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

Explorer 36mm Titanium Polished — Ultra Thin Watch Case

Name: Explorer 36mm Titanium Polished — Ultra Thin Watch Case
Brand: Lucius Atelier
SKU: EC36UT_TP
Price: 195.0 SGD
Availability: InStock

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$195 SGD

The Explorer. Reborn Ultra Thin. Built in Grade 4 Titanium.

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 difference here is the material. Every component — case body, crown, and caseback — is machined from Grade 4 Titanium. That choice does two things at once. First, weight: the whole case comes in at 18.5 grams, roughly 40% lighter than the same case in 316L steel (30.2 grams). On a 36mm proportion that already wears classically, it disappears on the wrist. Second, and the surprise most people miss: Grade 4 Titanium is the strongest of the commercially pure titanium grades, and it's actually harder than 316L stainless steel — more scratch-resistant, more dent-resistant, with the same hypoallergenic and corrosion-resistant properties used in aerospace and medical-grade applications.

At 9.96mm thick with the solid titanium 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.

Ships complete with sapphire, titanium caseback, and titanium screw-down crown.
The flat sapphire crystal ships pre-installed and aligned at our workshop, with the solid titanium caseback and titanium coin-edge crown included. Pick a chapter ring for your dial, add dial + hands + movement, and you have a complete watch — built around the lightest 36mm case body in the line.

Wears 36, weighs nothing.
36mm case diameter, 43mm lug-to-lug, 20mm lug width — and just 18.5 grams complete with sapphire, crown, and caseback. The classic Explorer proportions disappear on the wrist; the titanium build makes them disappear even further.

Genuinely thin.
9.96mm total thickness with the solid titanium 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.

Harder than steel, lighter than steel.
Grade 4 Titanium is the strongest of the commercially pure titanium grades — harder than 316L stainless steel and more scratch-resistant — while weighing 40% less. The trade-off most people expect (lighter = softer) doesn't apply here. It's both.

Polished — visually indistinguishable from steel.
Polished Grade 4 Titanium and polished 316L stainless steel are visually identical on the wrist. You get the look and reflectivity of a polished steel case with the weight and properties of titanium. The product photos include side-by-side comparisons of polished titanium, sandblasted titanium, and 316L steel for reference.

Heads up — sold separately

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 .

The case ships complete with sapphire crystal, solid titanium caseback, and a titanium coin-edge screw-down crown — you do not need to buy a crown or caseback separately for this case.

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)
3. Lug to Lug 43mm
4. Lug Width 20mm
5. Case Weight 18.5g (complete with sapphire, crown, and caseback) — approximately 40% lighter than the 316L steel sibling at 30.2g
Materials & Finish
1. Quality Swiss Production Quality, ISO 9001 Certified
2. Case Material Grade 4 Titanium (case, crown, and caseback)
3. Case Finishing Polished — visually identical to polished 316L stainless steel
4. Crystal Flat sapphire with clear anti-reflective coating
5. Crystal Size 29.5mm x 1mm
6. Crown Screw-down, titanium coin-edge — included
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. Bracelets 20mm lug — fits all our 316L steel bracelets; Seikonaut Bracelet in Titanium recommended for finish + weight coherence
Water Resistance
1. Solid 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 titanium case body with the flat AR-coated sapphire crystal pre-fitted, the solid titanium caseback, and the titanium coin-edge screw-down crown. That's the foundation. Everything below is what you'll add to make a wrist-ready watch.

The 4 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. 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).
3. 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.
4. 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 (20mm lug) — fits all our 316L steel bracelets, but for a build that's all-titanium end-to-end we recommend our Seikonaut Bracelet in Titanium . Matched finish, matched material, matched weight philosophy.
2. Strap (20mm lug) — the titanium build pairs especially well with luxurious leather. We recommend our shell cordovan straps for a refined wear, plus full-grain cowhide options for more casual builds.
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, and function check.

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 Grade 4 Titanium, Polished (with pre-fitted flat AR-coated sapphire crystal)
2. 1x Titanium Coin-Edge Screw-Down Crown
3. 1x Solid Titanium NH Caseback
All photos of watches with modification parts are for illustration purposes only and are not included with the case purchase.

How does titanium compare to steel for a watch case?

On this case, three differences matter. Weight: the titanium build is 18.5 grams complete, versus 30.2 grams for the 316L steel sibling — about 40% lighter. Hardness: Grade 4 Titanium is actually harder than 316L stainless steel, so it's more scratch-resistant, not less (the common assumption goes the other way). Skin contact: titanium is hypoallergenic and entirely corrosion-resistant, so it won't react with sweat or skin oils the way some steels can over time.

Why Grade 4 specifically?

Grade 4 is the strongest of the commercially pure titanium grades — pure titanium, no alloying elements, but with controlled oxygen and iron content that pushes its strength and hardness above the other pure grades. It's the same grade used in aerospace structural components and surgical implants. It also polishes to a higher lustre than the lower grades, which is what makes the Polished version of this case possible.

Will my existing 316L steel bracelets fit this case?

Yes — the Explorer 36mm Titanium Polished uses the same 20mm lug width as our standard cases, so any of our 316L steel bracelets fits. That said, for a build that's all-titanium end-to-end — matched finish, matched material, matched weight philosophy — our Seikonaut Bracelet in Titanium is the natural pairing. A polished titanium bracelet keeps the case's weight advantage; a steel bracelet adds back some of the weight you saved by going titanium in the first place.

Will polished titanium look different from polished steel?

Not visibly. Polished 316L stainless steel and polished Grade 4 Titanium are essentially indistinguishable to the eye on the wrist — the reflectivity, colour temperature, and finish read identically. The product photos include side-by-side reference comparisons. The difference shows up the moment you pick it up.

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.