Explorer Watch Case - 36mm [ULTRA THIN EDITION] - Solid - - - Lucius Atelier - Swiss Quality Seiko Watch Mod Parts

Explorer 36mm — Ultra Thin Watch Case

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$120 SGD - $145 SGD$0 SGD

The Explorer. Reborn Ultra Thin. 36mm of polished restraint.

The Explorer is the watch that taught the world a sports watch could wear a suit. We've reinterpreted that silhouette at 36mm — the proportion that defined the archetype before the modern catalogue drifted larger — and built it on the Ultra Thin Edition architecture so it sits on the wrist the way the original was meant to.

The latest production run finishes the front lugs in full polish, replacing the earlier brushed treatment. The result is a more refined, more luxurious read under the light — the case body now plays the same finishing language as the bezel and crown.

At 9.96mm thick with the solid caseback, this is one of the slimmest 36mm Explorer-style cases built for an NH movement — and it ships ready to mod with the SKX013 chapter ring + 28.5mm dial ecosystem you already know.

Sapphire pre-installed. Ready to assemble.
The flat sapphire crystal ships pre-installed and aligned at our workshop — no crystal-pressing required. You pick a caseback, choose a crown to match your dial, add the chapter ring, dial, hands and movement, and you have a complete watch.

Wears 36, looks classic.
36mm case diameter, 43mm lug-to-lug, 20mm lug width. The proportions that made the original Explorer the benchmark dress-sport watch — restored.

Genuinely thin.
9.96mm total thickness with the solid caseback. The NH movement is 7.59mm tall on its own — meaning the sapphire, case body, and hands clearance combined add up to just 2.37mm.

Polished front lugs, latest revision.
The current batch finishes the front lugs in full polish — a more refined read than the previous brushed treatment, and consistent with the bezel and crown finishing.

Built on the SKX013 ecosystem.
Accepts our 28.5mm dials, SKX013-spec chapter rings, SKX013 crowns, and NH movement-compatible hands. The full mod-parts library, ready to pair.

Caseback	Total Thickness	Water Resistance	Best for
Solid · HEADLINE BUILD	9.96mm	100m / 10 ATM	The thinnest build. Maximum slimness on the wrist.
Sapphire	10.9mm	100m / 10 ATM	When you want to show off the NH movement, bridge, and rotor.

The Solid caseback is the headline build at 9.96mm. The Sapphire caseback adds just under a millimetre in exchange for a window onto the movement — pick by whether you'd rather have the slimmest profile or the open view.

Heads up — sold separately

Crown. The Explorer 36mm accepts SKX013-spec crowns. Pick the style and signature that fits your build — we stock coin-edge, knurled, onion, diamond, and signed crown options. Browse compatible crowns .

Chapter ring. This case requires a SKX013-spec chapter ring to seat the dial correctly — without it, the dial sits too low and hands won't clear. The case fits both normal and ultra thin chapter rings; the choice depends on your dial, not the case. If your dial has applied (raised) indices, choose ultra thin for clearance. If flat-printed, either works. When in doubt, ultra thin is the safer default. Browse compatible chapter rings .

For experienced modders only — TYPE M movements only

This case fits TYPE M versions of NH35, NH36, NH38, NH70, NH71, NH72 only. TYPE L will NOT fit. Due to tight clearance between hands and sapphire, this case is recommended only for professional watchmakers and experienced modders.

Specs
Build Guide
What's Included
How To Mod

Dimensions
1. Case Diameter 36mm
2. Case Thickness 9.96mm (Solid Caseback) / 10.9mm (Sapphire Caseback)
3. Lug to Lug 43mm
4. Lug Width 20mm
Materials & Finish
1. Quality Swiss Production Quality, ISO 9001 Certified
2. Case Material 316L Stainless Steel
3. Case Finishing Polished front lugs (latest revision), brushed top surfaces
4. Crystal Flat sapphire with clear anti-reflective coating
5. Crystal Size 29.5mm x 1mm
Compatibility
1. Movements TYPE M: NH35, NH36, NH38, NH70, NH71, NH72
2. Dials 28.5mm
3. Chapter Rings SKX013-spec (required, sold separately)
4. Hands NH movement compatible
5. Crowns SKX013-spec (sold separately)
6. Bracelets 20mm lug — all Lucius Atelier bracelets compatible
Water Resistance
1. Solid & Sapphire Caseback 100m / 10 ATM
New to Seiko modding? Here's everything you'll need for a complete, functioning watch — in the order you'd actually assemble it.

What's already in this purchase:

The Explorer 36mm case body with the flat AR-coated sapphire crystal pre-fitted, plus your selected caseback (Solid or Sapphire). That's the foundation. Everything below is what you'll add to make a wrist-ready watch.

