Seiko Prospex SRPD09 ”Save the Ocean” Review & Complete Guide
Over the years, Seiko has made a number of different special and limited editions. One such special edition which has been recurring for a long time and for many different watches is Seiko’s ”Save the Ocean” special edition. The special edition timepieces are not limited, but they are numbered. They also have a noble purpose, which, as the name reveals, is to save the ocean.
How does Seiko save the ocean by making a watch, you ask? Parts of the proceeds of the sale from each timepiece will go towards the non-profit Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center. This Save the Ocean edition is made in collaboration with Fabien Cousteau who is the grandson of the famous French oceanographer and documentary filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
When buying a Seiko Prospex SRPD09 ”Save the Ocean”, you not only get a stunning timepiece but also contribute to a great cause.
In this article, we are reviewing the Seiko Prospex SRPD09 ”Save the Ocean” and going into detail about what makes this watch special.
Seiko Prospex SRPD09 ”Save the Ocean” review
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The Seiko SRPD09 is a sporty and robust dive watch that is based on the Seiko Samurai. The Seiko Samurai has a very distinct design which includes a unique case design with angled lugs, and of course, a hand that looks like a samurai – thereby its name.
Being a special edition, what better collaboration for a dive watch with something that has to do with water and the ocean? The goal of Fabien Cousteau ocean learning center is focused on the oceans, which one way is ”Raising awareness about marine conservation and preservation through education and research programs”.
Seiko Prospex SRPD09 ”Save the ocean” dial
Normally, we begin our reviews by looking at the case, but the dial is simply too good not to look at first. And the fact is that it is the dial that makes this special edition, well… special.
As mentioned, Seiko has made a number of different Save the Ocean editions, and regardless of which watch design, they all have the same dial which distinguishes them. And what a dial that is.
The dial starts with a very dark blue or black at the bottom and then transitions into a brilliant blue at the top. This is meant to resemble the color change of water as we reach greater depths.
To make this dial even more vibrant and playful, it has wave-like recessions across the dial. These are not wave-shaped like, for example, a Seamaster, with coherent waves in an assorted pattern, but rather asymmetrical and unorganized.
The dial reflects the light beautifully and is more on the polished side than matte. What we love about this dial is that due to the wide transition of hues of blue, it changes in personality depending on how the light hits it. We must say that photos really don’t do this dial justice, and it has to be seen in the flesh to be truly appreciated.
The dial has a chapter ring on which the five-minute and minute markings are printed in white. This helps keep the actual wave dial less cluttered but at the same time keep proper track of the time, in particular the seconds.
Another nice detail about this watch is its brushed metal hands. Thanks to the brushing, they prevent excessive reflections and glare which naturally helps improve legibility. The watch is equipped with the iconic Samurai handset. This means a short broad arrow displaying the hour, a simple sword-like minute hand, and a thin arrow-shaped seconds hand. The hands are all equipped with Seiko’s Lumibrite material which provides a great glow in the dark.
Furthermore, placed at 3 o’clock is a date window with a white background and black printing. The dial has applied hour markers shaped as rectangles, with the exception of 6, 9, and 12 o’clock whose markers are slightly triangle-shaped. The hour markers are broad which provides optimal legibility, and have a generous amount of applied Lumibrite.
On the dial, we can find the Prospex logo, right beneath the center, which stands for Professional Specifications, which indicates this is a serious tool watch made up to professional standards. And of course, that is exactly what we want in a serious dive watch.
Seiko Prospex SRPD09 ”Save the ocean” case
Moving on to the case of the SRPD09, we have the iconic Samurai case shape which is instantly recognizable thanks to its angled lugs.
It is a sporty dive watch so it has some heft to it with a diameter of 43.8mm and a thickness of 12.8mm. At the same time, it doesn’t wear as large as you may think due to the relatively short and angled lugs that”hug” the wrist. The lug-to-lug is 46mm. (Bear in mind the Rolex Submariner 116610 has a lug-to-lug of
50.54mm, which generally isn’t considered a huge watch).
The sharp and abrupt angles of this case give it a very sporty look. This is further attributed to the gun-metal Ion Plating which turns this watch from bright steel to a very sporty black look.
The bezel and the whole case are gun-metal plated, which is different from the all-steel version reference SRPC03. The black steel really makes the blue color pop and makes it more unique.
The watch has a screw-down crown at the standard 3 o’clock position which is knurled to allow for good grip. The crown is protected by pointy crown guards. The crown guards are rather discreet and are not intrusive to the case design in any way.
Being a dive watch, this watch is equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel with 120 clicks. The bezel operates smoothly and is easy to grasp thanks to the knurled sides. It also helps that the bezel is quite raised, which gives a free grip from the sides.
The watch has a screw-down solid case back with Seiko’s “Tsunami Wave” engraving. Some may think it is a shame it doesn’t have a see-through case back like many other automatic Seiko watches, but the solid case back goes really well with its tool-watch personality, so Seiko found it more appropriate. Also, a see-through case back naturally does not offer the same water-resistance guarantees as a solid case back as it has more risk points of leaking in.
Being a dive watch, it has a water resistance of 200 meters/660 feet. This is enough for swimming and diving. The watch is also an ISO 6425-certified diver.
Sitting on top of the case is a Hardlex crystal. It doesn’t offer the same resistance to scratches as sapphire crystal, but it has proven to be more durable and scratch-resistant than standard mineral glass.
Seiko Prospex SAMURAI SRPD09 ”Save the Ocean” movement
The SRPD09 is equipped with Seiko’s 4R35 automatic movement. This has been used by Seiko for about a decade now and has proven to be a reliable workhorse. The movement has a power reserve of about 41 hours and beats at 21,600 bph.
The watch has both manual winding and hacking seconds functions which Seiko’s most affordable automatic watches do not tend to have.
According to Seiko’s specifications, it has an accuracy of +45 to -35 seconds per day, which isn’t close to COSC accuracy, but owners have reported a much better accuracy in practice.
In terms of the movement, there’s not much to complain about here if you factor in the price.
Photo: Crown and Rotor
Bracelet
The watch comes presented on a blue silicone strap.
The full-steel version comes fitted on a stainless steel bracelet, but it’s nice to see that Seiko switches it up. This is considering the fact that this watch can get rather large and bulky on the bracelet. The silicon strap wears extremely comfortable and is soft and supple against the sun. It also looks great. The silicone strap also makes the watch more playful. Think swimming trunks on the beach, blue water, and the SRPD09 on the wrist. Doesn’t get much better than that.
The strap has a width of 22mm.
Conclusion
The Seiko Prospex Samurai SRPD09 ”Save the Ocean” is a sporty, great-looking dive watch that has dared to go its own route in terms of design language. It’s refreshing to see a dive watch that doesn’t look like a Rolex Submariner because this watch really is great in all its own right.
It has the usual build quality you would expect from Seiko, and with this striking blue Save the Oceans edition dial, it’s definitely a watch worth considering.
The Seiko Prospex SRPD09 ”Save the Ocean” is available to order on Amazon.
