Head-To-Head: Seiko SLA017, a HOMAGE to the 62MAS versus the Seiko SBDC053, a REMAKE to the 62MAS

If one is truly a hardcore Seiko fan, the 1965 Seiko 62MAS (autoMAtic Selfdater) Ref. 6217-8000/1 Diver is the Japanese dive watch to which all dive watches from Seiko (or even from other brands) owes their genesis to. The Seiko 62MAS is a collector’s timepiece that is very rare. If one does find a “Seiko 62MAS” out on sale with a ‘reasonable’ price, chances are it is not all original with newer movements, dials, bezels, crystals, hands, and even crowns.





With the announcement by Seiko back in 2017 that it will 'reissue' the Seiko 62MAS, the Seiko fan base got very excited. The Seiko Prospex Diver SLA017J1 did not disappoint the fans at all. The only comments heard were the limited numbers available and the high price. Nevertheless, Seiko has in planning to also offer something similar yet more affordable to its customer base. This is the Seiko Prospex Diver SBDC053. In the photo above, the SLA017J1 in the left and the SBDC053 is on the right.

As tabulated below are some of the specifications of both watches in comparison to the iconic 62MAS.

	62MAS	SLA017J1 (or SBDX019)	SBDC053 (SPB053)
Dimensions	37 mm wide; 19 mm lugs	39.9 mm wide; 19 mm lugs; 14.1 mm thick; 47.9 mm lug-to-lug	42.6 mm wide; 20 mm lugs; 13.8 mm thick; 49.5 mm lug-to-lug
Water resistance	150 meters	200 meters	200 meters
Movement	6217 movement; 18,000 BPH; 32 hours power reserve; No hand wind; Non-hacking	8L35 movement; 28,800 BPH; 50 hours power reserve; Hand winding; Hacking	6R15 movement; 28,800 BPH; 50 hours power reserve; Hand winding; Hacking
Crown	Push-in	Screw-down	Screw-down
Bezel	Bi-directional	Uni-directional	Uni-directional
Crystal	Plexiglass	Box-shaped sapphire crystal with AR coating	Curved sapphire crystal with AR coating
Others	Rubber strap; Standard production run from 1965 to 1968	Silicone strap and metal bracelet provided; Anti-magnetic 4,800A/m; DiaShield metal surface protection; Produce in 2017 of just 2,000 units (limited edition)	Silicone strap; Standard production run from 2017

In the photo below, you can see that the SLA017J1 (top) has faceted angle surfaces whereas the SBDC053 (bottom) is more rounded. Furthermore, the SLA017J1 has more 'work' done to it (which in a way justify its price point) with a signed crown and boxed sapphire crystal.



The waffle textured strap on the SLA017J1 is more representative of the 62MAS compared to the strap design of the SBDC053. The strap on the SBDC053 is more modern with the accordion kinks near the lugs. Personally, I am not too keen on the accordion design.



Both watches have metal strap followers with the SLA017J1 painted black and squarer in design compared to that on the SBDC053. The buckle on the SLA017J1 is also simpler.



Although I have yet to peel off the blue plastic covering over both the case-backs, you can still see that the SBDC053 has the now famous tsunami logo whereas on the SLA017J1 has a killer whale image.



Overall, I find the SLA017J1 to more balanced which again justify its price point. Nevertheless, the SBDC053 is a close second and would be good additional in any collection.

For more information on the following watches, please refer to the link below for a complete write-up on each one of them:
SLA017J1 => http://easternwatch.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-seiko-prospex-diver-sla017j1-or.html
SBDC053 => http://easternwatch.blogspot.com/2017/11/seiko-prospex-200m-diver-automatic.html

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