Seiko SRPC91K1 Save the Ocean Turtle Review & Complete Guide

Seiko SRPC91K1 Save the Ocean Turtle Review & Complete Guide

Seiko has become an expert in making affordable dive watches with great performance. Whilst Seiko has tons of watches in its collection, it is the dive and sports watches that are the most popular amongst watch enthusiasts. The brand has found the recipe for making long-lasting, durable dive watches that not only look sporty but also have the performance to back them up.

The good news is that Seiko in addition has a long and rich history of making dive watches. Not only does this mean more expertise, but it also means that for future designs, Seiko can simply begin by looking at its history.

And it has been proven many times now that that is exactly what Seiko has done many times. There’s no reason to change a winning concept, and since Seiko’s vintage diver watches are widely appreciated by collectors and enthusiasts, Seiko doesn’t need to start from scratch.

Having said that, this is the obvious reason why many of Seiko’s dive watches have vintage design features and classic design elements.

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Seiko SRPC91K1 Turtle Review

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The Seiko SRPC91K1 is one of many dive watches from Seiko. But this particular one is unique, which can be revealed in its name ”Save the ocean”.

So what makes this special? Well, Seiko has a long and rich history with Fabien Costeau and his Ocean Learning Center, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to marine conservation and education. Parts of the proceeds from this watch and any other Save the ocean timepiece that Seiko has released, will go to this organization.

Over the years, Seiko has made a number of different Save the Ocean editions. And whilst they are all different, they do share one key feature, which is that they are blue – of course, to resemble the ocean.

Plus, what better watch for a collaboration with an organization dedicated to the ocean, than a serious dive watch?

As is also revealed in the name, the Seiko SRPC91K1 Turtle has the iconic ”turtle” case shape design. This is not a name that Seiko has given the watch, but rather a name that refers to the unique case design, which has been given by Seiko enthusiasts. It’s easy to see where the “turtle” name comes from, as the case is shaped almost like the shell of a turtle. 

If you are looking for a serious dive watch with great performance, the Seiko SRPC91K1 Turtle is definitely a watch worthy of consideration. It is well-built, durable, and long-lasting. It also has great performance to back it up.

In this article, we are reviewing and looking closer at the Seiko SRPC91K1 Turtle.

Seiko SRPC91K1 case

This watch is presented with a cushion-shaped stainless steel case, also known as ”Turtle”, which has a diameter of 44.3mm and a lug width of 22mm. The thickness measures 14 millimeters, and the lug-to-lug (length) measures 48mm. With that said, it is a relatively large case with a sporty presence on the wrist. However, because of its unique turtle case shape, it doesn’t wear insanely large – partly due to the way the lugs are integrated into the case.

Speaking of the case, the top of it is satin-brushed and has a circular finish, which gives it a sporty look. The sides of the case are polished which provides a nice contrast. 

At 4 o’clock, we find the crown, like on so many other Seiko watches. This is not just a distinct design element, but it is also convenient as it prevents the crown from digging into the wrist. Since crown guards don’t really fit into the case design of the SRPC91K1, Seiko has instead opted for a crown that sits integrated into the case, to keep it protected. Of course, the crown is screw-down to ensure its water resistance.

Speaking of water, this is, as you know, a serious dive watch. And a serious dive watch needs serious water resistance. The SRPC91K1 offers a water resistance of 200m/660 feet/20 ATM. This makes it suitable for swimming, diving, and essentially any water sport.

As a dive watch should, it has a unidirectional rotating bezel with knurled/coin edges for better grip. The bezel has a slightly matte aluminum bezel insert which is colored blue. The first 20 minutes are painted in a slightly brighter color, and the remaining 40 are slightly darker. The 60-minute markers and Arabic numerals on the bezel are printed in silver. At 12 o’clock, the bezel has a luminous dot.

The bezel rotates 1 rotation with 120 clicks.

The case of the watch makes it stand out immediately as a Turtle. It’s really refreshing with dive watches that do not all look like a Rolex Submariner, and this is definitely something different and unique. The watch wears quite nicely on the wrist, and the issue of having the lugs stick out from the wrist is not as big compared to a regular case shape, so whilst it is large, it can generally be worn by many different wrist sizes.

