How To Modify Your SARB033 Like A Professional

The SARB033 — and its white-dialled twin, the SARB035 — occupies a strange place in Seiko modding. It is one of the most loved Seikos of its generation, discontinued since 2019 and trading secondhand above its original retail, and it is also one of the hardest common Seikos to modify. The dial opening is large, the native dial size is non-standard, and nothing inside the case is held by friction alone.

This guide covers what actually makes the SARB different, then the full dial-swap sequence — including the chapter-ring transfer that lets a standard 28.5mm dial live in a case built for 30.2mm. Photos and video are courtesy of Darak from Darak Watches , whose demonstration of this modification remains the reference.

Difficulty: 5 / 5 — the hard part is transferring the bonded chapter ring without damaging it

Quick Answer: A SARB033 dial swap means removing two case screws, two movement clips and a steel holder ring, unscrewing the dial from the movement, then transferring the SARB's factory-bonded chapter ring onto a standard 28.5mm dial with acetone and removable adhesive. It is the deep end of Seiko modding — and the original dial does not survive the process.

Seiko SARB033 with black dial — The pair in question: SARB033 in black (left), SARB035 in white (right) — discontinued, sought-after, and built nothing like an SKX inside.

Seiko SARB035 with white dial — The pair in question: SARB033 in black (left), SARB035 in white (right) — discontinued, sought-after, and built nothing like an SKX inside.

What Makes the SARB Different

Most Seiko mods are learned on what we will call the commonly modded Seikos — the SKX, SNK, SNZF, SNZH, SRPD and their relatives — where the movement holds in the case by friction and the dial holds to the movement by two small feet. The SARB, running Seiko's 6R15, is assembled like a piece of proper watchmaking: screws, clips and retaining rings at every interface. Every one of those is a step the SKX modder has never met.

	SARB033 / 035	Commonly modded Seikos¹
Dial diameter	30.2mm	28.5mm
Movement-to-case fit	Screws, clips and steel holder ring	Friction
Dial-to-movement fit	Screws, retaining ring and dial feet	Dial feet only
Dial holding ring
Movement clips
Movement holder ring	Stainless steel	Plastic
Screws
Ease of dial change	Difficult	Straightforward

¹The commonly modded Seikos include the SKX, SNK, SNKK, SNKL, SNZF, SNZH and SRPD families, among others.

Step 1: Getting the Movement Out

On a commonly modded Seiko, the movement pops out of the case the moment the crown and stem are pulled. On the SARB, two screws and two movement clips secure a stainless steel movement holder ring over the movement. Remove the screws, lift the clips, take out the holder ring — and only then does the movement come free.

Removing the two screws securing the SARB033 movement holder ring — Left to right: the two screws come out, the movement clips lift away, and the steel holder ring follows — only then is the movement free.

Removing the two movement clips from the SARB033 — Left to right: the two screws come out, the movement clips lift away, and the steel holder ring follows — only then is the movement free.

Step 2: Freeing the Dial

With the movement out, reinsert the crown and stem, align the hands together and remove them — the standard technique from our dial and hands tutorial . Then flip the movement: two more screws hold the dial, and once they are out, a dial holding ring sits on the dial itself. Lift it away and keep it — everything in this watch is a retained part.

Removing the two dial screws on the SARB033 movement — Left to right: two more screws on the movement, dial and movement separate, and the dial holding ring lifts off the dial.

Separating the SARB033 movement from the dial — Left to right: two more screws on the movement, dial and movement separate, and the dial holding ring lifts off the dial.

Step 3: The Chapter-Ring Transfer

Here is the SARB's central problem: its native dial is 30.2mm across, while the entire aftermarket runs on the 28.5mm standard. The bridge between those two numbers is the chapter ring bonded to the face of the original SARB dial — black with white markers on the SARB033, pale cream with black markers on the SARB035. Transfer that ring onto a 28.5mm dial, and the new dial fills the SARB's large opening as if it were made for it.

Clip the legs off the original SARB dial, lay it flat, and run drops of acetone around its edge. Give the acetone 15 to 20 minutes to break down the factory adhesive. Then sit the dial face-down on something round — a crystal press die works — with the chapter ring overhanging, and push the ring's legs gently out with a toothpick. The ring comes away clean; the original dial, legless and stripped, does not survive the process. Accept that before you start.

Clipping the legs off the original SARB033 dial — Left to right: dial legs clipped, acetone applied by the drop and given 15–20 minutes, and the chapter-ring legs pushed gently out — patience does the separating, not force.

Applying acetone drops to the edge of the SARB033 dial to release the bonded chapter ring — Left to right: dial legs clipped, acetone applied by the drop and given 15–20 minutes, and the chapter-ring legs pushed gently out — patience does the separating, not force.

