Fitting Four-Foot Dials on Seiko Mods

Our Seiko mod dials now ship with four feet instead of two. It is a small change that solves two problems at once: it saves us clipping feet by hand on every order, and it means you can never receive a dial with the feet in the wrong place. The trade is a thirty-second job at your bench — clip the two feet you don't need, and shave the stubs flush.

Here is how to tell which two feet to keep for your crown position, and how to remove the other two cleanly so the dial sits dead flat on the movement.

Difficulty: 2 / 5 — a quick clip-and-shave

Quick Answer: A four-legged dial fits both 3 o'clock and 4 o'clock crown movements — you keep one pair of feet and clip the other. For a 3 o'clock crown, keep the feet under the 8 and 38 minute markers; for a 4 o'clock crown, keep the feet under 12 and 42. After clipping, shave the leftover 0.1–0.2mm stub flush, or the dial won't sit flat.

Back of a Lucius Atelier Great Wave dial showing four dial feet — The back of the Great Wave dial: four feet, in two opposing pairs. One pair is for a 3 o'clock crown, the other for 4 o'clock — you keep one and clip the other.

Why Four Legs

Seiko movements come in two crown layouts — 3 o'clock and 4 o'clock — and the dial feet have to land in different places for each. A two-footed dial is committed to one layout; order the wrong one and it won't seat. Casting four feet lets a single dial serve both movements, so there's no wrong version to buy. You simply remove the pair you don't need.

Which Two to Keep

Use the minute markers on the dial face to locate the feet. The rule is fixed:

3 o'clock crown — keep the feet beneath the 8 and 38 minute markers.
4 o'clock crown — keep the feet beneath the 12 and 42 minute markers.

An example: fitting the Great Wave dial to a Seiko 5 SNKL23 case, which has a 4 o'clock crown. That means the 12-and-42 pair stays, and the 8-and-38 pair comes off.

Locating the dial feet beneath the minute markers on a Seiko mod dial — Left to right: reading the dial-foot positions off the minute markers — a 4 o'clock example, where the keepers sit under 12 and 42.

Locating a dial foot beneath the 42 minute marker on a 4 o'clock crown dial — Left to right: reading the dial-foot positions off the minute markers — a 4 o'clock example, where the keepers sit under 12 and 42.

Removing the Legs Cleanly

Once you know which pair to lose, take them off in two moves — and don't skip the second one.

Clip or twist the feet off. A flush wire cutter clips them; a plier twists them. Either way, a small stub of about 0.1–0.2mm is left behind.

Clipping the unwanted dial feet off with a flush cutter — The unwanted pair comes off with a flush cutter or a twist of pliers.

The dial back after removing two dial feet — Left to right: the dial after the pair comes off, and the stub up close — barely 0.1–0.2mm, but enough to hold the dial off the movement.

Macro view of the small protruding dial-foot stub left after clipping — Left to right: the dial after the pair comes off, and the stub up close — barely 0.1–0.2mm, but enough to hold the dial off the movement.

Shave the stub flush. This is the step people miss, and it matters: leave the stub and the dial rides high, the hands lose clearance, and nothing sits right. A razor-sharp penknife shaves it flat in seconds; a Dremel does it more precisely if you prefer. Once the base is flush, the dial drops onto the movement cleanly.

Shaving a dial-foot stub flush with a sharp penknife — Shaving the stub flush with a sharp knife — the base must be smooth for the dial to sit dead flat.

That's the whole job. With the right pair of feet left standing and shaved flush, the dial seats like a two-footed one — and the rest of the swap is covered in our dial and hands tutorial .

Modifying a watch generally voids its warranty; work at your own risk.

Four legs sorted — ready to pick a dial?

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Lucius Atelier dials have four legs?

To fit both 3 o'clock and 4 o'clock crown movements from a single dial. Each crown position needs its feet in a different place, so we cast four and you clip the two that don't match your movement. It removes the risk of ordering the wrong layout — one dial covers both, and you simply remove the pair you don't need.

Which two dial legs do I remove for a 3 or 4 o'clock crown?

For a 3 o'clock crown, keep the feet under the 8 and 38 minute markers and remove the pair at 12 and 42. For a 4 o'clock crown, keep 12 and 42 and remove 8 and 38. Use the minute markers on the dial face to locate the feet before you clip anything.

Do I need to shave the dial legs flush after clipping?

Yes — this is the step people miss. After clipping or twisting a foot off, about 0.1–0.2mm still protrudes. Shave it flush with a razor-sharp knife or a Dremel. If you leave the stub, the dial rides high on the movement, the hands lose clearance, and nothing sits flat.

What if I clip the wrong dial legs?

Remove all four feet and mount the dial on double-sided adhesive instead, aligning it to the movement by eye. It isn't the intended method, but it recovers a dial with the wrong feet clipped — which is why it's worth confirming your crown position (3 or 4 o'clock) before you cut anything.

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Fitting Dials With Four Dial Legs