Uncle Modded Salmon Dial (SARB037) for the SARB035
Uncle's notes:
After searching for the SARB037 for two years or more, I finally threw in the towel. I am one among thousands of guys who have only seen this one in pictures, but it quickly became a "grail" watch. The problem is that SEIKO did such a short-run that finding one is akin to coming across a unicorn. They are impossible to acquire, and those lucky owners are asking upwards of $3,000 to sell.
Since the odds were stacked against me, I decided to have a short run of custom dials made. While some may believe I am selling a "fake" dial, or trying to just use the Seiko name to make money, below is my justification for why I believe this is an ethical endeavor.
Why I put "Seiko" on the dial.
When I first posted my SARB037US Mod, the feedback was mostly positive, although a few questioned the decision, and a few others were downright nasty. Here are my reasons why I think this was the right choice.
1. I made it clear that the dial is not original. I would never sell a "fake" dial, or pass something off as original that is aftermarket. I knew I had to alter the dial in some way so that people don't end up buying something they think was made by Seiko. Since I didn't want there to be any confusion, I changed the small text at the base of the dial to read "Uncle 6R15 - SARB037 US."
2. The watch is still a Seiko. One thing that always bugged me about putting a different name on an aftermarket dial is that the dial is what informs people of the brand. If I changed the name on the dial to "Uncle" for example, this is now making it seem like Uncle is the brand of watch. But the case is Seiko, the movement is Seiko, the hands are Seiko, etc. Everything is Seiko except the dial, but people demand that to make an homage, you must change the name on the dial, which is representative of everything else? It made much more sense to keep the name on the watch and just alter it (see #1).
3. The Seiko community needs this. As much as I appreciate a few other brands offering a salmon dial to scratch that itch for collectors, we all know they fall short. Nothing looks as awesome as the SARB037 dial, and while I commend them for trying, guys want the real thing (or as close as possible in an imperfect world). I had to make the dial to look legitimate because a bunch of you out there needed this.
What's included:
- The SARB037US Aftermarket dial. Watch and bracelet not included.