Seiko SRPC91K1 dial

As you know, blue is the signature color of all Seiko Save the ocean editions, so naturally, this one comes with a blue dial too. This particular watch has a blue ”wave” dial, which also shifts in color to resemble the water in the ocean. From a lighter blue color at the top to a darker, almost black color at the bottom. This shift in color on the dial makes it much more vibrant and interesting. The fact that lines meant to resemble waves are not straight but more so ”wavy” and in different sizes.

In addition, the attention to detail and depth the wave pattern gives the dial is really nice too.

As a dive watch should, this watch has large applied hour markers. The markers have polished metal frames around them and have Lumibrite applied.

In traditional Seiko fashion, the watch has a day and a date window positioned at 3 o’clock. It has a white background and the day and date are printed in black.

To prevent glare and to give the watch more of a tool-watch look, the hands are brushed and not polished. The minutes hand has an arrow tip, and the hour hand has a ”cathedral” design, with a pointy tip. Of course, both hands have plenty of Lumibrite applied to them. The watch also has a simple seconds hand, on which a luminous circle is applied to the opposite side.

Around the outer edge of the dial, the watch has a blue chapter ring on which the seconds are printed. The chapter ring gives the dial some depth and helps make it more interesting.

All in all, the transition in color from very dark blue to a light blue at the top, to the beautiful wave pattern/engraving, this dial is really beautiful to look at. In addition to this, it also has great legibility, which is crucial for divers.

Because of the large amounts of Lumibrite used for markers and hands, the watch glows long and brightly.

For the crystal, Seiko has opted for its Hardlex crystal. Whilst a sapphire crystal is always nice, its price point means that we cannot really expect or demand it to have one.

Seiko SRPC91K1 movement

The watch is powered by the in-house Seiko caliber 4R36. This is an automatic mechanical movement that beats at a frequency of 21600 BPH. The movement is equipped with both hacking seconds and manual winding functions, both of which are not found in Seiko’s more affordable automatic watches.

The movement offers a power reserve of about 41 hours and has 24 jewels.

It’s certainly not the most beautiful movement out there, but that is not the point either. This watch has a stainless steel screw-down case back which means you cannot see the movement inside. Many Seiko watches have see-through case backs, but having a screw-down case back instead gives better protection and resistance against water and potential leakage, which can be detrimental to your watch.

In addition, this movement has proven to be a robust and sturdy workhorse movement that can continue to tick for years without needing much or any maintenance. In other words, the 4R36 is rather appropriate for the SRPC91K1. In other words, the movement is tough and does its job very well.

Photo: Ablogtowatch

Seiko SRPC91K1 strap

The SRPC91K1 Save the Oceans comes presented on a black silicone strap with a stainless steel buckle and keeper. Silicone straps have proven to work extremely well on dive watches. They look sporty, have great resistance against water, and add sportiness. In addition, silicone straps are also quite comfortable. Another benefit of a steel bracelet is that you can easily adjust its size.

A potential downside with the silicone strap is that it accumulates dirt and dust quite easily. But the good news is that you can easily change straps as you want thanks to the drilled lugs. The watch looks great on a number of different straps so just pick and choose from NATO straps, metal bracelets, or leather straps.

Specifications

• Diameter: 44.3mm
• Lug width: 22mm
• Thickness: 14
• Movement: 4R36
• Jewels: 24
• Frequency: 21600 BPH
• Power reserve: 41 hours
• Lug-to-lug: 48mm

Conclusion

All in all, the Seiko SRPC91K1 Turtle is a sporty dive watch with a fun twist. Firstly, it is not your ordinary watch as it comes in a special edition, and secondly, it uses both colors and shapes to make it special and unique.

What particularly makes this watch stand out is its endless use of different shades of blue.

In addition to this, the SRPC91K1 takes classic design traits of dive watches and combines that with iconic design features and elements from its vintage dive watches, making them even more appealing to Seiko enthusiasts.

If you are looking for a fun and unique dive watch with classic design elements that can hold up to all kinds of hardships you throw at it, you cannot go wrong with this watch. And the fact that you’re also contributing to a good cause makes it even better!

The Seiko SRPC91K1 Save the Ocean Turtle is available to order on Amazon.