Hands-On: Three New Turtle Divers From Seiko Shellebrate The Sea Turtle
Crush from Finding Nemo and Grand Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda better watch out, there’s a new cartoonish turtle in town. Except this one is only available in the US and lives on the caseback of a watch.
I’m talking about the latest limited-edition, US-exclusive trio of Seiko “Turtle” divers that are actually inspired by turtles. I bet the Seiko community didn’t see this one coming when they nicknamed the 6309 “the Turtle” and the 2015 SRP775 (and variants) the “new Turtle.” I certainly didn’t, but the signs that something like this could be in the pipeline were there all along:
1) Although the brand is known for relatively conservative designs that change very little over time, there is a history of wild dials making their way into the range.
2) Grand Seiko is known for drawing inspiration from, well, just about everything in the natural world. Doesn’t it make sense that Seiko might do the same?
3) Wildlife has found its way onto Seiko Prospex diver dials before. Remember the penguin footprints on the dial of the SRPG59K1? Or the manta rays on the “Save the Ocean” Special Edition King Turtle (SRPE39) and King Samurai (SRPE33)?
The three models – SRPH55, SRPH57, and SRPH59 – differ in dial color. The SRPH55 wears a shade of brown reminiscent of a Loggerhead Sea Turtle’s shell, whereas the other two models, with their blue and green hues, evoke the aquatic environments sea turtles live in.
While the overall turtle aesthetic is a bit less serious than we’re used to seeing from Seiko, on the tech side it boasts specs that make these particular turtle-inspired “Turtles” a serious upgrade from the SRP models of yore. They’re based on the “King Turtle” models released last year, and that means a host of material upgrades that, in my opinion, justify the $750 price tag. Traditionally, as far as entry and mid-range Seiko divers go, there’s the retail price and then the “street” price. I have a feeling that this will trade, even on the secondary market, close to the retail price. I’ll …read more
