Hands-On: Seiko Prospex King Turtle PADI Special Edition SRPG19K1
Color Me Impressed

One of the world’s worst kept secrets is that I like going hands-on with a Seiko Turtle once in a while. The Seiko Turtle has everything you need. A superb personality, fantastic curves, a reliable build-quality, boatloads of character, and a very nice (wrist) presence. The only real ‘problem’ with Seiko Turtle watches is that there are so many nice ones to choose from. If you have to pick just one, it can get difficult to decide which one to go for. With this newest Seiko Turtle PADI Special Edition, I have to inform you that the choice has just gotten even harder.

Between you and me, I thought I was all done with hunting for Turtles. I had happily settled down with the gorgeous, and still relatively new, grenade dial King Turtle SRPE05. It has pretty much everything I ever wanted from a Turtle. Other than a few distinct visual differences, that particular release is very much like the Turtle we are looking at today, the SRPG19. Cyclops included.

The PADI edition has this je ne sais quoi going for it. Pictures really don’t do it any justice. I had seen the initial release pictures, and they left me lukewarm at best. However, as soon as I saw this new King Turtle in the metal I loved it. Then, as I enjoyed some wrist time with it, I was pretty much sold.

The Seiko Turtle SRPG19K1 “King Turtle” has the by now very familiar 45 mm wide case with its peculiar shape and the crownCrown The knob on the outside of the watch that you typically use to either wind the mainspring or set the time [Learn More] at 4 o clock. It also has the same 47,7mm lug to lug length and features a 22mm lug width. This is of course exactly how we know and love the Turtles. As this is a “King” Turtle you also get a sapphire crystal with a cyclops and a ceramic bezel insert and that ‘grippier’ bezel design. For more details on the King Turtle, please do check out our past video review – I will not rehash everything in this write up.

For this PADI Special Edition two things really do stand out. First is the fantastic dial pattern. It is a pattern that reminds us of the globe pattern seen on the Aquanaut. Labeled online as a bit ‘busy’ by some based on the release pictures, I can safely say that it looks very fresh in real life. There is a lot happening on the dial, and quite some text as well, however dial legibility overall is excellent. This is of course exactly as you would expect from a PADI edition.

The bezel also features a splash of color. It plays superbly with the colored minutes hand of course. The particular shade of blue just doesn’t happen to look nice. PADI releases always have function in mind, and this blue color is supposed to be highly legible when submersed as well. Other than functionality, the subtle touch of color also visually lightens and brightens up the overall watch. My more monotone grenade dial Turtle feels visually bigger than this PADI edition.

The watch looks and wears nice on the steel bracelet and I would easily recommend to get this on the bracelet. That said, we know Turtles also look great on a nice NATO or strap of course.

If you are looking at getting a new Turtle, I would strongly recommend to head to your dealership and check this one out in the metal. If you are looking for a slightly less colourful Turtle but still want a nicely textured dial, then perhaps the earlier Grenade dials are worth a closer look as well. That said, this PADI release is a very fresh and fun addition to the Prospex family.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• CaliberCaliber The caliber ('movement') is the heart and engine of a watch. It consists of a number of interconnected components that work together. Energy is transmitted through the gear train, to the escapement mechanism. The escapement mechanism releases this energy in a controlled manner. This drives the gear train, which ultimately rotates the hands of the watch and keeps time. [More Info] Number 4R36 – Automatic with manual winding
  • 24 jewelsJewels Watch jewels are small, synthetic sapphire or ruby bearings that are used in mechanical watches to reduce friction and wear on moving parts. They are typically made from corundum. They are used as bearings for a.o. the pivots to reduce friction. [Learn More]
  • Day/Date display
  • Stop second hand function
• Approx. 41 hours Power ReserveRéserve de marche Also known as Power Reserve. A watch's power reserve refers to the amount of time a mechanical watch can run without being wound. The power reserve of a mechanical watch can vary depending on the size of the mainspring, the efficiency of the gear train, and the rate at which the mainspring releases energy. If a watch has a Power Reserve 'complication' it simply means that the status of the power reserve can be seen on the watch itself (either on the dial or movement side of the watch). [Learn More]
• Stainless steel with ceramic bezel
• Sapphire crystal with magnifier, anti-reflective coating on inner surface
• Case:
  • Thickness: 13.2 ㎜
  • Diameter: 45 ㎜
  • Length: 47.7 ㎜
• 200m water resistance
• JDM Reference: Seiko Prospex SBDY093

More information right here