The Seiko "King turtle" The best dive watch Seiko has made. Am I wrong? Lets find out.
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- Опубликовано: 5 фев 2025
- In this episode we do review and deep dive into the history and spec of the Seiko King Turtle. What makes it a great watch and why is probably one of the if not the best dive Seiko has made. Bold claim, but its a solid watch.
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I really wanted to buy Spb151j but it was expensive for my. I liked Srpe05, but it was still expensive for me and the seller said that there is a campaign for 9 installments with no difference in maturity 450$ srpe03 and I bought it that way. I don’t like the Steel Cord because it has rattles, so I use it with rubber and nato cords. this is my only watch and it’s a great watch... it has no problems like alignment and it’s just a day -/+4 has been working on my arm for 9 months and my friends who are not very interested in watches are asking about the model of most of them...
Yeah I picked up my Willard on the used market. Your watch is great. Enjoy it. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Very informative. I love the story about the military associations of Seiko Turtles. I never knew this. Thanks for the enlightenment. Keep up the good work!
Thank you for the kind words. Thanks for watching.
Excellent review. I really appreciate this watch. I switched out the original strap with an Uncle Straps tropical rubber strap. The SRPE05 is ,in my opinion, the best Seiko for the money spent. I have a Seiko SPB145 62MAS revisited and the 6R movement has not been shown to be as reliable as the 4R movements. In fact the 6R35 in my 62 MAS started running + 3-5 minutes/day fast .Luckily, it was under warranty, and Seiko replaced the movement and now it is fine. I have read about many people having similar issues with the 6R35 movement.
My SRPE05 is my favourite all around timepiece. I was not aware of the military history of the Seiko Turtle. Thank you for the information.
I loved this watch so much I broke down and picked up the SPB151 “Willard” they are such different watches 😂. You have some nice seiko’s. Thanks for watching and commenting.
When you think about it the whole watch is ISO CERTIFIED 6425 from the strap to the watch. When you read the tests and specifications for it pass is impressive. A superb watch. Just purchased one a week ago.
Totally agree. A lot of people will say ISO certification means nothing. It means a lot especially depending on how you plan to use that watch. I always looked at like an extra layer of protection and security. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I purchased the SRPE93 black dial and love how simple and readable it is as a spartan tool watch. It maintains the original design form with only one variable on the second hand. Looks great, wears great and is a value that all Seiko watch enthusiasts should capitalize on before Seiko discontinues them and drives the price up.
Couldn’t agree more. Well said. It’s the perfect all around watch and has been for decades. Solid, rugged and reliable. Thanks for commenting and watching.
I consider the Turtles the Land Rover Defender of the diving/tool watches.
@@doomthespacemarine4998 very good analogy. Thanks for watching and commenting.
as a value proposition the king Turtles are among the best in their line currently. hard to find sapphire crystal and ceramic insert for less then 500USD nowadays
Yeah it’s just a classic watch.
I bought this watch and had the cycops removed and now it is just perfect. Thanks for the review.
I thought about doing that, I think it would look a lot better without it, or like the devil diver under glass. Thanks for commenting and watching.
I removed the cyclops as well , I didn't mind it that much but wanted to try it because of all the utubers that done that. It wasn't easy and very nerve-wracking.I won't do it again 😂
I have the Save The Ocean dark manta ray turtle and it’s one of my favorite watches, beautiful dial. Everything lines up and it’s solid as a tank. I acquired a bracelet from Gnomon and also wear it on a nato strap. The metal keeper on the original rubber strap was very uncomfortable on my 7.25 inch wrist, but the other strap options I have are very comfortable.
Very nice gorgeous watch. Yeah the factory strap is nice but I didn’t like it either. Nice you can pull off a nato. My wrist is to small. To much extra material. Thanks for watching and commenting.
How much was the save the ocean model for you?
I have the same watch, and put it on a single pass NATO. Love it. Wear it daily.
I have the Green dial captain Willard…. It’s a savage bit of kit , on an old new stock seiko woffle strap & a seiko turtle 🐢 Pepsi blue dial… seriously cool 👌 also got two MWC watches one is a 500 m sub & second is 300m mighty watches
Very nice 👍 set of watches! Thanks for watching and commenting.
Love the watch its awesome I had one yrs ago I currently have a couple of cool watches for sure but I need one of those I miss having one
Yeah I agree. It’s so hard, when you get rid of a watch and then you miss it. That’s why probably I never get rid of my watches lol. Hopefully you’ll get one in your collection soon. Thanks for watching and thanks for the comments.
