No 272, 367 & 468 - Seiko SRP775

Wow! I can really remember the hype of when the rumors about a reissue of the iconic 6309-7040 diver, a.k.a. Turtle, started to surface. Then all of a sudden a blurry photo taken from an upcoming Seiko catalogue leaked out and spread like wildfire among the watch forums. I think this must have been in the late summer or early fall of 2015. There were four different turtles showing in the low resolution photo but you could clearly make out the differences. A classic black, a pepsi, a navy blue and a black version with gold details. I wanted them all of course!

I think the release was scheduled to sometime in the beginning of 2016 but I managed to track down a seller in Asia that either wasn’t aware of this or either they didn’t care but I got my delivery right before New Year’s Eve. By this time no one really knew how many was going to be produced. Was this a limited series? Was it a new line perhaps replacing the SKX? I figured that if any of the four was a limited version it would have been the black with gold details so I decided to get that one first in case it was going to be hard to get later. I of course replaced the bracelet with a DAL1BP rubber, or perhaps it was a Bonetto 284, I don’t remember. It looked really cool anyhow.

#272 - The Seiko SRP775.

The reissue of the Turtle was an absolute success and even if none of the first four that were released were limited there was going to be plenty of variations and limited editions of it and I’m sure we haven’t seen the last of them. The design is timeless and to me it is as up-to-date as I guess it must have been forty years ago. I’d say I prefer the modern SRP Turtle compared to the SKX diver. The only thing making the SKX a better entry watch is its less wider case which I think appeals more to the non-watch nerds. I would of course chose the wider cushion case any day!

#367 - Ordered my second one together with a SRP779 to make a golden pepsi version. The project never happened and the watches were forgotten in their boxes and later sold.

This was just my first encounter with the new Turtle and there will be plenty of upcoming posts about the other versions. I was thinking of making one big post with all of them but to me they all have their own story so I decided to present them separately.

#468 - My third that I received as a part trade in mid-December 2018. Bought an original rubber for it since wearing the bracelet wasn't an option. Sold it soon after this photo was taken.

 

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 443 - Seiko SBDC063

My first Seiko from the 2018 release and man did this one stun me. What a beauty! I was a little tempted to buy a SBDC051/53 from last year's release but for some reason I never felt they were that good. The SBDC061/63 on the other hand were that good! 

#443 - The Seiko SBDC063.

First of all it looks fantastic. The hands and indexes together with the matte dial makes it super legible. I love it that there's no day, only date. Lume is excellent of course but the best thing about this watch is its case. The lines are beautiful and the size is perfect. It sits just like you want the MM300 to sit on your wrist. Much slimmer and not top heavy at all. The flat sapphire is nice and makes it really easy to take good photos of. The blue bezel can go from crazy strong blue to a deep blue shade, almost black, depending on the light surrounding you and the angle you look at it. I rarely like the Seiko bracelets and if I’d ever pick up the SBDC061 I’d definitely would have bought the rubber strap for it that this one had. I quickly tried out the SBDC063 with a MM300 rubber but it didn’t gave it that cool look I was hoping it would so I switched back. I only kept this watch for a week but I could easily have worn it much much longer. It actually made such an impact on me I had to write down my thoughts about it immediately. There you go!

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 270 - Seiko SRP637

My first and last baby Tuna. To me a true Tuna needs to be rated to 300m, have the screw down crystal and preferably the 7c46 quartz movement. Also I don’t like the design of any of the 200m baby Tunas. They remind me too much of the Monster (which I despise). I have nothing against the overall quality and I wouldn’t in any way say that they are bad watches. I just don’t like the looks of them. Had to try one out though just to confirm if my suspicions were right which they were; it was an ugly watch. I might have worn this one for two days tops. Tried it out both on its original steel bracelet and a Bonetto Cinturini 284 rubber. Preferred it on the rubber. They cost nothing so if you enjoy the design, don’t hesitate. The automatic 4r36 movement is reliable and the matte black dial is nice. Can’t complain about the lume either. It’s a perfect vacation watch which won’t disappoint you but to me, when it comes to Tunas, I prefer the real deal. 

#270 - The Seiko SRP637 with the steel bracelet.

With the Bonetto rubber.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.