# Seiko Landmaster Sbdw005



## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

I've had this for a while, worn it for ages, but not shown it till last week. Jot asked about my impressions of it, and - although a bit late - here they are.

*It's the Seiko Prospex Landmaster SBDW005*

5M65 Kinetic movement (6 months reserve)

Single block, one piece Titanium Case

40mm diameter, with screw down crown

AR coated (inside), hardlex crystal

Carbon fibre dial

friction, compass bezel

Titanium bracelet with sliding, ratchet extension (for wearing over clothing)

200m WR Rating










My overall impression is that it is a very competent timekeeper indeed, fiendishly accurate and extremely functional.

For an all titanium watch, its not at all light and the finish seems remarkably durable.

It is blessed with the usual high standard of lume which is in "electric" blue hue, the dial printing is of a fantastic standard and the bezel is an absolute work of art. I suspect its a very expensive casting as it has three finishes, a sort of dull "normal" titanium, a bit like beadblasted steel - a brushed titanium to the face of the bezel compass number plaques, and bright polished highlights to the compass points and bracelet highlights. Its very nicely executed indeed.

It's a true GMT watch, operating in exactly the same way as the Rolex and Omega GMT watches, in that red GMT hand is set first, and then the normal hour hand is set independently, in one hour increments to any offset required. When adjusting the watch for another timezone (or BST) it is done without affecting normal timekeeping and the movement hacks for timesetting.










The idea behind the compass bezel is very simple: set the bezel pip to the 12 position, point the GMT hand at the sun, the bezel pip now point due north. The bezel is friction set so that other cardinal points can be set, for heading directions. I know these things are not everyones cup of tea, but as an outdoorsman, I can vouch that they have their uses.

The Kinetic movement charges readily and from just about flat when I got it, it was up to a full 6 months reserve after only 5 to 6 days of wearing it. Accuracy is superb and in the 3 months or so I have had it, has only gained 2 seconds as is my most accurate quartz by far.

I think that this has got to be one of the ultimate "tool watches". It just fulfills it's design criteria flawlessly. For me, it has every bit as much presence as a similar Breitling Avenger in titanium, or Omega Seamaster in titanium, and for about half the price.

Unfortunately, the Prospex range is not sold in the UK so these things normally have to be imported, and generally can't be had for much less than the Â£500 mark off ebay and the like. Mind you, they don't seem to appear that often, and secondhand ones are like Bernard Mathews Turkeys (a bit thin on the ground







, so I guess people that have them, don't tend to get rid of them.

In my opinion - worth every cent.


----------



## limey (Aug 24, 2006)

George,

That is really nice. A solid piece of kit. Pushes just about all the right buttons.

Nor too sure about the bezel, but then I have a Doxa with the dive table bezel and I have even less chance of using that one.

Any pictures of the clasp, sounds interesting. The original Doxa Sub had a similar sounding arrangement.


----------



## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

Nice review George, I have looked at these on certain Japanese sites and been slightly tempted but I am always put off by the compass bezel......reminds me too much of a breitbling, but I can see the usefulness if you need it. I hope those end links/bars are stronger than my sons seiko kinetic! he has been through about 6 bars now, the end links seem to put a lot of stress in just about the wrong place on the spring bars, enough in fact to bend the bars during normal teenage/Uni shananiganes (sp?)









Good to hear its so accurate, that has been my experience of the Seiko quartz movements as well.

Best regards David


----------



## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

I'll try to post a pic of the extension later, but its a sort of telescopic affair and slides into itself. You open the safety clasp and then push it back further, then the extension can be slid out in increments till its as big as you need it. Very useful if you find that at different times of day, your wrist has swollen slightly and the bracelet feels too tight - just open it up a bit. Magic. Also, you don't have to fully open the clasp to do it - most dive extensions require you to take the watch off your wrist - this one does not.

No worry about the spring-bars either - I have never seen spring bars so thick, got to be 2.5mm. You can actually get an impression of them in the second photo - and to be honest they can be a sod to get out. It is helped by the fact that the lugs are drilled on one side of the watch (the non winder side) which helps.

But the whole effect is just sort of industrial, tool-strength watch - if you know what I mean. This watch means business!

Something else which I have not been able to capture yet, but it is very apparent in the flesh, is that the dial has a very subtle blood-red sunburst effect to it when the light catches it. It looks jet-black normally - but when the light catches it just right- it looks quite stunning.

I love it - this one's going nowhere without me.


----------



## hippo (Jun 27, 2006)

That looks absolutley lovely







Very tempted


----------



## mattjg01 (Jul 3, 2006)

I do like the look of that.

Thank you for clearing up how that compass bezel works. I've seen it on watches before and could never quite figure how it would be used.


----------



## mrteatime (Oct 25, 2006)

love that watch...is there any chance of it being released over here, or will it always be an import?

cheers....

shawn


----------



## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

I doubt it. None of the Prospex models ever do - they seem to think that there is not much of a volume market for "high end" Seikos over here, so only a few select ranges make it accross the pond. So I'm afraid your stuck with importing them.

To be honest, I'm not even sure if this exact model is still in production. They do still appear from time to time on Ebay, so they are worth looking out for.


----------



## Boxbrownie (Aug 11, 2005)

I am sure that model is still available new on a particular Japanese site, I keep popping back to have a look at it and its cousin the LANDMASTER-SAGARMATHA, but at the moment it is sold out......your model is still available though.

Best regards David


----------