The king turtle is very cool. I have a captain Willard re-issue with olive green dial and I really like it. I can’t say the “Apocalypse Now” association didn’t factor into my decision to buy it. The case shape, especially around the crown, is just so unique. I love the little rectangular pointer thing near the tip of the second hand. I know that’s an odd reason to like a watch, but… watch nerds, amiright? All about the details.
I kind of want a king turtle because of the military association. I have lots of respect for anyone who has served. My uncle was a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam.
Anyway, as much as I do love Seiko’s, they need to step up their game with QC and movement accuracy.
Congrats on your captain Willard that is an awesome watch. Yeah the the king turtle is a truly awesome watch and so is the wheeler to there’s so many options. Props your family for serving in Vietnam. My dad was a medic in Vietnam.
The pointer thing, known as the traffic light.
@@earlbee3196 thank you, yes!
I own the SRPE39J1 Manta Ray King Turtle 🐢 and absolutely love it . The ceramic bezel insert and sapphire crystal are such an awesome 😎 upgrade 👍🏻💯
That is an awesome watch. Thanks for watching.
Fantastic video! 😄 Subscribed, hehe. I've been contemplating the King Turtle for quite a while, but in the end, I opted for Captain Willard. Having both didn't seem justified given their similarities.
Thank you for sharing - Very informative :)
Very nice, the CPT Willard is a such an iconic watch. Pure class. Congratulations.
I’ve been a Seiko fan since 1991. Wanted a Willard, but got the King instead. Great watch and great video.
Totally agree. Thanks for kind words.
Now you are going to make me get a seiko turtle.
Great video, cheers
lol, thanks. They are just a fantastic iconic classic watch. Enjoy.
Yup agree the king turtle is reasonable watch in price against another brand, n thats look performance so iconic bold n tuff especially these model in my oppinion
2 months ago I got the king samurai, cuz of the white dial and strong lume. Getting older and eyesight degrading, dials and lume have become more important to me. And the samurai is awesome .. so I am gonna pick up the green king turtle and expect the same quality finishing minus the alignment issues!… I would love to own a 62 mas in the gray/ blue! But finding one is extremely difficult and trusting the seller is even harder! So I order a Wise Adamascus ad861a to quiet that itch.. and I would love a full blown Willard!.. however finding quality wristband time won’t justify the investment.. but a sub 100 dollar ali homage with full sapphire is EXTREMELY tempting! And I’m not a homage guy… however I might make an exception here😮! Being retired and a veteran living in Florida the king turtle is a fun, social watch that can withstand extreme conditions.. just like the king samurai, which I prefer in the evening. Both are significant watches in Seiko watch history!
You definitely know your watch’s and mentioned some great ones in there for sure. I’m a definitely no fan of homages as I have shown and stated in my videos unless a they will be a base to a build in doing. Thanks for watching and thanks form commenting. Happy New Year.
I just got me this one from the Seiko Boutique in my hometown Hamburg, City. Love Seiko and after getting ripped off on an online website- I take no chances no more. They even gave me a rebate:) Love this watch, I thought about the Great Captain Willard version but I can’t justify the price for me. I had an spb147 before and the accuracy was not great…and paying close to 1000€ for it. I wasn’t too happy about it. Half the price I have no issues with it:)
Thanks for sharing! I agree the king turtle is just awesome. If the Willard was a legit Vietnam soldier than hell yeah owning a piece of history would be awesome, but just a fictional character not worth it to me. Congrats on the watch.
I own the SRPE39J1 King Manta Ray turtle 🐢. I love this watch, it’s amazing 🤩. I also own the Seiko Pepsi Padi Turtle 🐢 as well . The turtle 🐢 is a outstanding Seiko watch 👍🏻💯
That’s awesome! So many variations of the Turtle.amazing watch.
I got an srpe93 turtle with a kanji wheel , i bought it new in the uk. Delighted 😊
Very nice! Congrats.
Any idea why the ones with a kanji wheel are so revered ?
I have a lot of high end watches and I love them. I also have Seikos and Citizens. The Black King Turtle JDM on bracelet gets more wrist time than anything else I own.
I’m in the same boat 😂. I seem to always gravitate back to my first bought watches. Thanks for commenting and watching.
