The SBDC007 automatic diver’s watch, nicknamed Shogun by enthusiasts, first appeared in Seiko catalogs in 2008, along with its orange variant SBDC009.
The 44mm case, very light since it’s made of titanium, housed the caliber 6R15, a robust and reliable Seiko classic that we find in several watches of this range, with a power reserve of 50 hours, hacking and manual winding functions.
In the second generation, introduced in 2020, the movement is upgraded to the superior 6R35, with 70 hours of power reserve.
The origin of the nickname Shogun
Until recently the origin and motivations of the nickname Shogun, a title reserved for military dictators in ancient Japan, were not completely clear to me, but thanks to the Youtube channel “Escapement & Watch” I have removed all doubts.
We know that most of the nicknames of Seiko watches are the result of the community of fans, and even in this case it all comes from a discussion on the Watchuseek.com website.
A few months after the launch of the reference SBDC007, the user Cubbiepants leaves a message containing these words: “Considering it’s full battle armor, crisper lines and the fact that it always seems to be under attack, I will be calling it the SHOGUN!”.
After this comment, other users started calling the watch “Shogun”, and the nickname spread to become practically official, to the point of being adopted by Seiko itself.
First generation of Seiko Shogun
As mentioned at the outset, the first Shogun series was introduced by Seiko in 2008 with SBDC007 and SBDC009 references, titanium case and caliber 6R15.
Black Shogun
Ref: SBDC007 (6R15-01D0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2008
Titanium case 44mm, Hardlex crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.
Orange Shogun
Ref: SBDC009 (6R15-01D0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2008
Titanium case 44mm, Hardlex crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.
Black Shogun Prospex
Ref: SBDC029 (6R15-01D0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2015
Titanium case 44mm, Hardlex crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.
Note: this version sees the introduction of the Prospex logo on the dial, but in fact all the features seem unchanged compared to the reference SBDC007.
Limited Editions of the first generation
As was the case for other series, Seiko has released some limited editions of the Shogun exclusively for Thailand.
Zimbe Shogun
Ref: SPB057 (6R15-03Y0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2017
Limited edition of 456 pieces.
Titanium case 44mm, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.
Zimbe Red Shogun
Ref: SPB099 (6R15-04N0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2019
Limited edition of 500 pieces.
Titanium case 44mm, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.
Second generation of Seiko Shogun
With the second generation some improvements are introduced in materials, finishes and, above all, in the movement which is updated to the 6R35.
Black Shogun 2nd Gen.
Ref: SBDC129 (6R35-01F0)
Caliber: 6R35
Year: 2020
Titanium case 44mm, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, 24 jewels, 70 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.
White Shogun 2nd Gen.
Ref: SBDC131 (6R35-01F0)
Caliber: 6R35
Year: 2020
Titanium case 44mm, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, 24 jewels, 70 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.
Summary of the models
First generation
| Nickname | Ref | Other Ref. | MC Ref. | Caliber | Limited |
| Black Shogun | SBDC007 | SBDC007J, SBDC007J1 | 6R15-01D0 | 6R15 | No |
| Orange Shogun | SBDC009 | SBDC009J, SBDC009J1 | 6R15-01D0 | 6R15 | No |
| Black Shogun Prospex | SBDC029 | SBDC029J, SBDC029J1 | 6R15-01D0 | 6R15 | No |
| Zimbe Shogun | SPB057 | SPB057J, SPB057J1 | 6R15-03Y0 | 6R15 | Yes (456) |
| Zimbe Red Shogun | SPB099 | SPB099J, SPB099J1 | 6R15-04N0 | 6R15 | Yes (500) |
Second generation
| Nickname | Ref | Other Ref. | MC Ref. | Caliber | Limited |
| Black Shogun 2nd Gen. | SBDC129 | SPB189, SPB189J, SPB189J1 | 6R35-01F0 | 6R35 | No |
| White Shogun 2nd Gen. | SBDC131 | SPB191, SPB191J, SPB191J1 | 6R35-01F0 | 6R35 | No |
Movements
| Series | Movements |
| First generation | 6R15 |
| Second generation | 6R35 |
Caliber 6R15
| Type | Automatic |
| Power reserve | 50 hours |
| Bph | 21.600 |
| Jewels | 23 |
| Lift Angle | 53° |
| Manual winding | Yes |
| Hacking | Yes |
Caliber 6R35
| Type | Automatic |
| Power reserve | 70 hours |
| Bph | 21.600 |
| Jewels | 24 |
| Lift Angle | 53° |
| Manual winding | Yes |
| Hacking | Yes |