SPECIFICATIONS
Iconic Seiko Diver ref. 6105/8110 called “Cpt. Willard,” with a stainless steel case and a Seiko 610B automatic movement, from the mid-1970s.
Stainless steel case measuring 44.5mm (center)
19mm lug width
Original rotating bezel
Original plastic resin bezel insert
Original crown
Seiko 610B automatic movement inside
ANALYSIS
There are watches for which the adjective “iconic” is almost obligatory. The Seiko Diver reference 6105/8110 is that watch. This timepiece, produced by the Japanese manufacturer between 1969 and 1977, succeeded the equally famous 6217 (62MAS) and immediately became popular among American soldiers in Vietnam for its low cost, precision, and durability. Due to its widespread use among US Marines, the watch was worn by Martin Sheen, who played Captain Willard in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 masterpiece “Apocalypse Now.”
The case of this diver’s watch has a timeless design: it has an asymmetrical cushion shape due to the unique positioning of the crown at 4 o’clock. It is inserted into the case-middle and protected by two guards, making this case instantly recognizable. The crown, structured with six vertical segments knurled for grip, features the “turn and lock” function on the upper section (which immediately differentiates it from the Seiko-branded crown, which is a push-fit crown on the reference /8000 known as “Slim Willard”). The upper part of this fabulous case features a toothed aluminum bezel (without ratchets) that houses a graduated plastic resin insert for keeping track of dive and decompression times.
The dial is black with a white minute track and a date window at 3 o’clock. The characteristic raised quadrangular hour markers, filled with tritium, mark the hours. The Seiko Automatic signature is at the top at 12 o’clock; at the bottom at 6 o’clock is the “Suwa” symbol (the first Seiko factory) and the wording “Water 150m Resist,” which is consistent with the wording on the six-mark “Water Resistant” outer caseback (the first generation, dating from the early 1970s, instead featured “Water Proof”). The hour and minute hands are baton-shaped with luminescent paste; the central seconds hand is typically “oar-shaped” and also filled with tritium.
Inside this incredible watch is the equally iconic Seiko 610B self-winding movement. It represented a significant technological breakthrough for the Japanese manufacturer, which launched it in 1968. This movement utilized a hack stopwatch and date display. It measures 12″ lignes (27.4mm), has 17 jewels, is equipped with a Diashock shock absorber, and runs at 21,600 vph.