Really good review. The king turtle is definitely a damn fine watch. Minor correction on your thoughts at the end: you say the turtle and the willard have the same case, but there is a difference. The willard/6105 has full crown guards at the 4 o'clock position, leading to a more asymmetrical case. The newer turtles have only partial crown guards, leaving about 2/3 of the crown exposed. Not a huge difference in wear/use, but the willard definitely has a look that is distinct from the more modern turtle design.
Thanks for the kind words. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Will they discontinue this watch soon in your opinion?
@@denlfc123 The king Turtle? No way the turtle and king turtle are top sellers for Seiko.
New sub here. Enjoyed the review! You should paint the sound proofing grid on the wall behind you the same green color as the dial on your Seiko King Turtle. It is the same pattern!
lol, never thought of that. Thanks for sub and watching.
The King Samurai PADI edition on rubber strap is one of the best Seikos around
Super nice watch. I looked at that one hard, but bought my king turtle and the citizen aqualand for the Pepsi styling and love of that watch. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Great point about the typical tropic strap tapering. I have a similarly small wrist and prefer keepers to actually function well! I really dislike metal keepers with rubber straps so that is also a con of the Seiko straps to me. I tend to wear my straps somewhat tight(if the hole spacing allows it for my 6.5" wrist) so the rubber keepers are just more comfortable.
Exactly!
Does the Zulu diver strap take the fat Seiko spring bars .
I think it did. I have since sold my king turtle and bought a SPB151 Willard. Haven’t done a review on it yet.
I kind of have a love / hate relationship with my King Turtle Dark Manta Ray edition. It took me 3 attempts to get one without multiple QC issues. I paid €360 but finally paid €390 for one with only a slightly wonky cyclops. In terms of wear-ability and visual appeal it's one of my favorite watches in my collection. Without the hassle or QC issues then it would be my favorite diver under 500€.
Totally know what you mean on the QC. Seems like such an easy fix for Seiko. I will have to checkout out that model. Thanks for watching.
I have a Seiko King Turtle 🐢, Save The Ocean 🌊, special addition…. love it.
They are just a timeless class. Excellent watch. Thanks for watching and commenting.
@@DivingIntoWatches-jb5ri ..you’re welcome
I just purchased the seiko king turtle eucalyptus Australia limited edition
Never seen that one. I will have to check it out congrats.
You should take a look at the Samurai King.
Definitely have been looking at them. Would love the oranges faced one. Don’t think they make them anymore. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Bought a black face one last year.
I don't know. I think Seiko need to pick up their game. I've been wearing Seiko's for 45 years, firstly a Sports Automatic until it clapped out; 24/7 even snorkel diving with it, then a slim line quartz 150m for scuba diving for over 5 years not stop, wetsuit never dried out, got sick of battery changes and exorbitant costs for Seiko pressure testing (ok never went deeper than 34m). Then went over to Eco drives for diving, now for the last 6 years a Prospex 200m auto BUT and we know what everything before the but means LOL, but now I own two homage/copies if you like of a turtle and also a 1975 seiko or close to the still current Baby Tuna and heck, these watches are very well made and keeping excellent time for the NH35 movement in them. I mean the bezel on my genuine Seiko bought from a shop (ok it was a gift to me) didn't line up precisely (ok no super big deal for diving, as long as the time was accurate) and it ran slow for the first six years unless additionally hand wound. Only the rich kids had the original Turtle back in 78. Plus Seiko crowns su^k , ie can be difficult to engage, not like the butter smooth, feel the O-ring Citizen eco drive crowns (or even these steeldive homage watches-ok at leat my two ones, ie a "n numver of 2").
You have a long history with seiko. That’s awesome. Thanks for your comments.
LOL yeah, well that's just age LOL. I might just go fid that old Seiko sports model I had and see if it can be made good again.@@DivingIntoWatches-jb5ri
@@BushCampingTools I would for sure!
Take some dental floss and rub it around the crown stem, it makes a huge difference.
That's a great tip!@@richardbrown8099
I got mine for £360 which I was very happy with, love it, all the Seiko issues solved and mine lines up! On the other hand it runs fast even sfter regulating and it has the fragile plastic date cog, you need to not change the date at night, which isn't a problem on the 7s26, and they don't all line up and im gonna delete the date bump...
That’s awesome.I think it you got yours that wasn’t made on a Monday or Friday lol. Congrats.
King Turtle is the best 4R36 watch.
