Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 Review & Complete Guide
If you are looking for an affordable and durable dive watch, Seiko is one of the best brands to look at. Seiko is known for, and widely appreciated for its durable, long-lasting, and well-performing timepieces that offer exceptional value for money.
Due to Seiko’s century-long watchmaking expertise, combined with its large-scale watch production, it can make watches that are better than its competitors in the same price range.
The Seiko 5 sports collection is especially appreciated for its affordable price yet sporty designs, but if you are looking for a serious dive watch, you need to take things one step further and look at the Prospex watches. This is not a collection itself, but to summarize it shortly, the Prospex watches are built to last.
In fact, Prospex stands for ”Professional specifications” and means that it is built according to the needs and wants of experts. And what better testament to quality and durability than having professionals have the watches tested and approved?
Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 review
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Due to its ”turtle” case shape, the SRPC23k1 is instantly recognized. Immediately, it looks sporty and durable, which is exactly what it is. But having been around for more than 3 decades, this watch design has proven to be truly timeless.
Therefore, if you are looking for a sporty dive watch that can take a beating, whilst at the same time has a clean and stylish design, and is offered at an affordable price, the Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 is definitely a good candidate.
To learn more about what makes the Seiko dive watches so popular, and in particular the Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1, we are in this article reviewing and looking at it in detail.
Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 case
The Seiko Turtle is a very iconic design from Seiko which can be recognized from a long distance. I sometimes jokingly say that the case of the ”Turtle” looks like it has been squashed with a hydraulic press, but the name ”turtle” actually comes from the resemblance of the case shape with a turtle’s shell. Quite obvious, of course. But ever since this design was introduced in 1977, it has become synonymous with Seiko dive watches.
The case has a diameter of 45mm, a lug width of 22mm, and a thickness of 13.4mm. With that said, the case is relatively large, as we can expect a sporty dive watch to be. But at the same time, because of its unique cushion case shape, it wears a lot differently from regular cases. The lugs, for example, are essentially integrated into the case, which makes the whole case sit more planted on the wrist, and the lugs do not protrude from the wrist.
The watch is large but not insanely big. It is good for people who enjoy larger wrists, mainly men with medium to large wrists.
At 4 o’clock, the watch has a screw-down crown. What is interesting about this watch is that it doesn’t have crown guards, simply because it doesn’t need to. Instead, the crown is integrated into the case and still sits quite protected. The 4 o’clock positioning of the crown is also good as it improves comfort when wearing it and prevents the crown from digging into the wrist.
Since this is a dive watch, it of course has a unidirectional rotating bezel. The bezel has a ”coin edge” for improved grip and has a black aluminum insert with 60-minute graduation markers. At 12 o’clock, it has a triangle and a lume pip.
For a sporty look, the whole top of the case is satin-brushed in a circular motion. As a contrast, the sides of the case are polished. But due to the design of the case, what you will see for the most part will be satin finished, anyways.
Many Seiko watches have see-through backs which allow you to see the movement inside, but not this one. Instead, it has a solid screw-down case back. This is simply because this watch is built as a tool watch where performance is everything, and a see-through case back is an additional safety risk in terms of water resistance. So Seiko simply decided to skip it.
A serious dive watch needs serious water resistance, and this one obviously has it. The SRPC23k1 has /660 feet which makes it suitable for essentially any water sporty. Diving, swimming, snorkeling, etc. This watch is built to handle water without any issues.
Sitting on top of the case is Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex crystal.
Seiko SRPC23k1 dial
The watch features a discreet yet beautiful grey dial with a rich sunburst effect. The grey dial gives it a sporty and tool-like look, but the sunburst finish ensures that the dial never becomes boring and dull. It reflects the light beautifully and changes look depending on how the light hits it.
Around the outer edge of the dial, it has a beveled chapter ring on which the seconds markers are printed in white. This adds depth to the dial and makes it more appealing.
This watch doesn’t have applied hour markers, unlike many other Seiko watches. Painted hour markers instead of applied markers give the watch more of a vintage look, but they can also help with legibility as well. For the most part, applied hour markers have a polished metal frame around them, and these can cause glare and reflections. Painted markers do not have that. Instead, they are distinct and provide excellent contrast against the gray dial. To help further with this, Seiko has added black frames around the markers for even better legibility.
After all, this is a serious dive watch and legibility is absolutely crucial. With that said, the hour markers have plenty of Lumibrite applied to them which helps with legibility even in low-lit conditions. As we’d expect, the luminescence glows bright and long.
Positioned at 3 o’clock, we have the iconic Seiko day and date window. The day and date window is such an iconic part of so many Seiko watch today that we cannot really complain about them. It is what it is, but it does make the watch a whole lot more practical, especially for everyday wear.
For legibility, the watch of course has large hands. The minutes hand has a broad arrow tip with Lumibrite applied to them. The hour hand is a cathedral-style hand with a pointy tip. They are large and provide good contrast against the grey dial.
Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 movement
The watch is equipped with the Seiko in-house automatic caliber 4R36. The movement has both hacking seconds and manual winding functions, which are two features that are not to be found in Seiko’s most affordable automatic watches.
The movement has 24 jewels and beats with a frequency of 21600 BPH. This movement is built to last, and this makes it perfect for a sporty watch like this. It can take a beating, handle shocks, and most importantly, has proven to be a workhorse that can continue to tick for years with little to no maintenance.
It’s not the most beautiful movement, but that is not the purpose of it either. Here, function before form certainly applies.
Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 bracelet
The watch is presented with a stainless steel bracelet which is mostly satin-finished but has minor polished details. The bracelet has a three-fold clasp with a secure lock, a push-button release, and a dive extension.
A common issue with affordable watches is that the bracelet is usually the part that is compromised with the most. Unfortunately, this is the case with the SRPC23k1 too.
Now, the bracelet isn’t terrible, but there’s certainly room for improvement on it. The bracelet looks quite sporty and goes quite well with the overall design of the watch. But it does have some rattle and doesn’t feel 100% solid and robust. With that said, it does have a negative effect on the overall perception of quality, but the good news is that thanks to the drilled lugs, you can easily change the strap shall you wish to do so.
The watch looks great on an array of different straps, such as NATO straps and rubber straps.
Specifications
- Diameter: 45mm
- Lug width: 22mm
- Crystal: Hardlex
- Thickness/Height: 13.4mm
- Water resistance: 200M/660 feet/ 20 ATM
- Jewels: 24
- Movement: Seiko Caliber 4R36
- Frequency: 21600 BPH
- Power reserve: 41 hours
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 is an impressive sporty dive watch that offers incredible value for money. It has great specifications in terms of water resistance, accuracy, and durability, and is executed in a timeless and iconic dive watch design. The Turtle case combined with the sleek and clean dial layout makes it a truly timeless and sporty watch.
This watch is built to last and to be extremely robust and reliable. It can take a beating and withstand essentially any situation life may throw at you. From diving to skiing. This is a tool watch, and its sporty look certainly reveals that.
But despite its sporty design and relatively bulky case, the Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 is surprisingly versatile and works excellently for all kinds of occasions.
The bottom line is: if you want a qualitative, robust, and durable automatic timepiece at an affordable price, there are few better candidates than the Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1.
The Seiko Prospex Turtle SRPC23k1 is available to order on Amazon.
