Duel at the North Pole : Seiko VS Rolex

Among Seiko's emblematic divers, we find the 6105-8110 aka Apocalypse Now or Captain Willard here, but nicknamed the Naomi Uemura in Japan.

Although it is found on Martin Sheen's wrist in FF Copola's film since it equipped many American soldiers in Vietnam, in Japan it is better known for having long accompanied one of the greatest Japanese explorers, Naomi Uemura.

Uemura was known for his solo feats. Before he turned 30, he had climbed Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and Aconcagua solo. In 1970, he was part of the first Japanese expedition to the summit of Everest. He also traveled the 6,000km of the Amazon alone on a raft. But he is best known for being the first person to reach the North Pole solo in 1978. For his expedition to the top of the world in 1970, he wore a Seiko 6159 -7000 released in 1968 with its one-piece case and its Hi Beat caliber adjusted to Grand Seiko standards.

He then crossed the Great Canadian North with his sled dogs in 1975 and 1976, which gave him some notable experiences. One morning, he heard a bear rummaging through his belongings and eating some of his food. The next morning, Uemura was ready and he shot the predator point-blank in the head. Later, he found himself stranded and adrift with his sled and his dogs on a piece of ice that had separated from the pack ice. After an interminable wait, a small ice bridge less than a meter wide reformed and allowed him and his dogs to continue their journey more serenely. Following his exploits, he received the Explorer Award in 1976 and Rolex Japan gave him an Explorer II.

Taken from a book about Naomi Uemura, here’s his 1655

This is when things get interesting

He left for the North Pole in 1978 with his Rolex on his wrist. But the polar temperatures (literally) made him fear frostbite where the watch that he wears on its steel bracelet touches his wrist. He therefore puts it on a leather strap but the watch cannot withstand the very strong vibrations linked to his travels in a sled dog and the leather does not take long to give way. He finds no other solution than to wear the watch on his waist but without the warmth of his wrist and in extreme temperatures, the oils in the movement freeze and the watch stops.

During a supply stop, he meets Mr. Sugawara from the weekly Bunshun who follows his journey and brings him supplies. Sugawara offers Uemura to exchange his Rolex which stopped running for his own Seiko 6105...

Credit Fratello Watches

Sugawara leaves with the Rolex and he will later say that once it had returned to temperature, the watch had started working again without problems.

Credit Fratello Watches

For his part, Uemura Naomi continues his journey across the Far North.

And on his wrist, Sugawara's 6105. On a very cold day, the watch will stop momentarily, but the fact that it is worn on a rubber strap greatly reduces the risk of frostbite and allows it to be worn until the end of this incredible journey.

When he returned to Japan, Sugawara offered to return his Rolex to Uemura, but Uemura offered it to Sugawara and he ultimately kept the 6105 on his wrist for many more years.

Uemura sadly lost his life in 1984 while descending Mount McKinley.

The subject of frostbite will remain at the heart of Seiko's concerns for this type of watch and a few years later, during the development of different Landmaster models for other explorers or in honor of Uemura, Seiko will use special coatings and titanium to avoid any risk of frostbite when the watch is worn directly on the skin in extreme conditions.

These watches also all use the GMT function, like the Explorer II from Uemura.

Naomi Uemura also appears in a Rolex ad for her GMT Master, probably before the '78 expedition.

After hearing this story, the last words of this ad sound a little bit ironic.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to start yet another stupid Rolex vs. XXX keyboard war, but the story and the vagaries of Uemura's polar adventures have allowed Seiko to win a beautiful duel against the king of explorers watches, the famous Rolex Explorer II.

This is one of the many adventures in the beautiful history of Seiko and its many little-known feats. But the 6105 is surely the Seiko diver that has had the most extraordinary stories on the wrists of explorers, American soldiers and other adventurers of the late 20th century. And it’s a real honor for Seiko to have managed to beat the legendary Rolex Explorer on its own turf!

Seiko released a reissue of legendary divers last year with the SLA033 which very faithfully reproduces the 6105-8110. And in 2020, they released a modernized and more affordable version with the SPB151 and 153.

Credit Fratello Watches

For me details about the fascinating life of Naomi Uemura, here’s an interesting link. There’s also a Museum in Itabashi, Tokyo, completely dedicated to him.