You can call a Willard an "Uemura" as Naomi Uemura wore it on some of his expeditions in the 70s.
My favorite is probably the SLA021 that i daily.
Very cool info. Did not know that. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for commenting and watching.
I have this green waffle version... love it. Looking into after market bracelets e.g. strapcode, Long island... any particular recommendations? Thinking of strapcode jubilee, oyster, hexed
Strapcode is good so is Long Island. Both have really good bracelets. Would look really good on a jubilee. I have my skx009 on a jubilee. Thanks for watching.
Strapcode angus jubilee, is great on a turtle.
@@richardbrown8099 Thanks for the tip. I will check that bracelet out. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Picked one up new on sale for USD 259. Best value diver in the world!
That’s a killer dealer. Yeah I love the king turtle. Thanks for commenting and watching.
Where did you find that sale??
😮🤯
Where pm me deal
Speaking of dimensions, what's the dial diameter? Is it the same as the SKX (28 mm)?
I wanna say it’s 38 mm. I will have to check.
@@DivingIntoWatches-jb5ri 38 mm sounds impossible. Just the dial, not the chapter ring.
@@mountainhobo 28.5mm
@@DivingIntoWatches-jb5ri Thanks! Alas, I was afraid of that. For my aging eyes there is not enough space between indices to tell time at a glance, particularly under water, and the hands are really tiny and thin (looking at it on the computer screen is misleading). ~ 30 mm is enough for me with a well-utilized digital display, but my analog beater watch is 34 mm dial diameter, and compared to the SKX, it makes a huge difference in legibility. For young eyes it won't make a difference, but give it time.
@@mountainhobo well then you will like my next video where I review the citizen aqualand. It’s a beast of watch but wears like an SKX. Fantastic true ISO rated dive watch.
I have this watch. I put it on an uncle seiko rubber strap and love it.
I love FKM rubber. It’s such a great option and looks killer on this watch. Congrats.
beautiful watch 😍⌚️💯👊🏻🤗 very confusing referencing though, which one is actually JDM, is it SBDY051 or is it SPRE05K1 because I’ve red both claims, and also not sure about difference between Made in Japan and JDM watch 🤔 seems like there are JDM’s that are Mede in Japan, non JDM ‘s that are Made in Japan, and there are Made Somewhere Else ( Germany, Korea) models, I would most definitely like Made in Japan and JDM model…🙄
Let me answer this in two parts. JDM is just Japanese domestic market, which means the watch is built for the Japanese market only. Only way to get a watch through JDM is through a Japanese dealer. Then you will pay import tax etc. spreo5k1 King turtle is not a JDM watch. It can be purchased in the US. Typically the K in the model just means where the watch was made, K is not made in Japan. If the K was a J then it was made in Japan. Like a SKX009J vs a SKX009K. Plus you will see it on the dial in the bottom it will say made in Japan. Some people prefer that over not made in Japan and can add price to the watch. JDM watch's are cool for sure as they are for Japan market only. Not sure if I answered your question lol. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Thanks for a great review.
Thanks for the kind words
Good vid dude. Cheers!
thank you, very much appreciated.
I added a rubber strap loop onto my Seiko strap and the "extra" long strap now stays put with the metal loop
Totally agree. I just did not long that strap it came with. Thanks for watching and commenting.
Good review . I can take you much more seriously now that you got rid of that chair. Just kidding, look forward to the next one. Thank you
PS … not kidding
😂😂😂 thanks for comment.
the turtles are awesome . the magnifier would be a big plus for me .
Yeah like the magnifier for my old eyes lol.thanks for watching, hope you subscribe.
The cyclops magnifier is divisive..
@@clk25120 yeah some may not like it I guess . My eyes are not great so it would help me to see the date I can never see it on my other watches at Al
The best Seiko diver made would be the Marine Master 300 . The Sumo is another outstanding Seiko diver . I own the SBDC033 Sumo/Blumo.
Definitely the marine master 300 is an awesome watch. That one really fly’s under the radar. That is a true solid dive watch for sure. Thanks for the comment.
SLA055
I like dials king verses willard
I have had both but I think I prefer my Willard for the horology and military history. But the king turtle is awesome option also.
Awesome watch. Great review.
