models is the addition of Seiko's super hard coating on the stainless steel, which improves scratch resistance and is something of a value add for much of the Seiko Lux lineup that includes it. The reports of how much additional resistance you're getting in the scratch department is rumored to be around two to three times that of standard untreated stainless steel. Now the same can be said of the sapphire crystal and this execution sports a gentle curve and anti-reflective coating on the underside. The vintage look gets hammered home by way of an aluminum dive bezel insert with the loom pip at 12, offering the distinct possibility of fading with age on that bezel insert. It's not gonna remain pristine like a shiny ceramic bezel, but given the retro leaning approach here, it feels fitting. The unsigned screw down crown at four along with the solid screwed in case back combined to offer a professional level 200 meters of water resistance. While some might appreciate the peek into what is inside the watch and seeing that movement, this one sticks to the classic Seiko diver script with the embossed tsunami wave design surrounded by a checklist of pertinent specs. Now jumping back to the strap, Seiko decides on a black rubber companion here developed from silicone, a smell that you can notice immediately when you open up the presentation box. The outer surface features a textured finish, something Seiko calls a rail pattern. And the strap hardware is in stainless steel with a sign keeper and heavy duty buckle. The strap is soft and reasonably flexible given its thickness and Seiko's rubber straps at this price are a step up compared to some of their leather straps in the same class. That said, they're not gonna be exceptional and the overly thick construction might make them less suitable for everyday wear. But unlike some of the other straps that Seiko is making, this is one that you can keep in rotation if you do decide to switch it. The dial continues with the historic Seiko diver vibes as when you have the formula correct, it's best not to reinvent the wheel. There's no flash from a glossy sunray finish here, just a mission specific matte black that almost appears charcoal in different lighting conditions. Applied indices follow the form of vintage models with loom filled rectangles marking the hours set just inward of the printed white minute track. A pair of trapezoids mark 12 joined together to form a shield like body, a tribute to the original 6105-8000. The hands get a more modern shape recalling the broader style of certain marine masters. A beautiful touch in the details is the mixed finish on these hands with one side going to be brushed and the other is going to be polished with the central facet drawing a line of separation providing further contrast when you look at these straight on. The second hand offers a wink to the past with its stoplight tip accented in red. And about the loom in the hands and the indices, if you've never experienced Seiko Lumibrite, it is some of the best in the entire industry and you get exactly that here. Seiko began its quest for a more effective loom by licensing and updating the Swiss Superluminova formula with europium and dysprosium, which Seiko claims absorbs light faster and glows longer after being activated. There's no date at three as found on the vintage version, but instead it's discreetly tucked away at the 430 behind the diminutive circular window, color matched to the black dial. Now date window inclusion and placement in watch collecting is the equivalent of talking politics at a family function. No one can manage to agree, but considering this, I do think the smaller frame and the color matching to the dial are nicely done and will win over many on both sides of the date window aisle. The text consists of the Seiko wordmark beneath 12 and the prospects X automatic and the depth rating above six in line with what we see on most prospects models. As far as the caliber on the inside, the SPB 317 utilizes the automatic 6R35. This movement was first introduced in 2019, serving as an upgrade to the 6R15. In recent developments, Seiko has introduced the 6R55, a movement that makes some subtle upgrades of giving the caliber a full three days of power reserve. However, given that the 6R35 still hits 70 hours of reserve without many other substantial improvements, it's use here is far from feeling obsolete. As far as the specs, the 6R35 runs at three Hertz or 21,600 vibrations per hour, has 24 jewels and offers both hacking and hand winding, hacking stopping the seconds when you pull the crown to the farthest position. The 6R35 features Diashock protection and Edikron regulator bidirectional winding courtesy of Seiko's magic lever and magnetic resistance of 4,800 amperes per meter or 60 gauss. In other words, ISO 764 compliant. Finishing on the 6R35 is industrial if somewhat bare bones with machine striping on the sine rotor and not much beyond that. But seriously, it's a bit of a non-issue since you won't see it behind the closed case back anyway, which I feel is the right call for a diver in this style and at this price. Seiko declares the accuracy as minus 15 to plus 25 seconds per day and is probably the number one attribute working against this watch for those that value the utmost precision. These numbers for Seiko tend to be very conservative and this version when testing across five different positions with my time grapher, it did not run faster than eight seconds a day at any one of those five positions. And to add on top of that, the majority of the positions tested had this watch running within five seconds a day of accuracy. Performance in the accuracy department will vary from model to model. At any rate, Seiko is one of watchmaking's most vertically integrated manufacturers regardless of price. So if someone asks you if your watch movement is in-house, you can feel confident in saying your answer with this version being close to the point of entry for the 6R series of movements. So as mentioned at the beginning of this video, Seiko is no stranger to the dive watch, having one of the largest selections of any brand regardless of price. Now there are some strange pockets where they reside with most of the entry level prospects models starting in that 400 to say 650 range. And then the next jump up in the 6R family begins with pieces like the 1965 62MAS Heritage Refresh, which jumps up to the price of $1,300 with a piece like the SPB 453. What has also created more drama to the equation at least at this price range is the fact that Seiko has discontinued the standard Willards and the best-selling SPB 143. Now sure there are models like the Sumos that exist in a similar price range to the 317. However, the 317 delivers appeal that the large Sumo pieces do not. And make no mistake, if you are sharing characteristics to the likes of the Willard and the Turtle, your case silhouette is not going to be for mass market appeal. Now, if you're looking for more conventional looks in a dive watch, I probably wouldn't recommend the SPB 317 for you. It's gonna appear too daring and the 62MAS case types are gonna probably sit better with you. On the other hand, if maximizing your dollar while upholding traditional Seiko case forms is more your thing, the SPB 317 is probably the most compelling package for a diver from the brand under $1,000 today. A fear I have in saying that though is that I am not sure how long this watch will continue in its current form. We've seen a lot of the best-selling watches utilizing the 6R35 being phased out as of late, including the SPB 121, which is on its way out. The Willard is gone. The SPB 143 has been ushered to the exits as well. And in the meantime, the 317 sits in this nice little middle ground with its unimpeachable looks, slimmed down case, and a price tag that doesn't include a comma. But all right guys, that's my video here today looking at the SPB 317. Have you guys ever tried out this watch? Do you enjoy it? It's in this like strange pocket for Seiko now because there's so many of the prospects models that are like $750 and under. And then you have the next section of Seiko watches that start around that $1,300 price point, at least for the prospect series. Yes, the Alpinists are a little bit of an oddball just above these, but for a dive watch from Seiko, for a brand that's so known for dive watches, the 317 is in this strange little pocket of value. And I don't know how long this is going to happen, just given what we've seen with some of these other models. But I thought it was a watch to take a look at because it is a pretty compelling package when you factor in all those aspects that I mentioned, especially with the wearability and the price, and then also the history to go along with it. So what do you think of this watch? Do you like it? Do you not like it? Give this video a thumbs up if you did enjoy it. 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