There comes a time in every watch collector's journey, usually on the precipice of a NWA (New Watch Alert), that they examine their collection. What can be culled from the herd? What will cause immeasurable heartbreak and instant regret? I graduated from medical school this spring and wanted to mark the occasion with, what else, a new watch. Ultimately, I went with a Tudor Black Bay 58. Faced with middling savings and no immediate income, I had to cut a watch from my roster. It made sense that my newest acquisition replace its most similar counterpart in my collection. Thus, my beloved Seiko SPB143 found itself on the chopping block.
I purchased this now-classic 62MAS heir-apparent in September of 2020. Influenced heavily by James Stacey and the Seiko cognoscenti, I quickly lost my ability to resist this watch. Once I set a WatchRecon alert, it was game over. Two weeks henceforth, I found myself rocking a slick 40.5mm Seiko diver. A #SeikoBoi once again.
While not necessarily slim at 13.2mm, I found the SPB143 wore exceptionally well on my wrist. The lug-to-lug of 47.6mm certainly helped. It immediately found what I believed to be a permanent place in my collection. This was just the watch to fill the Seiko-sized hole in my heart. I wore it everywhere.
There’s nothing like a fresh Seiko. The creak of the box. The jangle of the bracelet. The blaze of the lume, radiating after mere seconds in the glow of the sun. The SPB143 hit all those notes harmoniously. While I thought I knew what to expect from the on-wrist experience, I was pleasantly surprised. It’s clear that even with all the Seiko DNA, this watch is different and special. Each of the touchpoints is noticeably higher quality than my previous reference points, the SKX007 and SRP777. The crown engages perfectly. The stainless steel bezel ratchets crisply, with just the smallest amount of play. It’s everything you know and love about Seiko, only more refined.
Of course, it’s not a Seiko there aren't nits to pick. The main letdown is small and fixable. I found the clasp a bit flimsy and weighed down by the dive extension. Luckily, an 18mm Uncle Seiko clasp is a perfect substitute. This takes the bracelet to a-whole-nother league. The other issue is just what you expect. Say it with me: “the bezel pip doesn’t align perfectly at 12.” While mine was close, it never perfectly hit the mark – though, with the bit of play in the bezel, it could be made to line up. No complaints otherwise. Even the accuracy was decent at plus a dozen or so seconds a day.
Above is a fair amount of words spent on a bracelet I hardly even wore. Really, I only put it on when I remembered I still had it. This watch lived on aftermarket straps, most frequently a grey Toxic (UTE) NATO. Despite being a bit of a chunk, it was not too noticeably thick on a NATO. That said, any perceived excess thickness disappeared when worn on in Erika‘s Original MN strap. On these mounts, my SPB143 went everywhere: on hikes, on the boat, in the ocean, you name it. It never felt out of place, except when it did.
As can happen with any watch and at any time, I begin to wear my SPB143 less and less. Really, it’s nothing against the watch – I love it. I just found myself opting for slimmer or more understated watches. The relatively lower quality bracelet also began to wear on me. It lacked the vintage charm of a jangly Seiko jubilee and the tightness of a more high-end bracelet. Thus, it was relegated to weekend duty on a NATO. At this point, I had a decision to make. With a new watch incoming, did the SPB143 justify the $1000 I had tied up in it? Ultimately, it did not. It found a loving home with another watch enthusiast, where I hope it gets worn and enjoyed as much as I enjoyed it. As much as I love the Black Bay 58 that succeeded it, I do find myself missing a particular Diashield-coated, 62MAS-inspired diver. There may once again be a Seiko-sized hole in my heart. My SPB143 may be gone, but it will not be forgotten.