The 5 parts you'll need for a complete watch:
1. Chapter ring — required first. The chapter ring seats the dial at the correct height; without it, the dial sits too low and the hands won't clear.
  (SKX013-spec — sold on a separate page. See the "sold separately" panel above for normal vs ultra thin guidance.)
  Browse compatible chapter rings
2. Crown — SKX013-spec options. Pick a style and signature that fits your build — coin-edge, knurled, onion, diamond, or signed.
  (Sold on a separate page.)
  Browse compatible crowns
3. Dial (28.5mm) — the face of the watch. The biggest aesthetic choice you'll make. Match it to your chosen movement (date / day+date / no-date dial).
4. Hands — paired with your dial. Most modders match lume colour across both hands and dial markers (BGW9 white-blue, C3 green, etc.). Our Swiss Super-LumiNova® BGW9 hands pair especially well with the Explorer silhouette.
5. Movement — NH35 (date), NH36 (day+date), NH38 (no date), or source your own. The movement is the engine of the watch.
Optional finishing touches:
1. Bracelet or strap (20mm lug) — fit any 20mm bracelet or strap from our catalogue, plus custom shell cordovan / full-grain cowhide leather straps.
2. Decorated bridge + rotor (only visible with sapphire caseback) — replace the stock NH movement bridge and rotor with our Côtes de Genève decorated set, viewable through the sapphire caseback. Note: our bridges fit only our rotors (not OEM Seiko rotors), so they're chosen as a pair. Recommended for experienced modders only — or tick Assemble Watch below and we'll handle it.
Want it built for you?

Tick the Assemble Watch (+SGD $50) option above on this page and we'll handle the full build in our Singapore workshop — case fitting, movement seating, crown alignment, caseback press, function check, and decorated bridge + rotor installation if you've added those.

Heads up: assembled watches require 2–5 business days of workshop time before shipping.

Once your parts arrive, see the How To Mod tab for assembly tutorials.
1. 1x Watch Case Body in 316L Stainless Steel (with pre-fitted flat AR-coated sapphire crystal)
2. 1x NH Caseback (Solid or Sapphire, per selection)
All photos of watches with modification parts are for illustration purposes only and are not included with the case purchase.

How does 36mm wear?

36mm with a 43mm lug-to-lug is the proportion the original Explorer was built around. It wears classically — present but never oversized, and it slides under a shirt cuff without a fight. For most wrists 6.5–7.5 inches, it's the size that disappears in the best way.

Which caseback should I choose?

The solid caseback (9.96mm) is the headline build — this is the case at its thinnest. Choose sapphire (10.9mm) if you want to display the NH movement and rotor through the back. Both are rated 100m / 10 ATM.

Which crown should I pick?

The Explorer 36mm accepts any SKX013-spec crown. For grip and ergonomics: knurled designs grip better than coin-edge, and 7mm crowns grip better than 6mm. Crown grip ranking, best to worst: Knurled 7mm > Coin Edge 7mm > Knurled 6mm > Coin Edge 6mm. Visually, 7mm crowns look slimmer than 6mm even at the same thickness — a Müller-Lyer-style optical effect from the lugs framing the crown.

What's the difference between Type M and Type L?

Type M and Type L are Seiko's two factory hand-fitting versions of the NH series. Type L sits higher than Type M — about 0.4mm taller from base to second-hand pinion. Because of the tight clearance between hands and sapphire in Ultra Thin Edition cases, only Type M will fit. Confirm your movement type before ordering.

Do I need to remove the sapphire crystal to install the chapter ring?

No — and that's the whole point of us pre-installing the sapphire for you. The chapter ring sits on top of the dial inside the case, not under the crystal, so the crystal stays where it is throughout the build. (If you ever do need to remove the sapphire — for example, to replace it — that's a workshop job we handle for you, not an at-home step.)

Should I choose the normal or the ultra thin chapter ring?

The choice depends on your dial, not the case — both sizes fit every Ultra Thin Edition case. If your dial has applied (raised) indices, the ultra thin chapter ring is the better choice because its slimmer profile gives the indices clearance instead of resting on top of them. If your dial is flat-printed (no applied markers), either size works. When in doubt, the ultra thin chapter ring is the safer default because it works with both dial types.

What is an SKX013 chapter ring and why does it matter?

A specific size and spec used by Seiko in the SKX013 (discontinued 2019). The LA smaller-case lineup all uses this same spec, which means dozens of chapter ring designs work across every smaller case in the catalogue.

Will SKX007 dials fit?

Any 28.5mm dial will fit. Stock SKX007 dials may seat differently because the original SKX007 has a 4 o'clock crown position with offset dial feet, while Ultra Thin Edition cases are designed for 3 o'clock dial feet.

Does this case need a chapter ring?

Yes — every Ultra Thin Edition case requires an SKX013-spec chapter ring, sold separately. The chapter ring seats the dial at the correct height; without it, the dial drops and the hands will not clear properly.