Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean SRPD23k1 Review & Complete Guide
Seiko is a brand that is appreciated all around the world. They sell millions and millions of pieces every year, and really, that is not surprising when you look at the brand’s offerings.
Perhaps most respected and appreciated is its automatic movements. An important reason for this is that they offer exceptional value for money. Few manufacturers can compete with Seiko when it comes to making quality and long-lasting automatic watches at affordable prices.
Amongst watch enthusiasts and people who are just starting to immerse into the world of mechanical wristwatches, on the other hand, Seiko’s dive watches have a special place. As a result of the popularity of Seiko’s dive watches, the collection has grown. This has also led to many different iconic dive watch designs from the brand.
And what is further interesting about this is the fact that Seiko is no beginner in dive watches either. In fact, Seiko introduced Its first Professional Dive Watch in 1975. From thereon, its expertise in dive-watch manufacturing has only become better and better.
One of those iconic designs that have emerged from Seiko is the so-called Samurai. The name refers to a specific case design from the brand, and one of those is the Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean SRPD23k1 which we are going to take a closer look at today.
Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean SRPD23k1 Review
As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
The name really is a mouthful, and that’s not the full name, either.
Starting off, this watch is a ”Prospex” watch. This stands for ”Professional Specifications” and simply means that it is built according to the needs and wants of professional divers. In simple English, it is built to last. Because if it is good enough for professional divers, it should be good enough for us.
What makes this watch special from most other Samurai watches is the fact that it is a ”Save the Ocean” special edition. This particular reference was presented in 2019.
Seiko makes a number of different Save the ocean watches and presents new models every year. The Save the Ocean timepiece is done in collaboration with Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of the legendary ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau. The collaboration is a partnership with Costeau and his work for ocean conservation since a portion of the sales from these timepieces are donated to ocean conservation efforts.
Without further ado, in this article, we are reviewing the SRPD23k1.
Case
As mentioned, the SRPD23k1 features a ”Samurai” case. What does this mean exactly? Well, the Seiko Samurai was introduced in 2004 and was manufactured up until 2008. The name was coined by enthusiasts because of the sword-shaped hands which could be found on the original. In addition to this, the Samurai has a very distinct and iconic design with aggressive and sharp lines. Its case design adds to the watch’s sportiness since, after all, it is a professional diver.
The watch has a diameter of 43mm and a thickness of 13mm. The lug-to-lug measures 48.4mm. With that said, the watch is, unsurprisingly for a serious sports watch, quite big and bulky. It has a great presence on the wrist, and therefore, it is most suitable for men with medium to large wrists. At the same time, with its lug-to-lug, it is not huge in that sense, as for example, the Rolex Submariner 116610 has a lug-to-lug of 50.54mm. With that said, whilst the watch is quite bulky, it may not wear as big as you might think.
Speaking of the case design, you’ll notice the aggressive angled lugs which are angled downwards. This does have a practical benefit as it allows them to hug the wrist and sit more planted. The top of the case is satin-finished, and as a contrast, the sides have been polished. It also has pointy crown guards that extend from the case in order to keep the crown protected. Speaking of the crown, it is of course a screw-down to ensure its water resistance. In addition, it is quite long and also knurled to provide a better grip and easier operation.
As a professional dive watch needs, it has a water resistance of 200m/660 feet (the minimum required to be called a dive watch). This makes it (of course) suitable for diving and essentially any type of water sports. It is also ISO 2281 certified.
Another feature a dive watch should have is a unidirectional rotating bezel for measuring elapsed time, mainly underwater. The bezel sits quite tall on top of the case, almost flush with the crystal. The bezel has an aluminum insert which is colored black/grey for the first 15 minutes and then blue for the rest. For legibility, it has a luminous dot positioned at 12 o’clock. The insert has a very small and subtle striped pattern, and the minutes markings on it are recessed and painted white.
On top of the case, Seiko has opted for its proprietary Hardly crystal. Since the bezel sits just slightly above the crystal, it helps keep it protected.
Bracelet
The watch has a lug width of 22mm and of course also the bracelet. This is rather good proportions for a bracelet considering the watch’s size. It has a very sporty design that goes very well together with the overall design of this timepiece. It is three-link, has sharp edges, and is made of stainless steel. The bracelet is robust and durable. In other words, perfect for a sports watch. The bracelet has a safety mechanism that prevents the lock from being opened by accident.
With that said, there is some room for improvement when it comes to finish and quality feel, but at this price point, we cannot expect it to be 100%.
Dial
The dial has an irregular pattern that is reminiscent of waves that work as an appropriate connection to the ocean, considering the purpose of this watch. This provides depth and texture to the dial which helps make it so much more interesting and appealing.
As you will notice, it has a metallic blue color. Because of its finish, it reflects the light beautifully and really creates a lovely lightship. The blue dial is a signature feature of all Save the ocean models.
As a dive watch needs, it offers exceptional legibility thanks to the large hands and hour markers. The hour markers are applied to the dial and have polished metal frames around them. They have a generous amount of Lumibrite applied to them, and the same goes for the hands. At 12 o’clock, it has a large shark-teeth-shaped hour marker. The hour hand is short and has a pointy arrow shape. The minutes hand is sword-shaped. The seconds hand has an arrow shape.
The luminescent material glows long and bright, providing great legibility even in the dark.
Around the edge of the dial, we find an angled chapter ring which is also colored blue. The chapter ring has the seconds markers printed in white. Printed in white on the dial, we have the most relevant specifications, which include the Prospex logo, depth rating, Seiko logo, and ”Automatic”. At 3 o’clock, we have a date window discreetly tucked in. Whilst you don’t really need to know what date it is when diving, the fact is that most owners will wear this watch as an everyday timepiece, and with that said, a date function can be quite practical.
Seiko SRPD23k1 movement
The watch is powered by the Seiko in-house automatic caliber 4R35. This movement operates with a frequency of 21600 BPH and offers a power reserve of 41 hours. It has 24 jewels
This movement has proven to be a durable workhorse that will last and is able to withstand all kinds of hardships you may subject it to. According to specifications, it has an accuracy of -35/+45, but owners have reported a much better accuracy in practice. This movement is just what a sporty watch like the SRPD23k1 needs, and it will likely not let you down for many years to come. With that said, it is a workhorse that will continue to tick for years with little to no maintenance required.
Specifications
- Diameter: 43mm
- Movement: Seiko in-house Automatic caliber 4R35
- Lug width: 22mm
- Water resistance: 200m/660 feet
- Lug-to-lug: 48.4mm
- Frequency: 2160 BPH
Conclusion
All in all, the Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean SRPD23k1 has all of the features and design traits of a serious dive watch. It looks sporty, robust, and bold, has good water resistance, is sporty, and has a great presence on the wrist.
For the price, the watch is well-finished and has a long-lasting automatic workhorse movement.
It is based on the loved and now almost iconic Samurai design, but what makes it special is the fact that it is a Save the Ocean special edition. The SRPD23k1 has a bright and vibrant blue dial that goes exceptionally well with its diving design. Its striking blue dial with texture, together with the blue aluminum bezel makes it a fresh timepiece for those who want a touch of color.
The conclusion is, you really cannot go wrong with this timepiece, especially considering the price.
The Seiko Prospex Save the Ocean SRPD23k1 is available to order on Amazon.
Main photo by novotime.pl.