Now mate the ring to the new dial. Clip any legs off the 28.5mm dial and the transferred ring — neither set is compatible here. Orient the ring on the dial face, then fix it from behind with small pieces of high-quality removable adhesive tape, 2–3mm wide, pressed down with tweezers at four or more points where dial and ring touch. Removable tape is the trick: it holds firmly and comes off cleanly if you ever reverse the build.

Clipping the dial legs off the new 28.5mm replacement dial — Left to right: the new dial's legs clipped, the chapter ring aligned on the new face, and the transfer complete — a 28.5mm dial now dressed for a 30.2mm opening.

Aligning the SARB chapter ring on the new 28.5mm dial — Left to right: the new dial's legs clipped, the chapter ring aligned on the new face, and the transfer complete — a 28.5mm dial now dressed for a 30.2mm opening.

Tip: tape one spot first, flip the dial over and check the orientation against the movement before committing the remaining spots. Precision here is the whole face of the finished watch.

Step 4: Rebuilding the Stack

Reassembly is a sandwich, and double-sided adhesive tape is the mortar. Sit the movement holder ring on a movement holder, seat the movement into it with the crown inserted, and place four pieces of double-sided tape — roughly 1mm by 2mm — at opposing corners. Orient the dial holding ring and press it onto the tape. Add four more pieces on top of the ring, then use the crown to orient the movement, align the new dial, and press it firmly home. The tape sandwich holds the dial exactly where screws and feet once did.

Sitting the SARB movement holder ring on a movement holder — The rebuild, left to right: holder ring on the movement holder, movement seated with crown in, adhesive placed at opposing corners, and the dial holding ring sandwiched on.

Inserting the movement back into the SARB movement holder ring — The rebuild, left to right: holder ring on the movement holder, movement seated with crown in, adhesive placed at opposing corners, and the dial holding ring sandwiched on.

Step 5: Hands, Casing and Closing

With the stack rebuilt, place the remaining four pieces of double-sided tape on the dial holding ring, use the crown to orient the movement, and press the new dial firmly home. Then comes the final hurdle every modder knows: setting the hands. They are as fragile here as on any Seiko, and the SARB's dial work will have been wasted by a bent minute hand — take it slowly, and lean on the hands tutorial if the technique is new to you.

Placing more adhesive pieces onto the SARB dial holding ring — Left to right: adhesive on the dial holding ring, the new dial aligned by the crown, and pressed firmly home — the tape sandwich now carries the face.

Aligning the new dial onto the SARB movement — Left to right: adhesive on the dial holding ring, the new dial aligned by the crown, and pressed firmly home — the tape sandwich now carries the face.

The close is the sequence from Step 1 in reverse: flip the movement onto a gel cushion, remove the movement holder ring, case the dial and movement, refit the holder ring, screw the clips and screws back in, and close the caseback. Nothing about the closing is difficult — by this point, you have already done the hard part.

Watch the Full Process

Darak's build — an oil-painted Great Wave dial in a SARB033 — shows every step of this method in motion.

Modification generally voids a watch's factory warranty. External links are provided for reference — Lucius Atelier is not affiliated with, and does not guarantee, third-party content. Photos and video courtesy of Darak, Darak Watches.

Ready for the deep end?

Shop Dials Read the Build Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you mod a Seiko SARB033?

Yes — but it's the deep end of common Seiko platforms. The movement is secured by screws, clips and a steel holder ring rather than friction, the dial is held by screws and a retaining ring, and the native dial size is a non-standard 30.2mm. Every one of those differences adds a step the SKX modder never meets.

Why is the SARB033 harder to mod than an SKX?

Three reasons. The movement mounts with screws, clips and a stainless steel holder ring, where commonly modded Seikos hold by friction. The dial is retained by screws and a dial holding ring, not just dial feet. And the dial itself is a non-standard 30.2mm, so a standard 28.5mm dial only fits by borrowing the SARB's own chapter ring.

What dial size fits the Seiko SARB033?

The native SARB dial is 30.2mm — larger than the 28.5mm standard shared by the SKX, SNK and most Seiko 5 models. A standard 28.5mm dial can be made to fit by transferring the SARB's factory-bonded chapter ring onto it, which bridges the gap in the case's large dial opening.

Does a SARB033 dial swap damage the original dial?

Plan on it. The transfer method requires clipping the original dial's feet and soaking its edge with acetone to release the factory-bonded chapter ring. The chapter ring survives and moves to the new dial; the original dial does not come out of the process wearable. If keeping the stock dial pristine matters to you, this is not the mod for you.

Is the Seiko SARB033 discontinued?

Yes. Seiko wound down the SARB033 and SARB035 across 2018–2019, and clean examples now trade secondhand above their original retail. That scarcity cuts both ways for modders: donors are harder to find, and an irreversible dial swap on one is a bigger decision than it was when the model was current.

Currency