Save The Ocean
It’s safe to say that Seiko by now is fairly capable of making watches; specifically, dive watches. Seiko has been making dive watches since 1965 and yes, I know, Rolex has been making waterproof watches for over ninety years and Panerai has done quite the job making tough as nails dive watches since 1936. But there is something about the Japanese brand that really intrigues me. They make absolutely gorgeous watches for an astonishing price.
And my personal favorite for the last 6 months is this one: The Seiko SRPC91K “Save The Ocean”.
Gotta Love those hands in pocket shots.
Quick Specs
The watch case is a standard Seiko Turtle case which, for all the geeks among us, is made from 316L type steel. Not that this is to relevant but hey, the more you know right? Within the case Seiko’s 4R36 movement beats at 21.600 beats per hour, the glass is some good old Hardlex mineral glass and the strap a thick piece of silicone. And then comes my favourite part. Water resistance of 200 meters. Not the 20 Bar-ish kind of water resistance no, the real full on 200 meters. Like all of Seiko’s dive watches the SRPC91K is ISO rated, so you can actually take it diving. Another neat detail about the watch is the face of the watch. The face of the watch looks to be designed representing the depth of the ocean. Others describe it as the sideview of a whale.
Model: SRPC91K "Save The Ocean"
Case: Turtle 45mm 316L steel
Movement: 4R36 21.600 Beats Per Hour
Glass: Hardlex mineral
Water resistance: 200 meters
Crown: Screw down
Save The Ocean
So, let’s get to the second part of the name of the watch. The watch bears the name “Save The Ocean” because Seiko will donate a portion of the profits made on this watch series to the Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center. An organisation founded by the son of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Fabien Cousteau; who is also the ambassador of the “Save The Ocean” series watches. Seiko wil this way do their part in helping spreading awareness of ocean pollution.
“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever”
So what's it like?
For the last 6 months I had this watch on my wrist and I can tell you, it has been a lot of fun. It got bumped around a bit, got a little wet, got a little dirty. All in all, it got properly used. It withstood it all without a single hiccup. I haven't gotten to take it out diving so I can’t really give honest review on that. I will in the future for sure. Getting back to the title of this article, I would say yes. I do think it's the best dive watch a low budget can get. It really is a good-looking watch with some nice specs. And quite frankly I had only one setback with it. Because the strap and the watch itself are fairly thick it doesn’t really wear comfortably underneath a dress shirt. But hey, it’s a dive watch. And dive watches belong in the water and not tucked away underneath a shirt.
In the end it might not be a Rolex, Panerai or an Omega, it's a Seiko. And to be honest, i'm kind of proud to own this watch. I know one thing for sure, it's not leaving the collection in a very long time.
Nathan Hensbergen, March 7 2019
