Test Drive: The Seiko Shogun

Hate it or love it, in the watch enthusiast world, Seiko is there. You might have complains about their QC regarding misaligned inserts or might praise them for their value proposition. Whatever your take is, you are definitely aware of them. My first steps in the Seiko dive world were with the Samurai, not the original Titanium edition but the second edition, the SRPB51 with the black waffle dial.

As it has happened to most of us, this becomes a huge rabbit hole from which you will probably never get out. Within the Seiko diver rabbit hole, while perusing websites, forums, and social media, looking for the next watch, I was introduced to the “Shogun” SBDC129. The Shogun, if you are not familiar, it is a similar watch to the Samurai, when you compare overall presence and styling. I would not dare to say that the Shogun is a “better” version of the Samurai, since we have the King Samurai versions of it. The case shape is different, hour markers are different, etc. you catch my drift. Well getting back to our story, I had lusted after the Shogun for a while until other watches took over my attention.

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Some time back, I had the opportunity of trying on the Shogun for the first time, and here are my thoughts about it. Like I previously mentioned, the overall presence and dimensions of the Shogun are very similar to the Samurai. These are some chunky boys we are talking about. What differentiates these two watches the most is the weight. The Shogun happens to be made out of Titanium, which makes this watch way easier to wear than the Samurai. This watch is so light, it is ridiculous. You expect your hand to be sunk when you see the big piece of metal, but it turns out to be a very pleasant surprise.

Now speaking of styling. The watch has some angularity, just like the Samurai but it is definitely more round. The roundness might make it more appealing, since I have noticed that the sharp angles of the Samurai are not for everyone. The knurling of the bezel is definitely easier to grab than the Samurai, which is another plus. The hour markers still have some similarities to the Samurai but resemble more of a monster with the teeth-like markers. The hands, in my opinion, the Shogun wins. The Shogun hands look slimmer and more streamlined, and I also have had mixed opinions about the Samurai hour hand. Finally, the bezel, if I am completely honest I prefer the Samurai. The Shogun bezel just doesn’t do it for me, and I consider the Samurai a more unique design in that respect.

After turning this post about the Shogun into a comparison with the Samurai, it is hard for me to say if I would choose one over the other. If I had discovered the Shogun first, I would have definitely have chosen it over the Samurai. Now, the Samurai is part of my collection and it has shared special moments with me. I am not a watch flipper by any means, and tend to romanticize and get attached to things fairly quick. This is the only reason why, my current self, would choose the Samurai over the Shogun. Leaving the attachment aside, I do believe that the Shogun is a better looking package than the Samurai. Which one would you choose?

Thanks again for stopping by,

DL