GOTTA SAY IF IT DOESNT HAVE DAY/DATE I WONT. BUY ONE. I OWN SKX013 AND THE SBBN031 BOTH MY FAVORITE IVE HAD A WHITE FACE DAYTONA IT DIDNT KEEP TIME AND IT DREW TOO MUCH ATTENTION IM NOT A FLASHER IVE HAD TUNAS SINCE THE 80S. BIG ISLAND DIVER
Check out the SRPH55 “King Turtle”. Date/Date in English and Kanji, sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel insert, a steel bracelet and rubber strap….and a very unique dial. They can be purchased for $550 if you look around. Great value.
I have the same problem with wrist size. That's why I don't like rubber straps.
Interesting. That’s why I like rubber straps cause I can get a better fit than with a bracelet.
Just a gorgeous watch. Great review.
Great review. Love the turtle.
Subscribed,,😎👍
Thanks for subbing
I have an original one owner 1970 Captain Willard 6105-8119. It is in great shape. It operates for 36-48 hours after wearing. It needs a new crystal due to daily use scratching. I am thinking of selling. Any suggestions where to sell such a vintage watch, Anyone??????
First off that's an awesome watch. Do you really want to sell it? If you are serious about selling it, send me an email with pics and what you would like for it. My email is in on my page on the about tab at the top. I would be interested. You can also look at www.Chrono24.com and eBay as both are good places to sell a watch.
I also have an original Willard. Do NOT sell it. Trust me.
@@joeybossolo7 very cool. Yeah would definitely not get rid of a Willard.
I have the seiko turtle deep blue Batman made in Japan.
Very nice!
Seiko lumibrite probably brighter the C3 lume
No doubt it’s a popular lume for sure. Thanks for watching and commenting.
You are wrong! The Marine Master 300 would hold the crown as the best dive watch Seiko has made. Being iconic doesn’t make a watch the greatest. Materials used, components, complications, finish quality, and price all need to be considered when making such an assessment. Then, considering that the primary purpose of a watch is to tell the time accurately, modern quartz movements must be considered head and shoulders above any mechanical watch. They offer slimmer movements, almost infinite grab and go reserves with solar power, and greater shock resistance than mechanical movements. Nostalgia doesn’t make a watch the greatest either.
First on the marine master. It is a fine watch, but at $3k out of the range of most people. 2nd marine master has never been issued to any military so it lack providence. Nor does it have the lineage and time in the market for mass appeal. The turtle keep’s excellent time, if it’s not it’s a simple 5 min adjustment and it bang on 0-1 second a day. It’s far more lighter and wearable than the Marine Master. I have one so I know. But thanks for sharing your opinion on it. On this we will have to agree to disagree. Would love to see your video review of the marine master. Please let me know when you post it. Thanks for sharing and commenting. Cheers.
I have ro agree a little with Michael Kalisk. I bought a King Samurai (STO) when I l already have a Casio Oceanus T200. The T200 is the best watch I’ve had (and I own several Rolexes); it’s solar, sapphire, satellite and exact. The lume lasts longer than the Samurai too. Truly I never have to tend to it. The Samurai gains 20 seconds per day which means that at least every week I have to re-adjust it. I also agree with Michael that if you want to say “the best Seiko ever made” some tolerances or technical info should be provided, not just if I like the case, if I like the indices, if I like the strap etc. Then the title should be “the watch that I like most”. Lastly I don’t, nor will make a video on my Samurai. I have several videos on advanced dressage though in case anyone’s interested.
Do you think Seiko designers actually have any imagination?
Or is it just a new dial colour and maybe hands.
Just same old same old.
It’s the same as the other turtles. Just better glass, dial and bezel.
Screw Seiko. Their patent ran out on a much nicer sks case and they've turned into bling since their accuracy is so questionable.
Hmmm, the king has long horological heritage. It is sad that they stopped the skx. Thanks for watching.
The regular turrtle is better. It has that extra lume marker next to the day date. That little gap between the bezel and crystal in the King Turtle was a deal breaker tho.
I like having the ceramic bezel and sapphire glass.
@@DivingIntoWatches-jb5ri Yeah maybe replace the King Turtle bezel with one that doesn't have a gap between the crystal. I couldn't get past that.
I bought it and sent back. Not very accurate and a very tinny bezel.....not impressed with the price.
Hmmm, never heard those complaints before. As time accuracy goes -15 to +40 a day is standard on a NH36, but that is easily regulated. But every watch is not for everyone. Thanks for the comment.
This popped up in my feed. It's amazing how much information you can get wrong in 25 minutes..
Look forward to seeing your video on the watch. Thanks for comment. Helps the algorithm.