It's About Time You've Heard of the Seiko 'Slim Turtle'

There are far and few between more impactful watchmakers in the world like the Japanese powerhouse Seiko, and for good reason. You don't have to look very far for the pop culture impact, with pieces like the Seiko 6105-8110, or for the pedantic watch geeks out there, the "Captain Willard," which was the watch worn by Martin Sheen's iconic character of the same name in Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 cult-classic Apocalypse Now.

The watch had shaped the designs of many of the Japanese brand's divers, which often come at a relatively chunky 45mm wide and 13.42mm thick. This is where the 2022 refresh of the beloved Seiko Turtle SRPE93 comes in for those who would want a more wearable option to fit their respective wrist sizes.

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With all the hullaballoo about the recent return of the King Seiko line, we saw it fit to shine the spotlight on a diver that needs to be talked about and how we need to tip our hats to Seiko for knocking this one out of the park.

We're talking about the Seiko Prospex SPB317, also known as the "Slim Turtle," which is exactly what it sounds like. A more wardrobe-friendly timepiece that runs 4mm smaller and about 1mm thinner than the standard Seiko Turtle, which had the same design for more than 40 years.

Seiko SPB317J1 "Slim Turtle"

Looking at the rugged piece that follows a more elegant school of thought in design, it still retains a lot of the hallmarks of the aforementioned benchmark that is the "Captain Willard." The "Slim Turtle" still has that durable feel with the flat brushing finish for that signature sporty look associated with divers. Think of this 2022 piece as a more proportioned timepiece for this decade.

Seiko trademarks remain such as the recessed crown at the 4 o'clock position designed specifically to protect it from underwater impact. In the more practical sense of the feature, it basically keeps the crown from digging into your hand while you wear it as a daily driver. Despite being one of the more practical dive watches, it still has a 200-meter water resistance rating just in case you find yourself in a pickle in those depths.

Aesthetically, the dial is what Seiko calls a matte charcoal canvas that is designed to capture the outside world's light for stunning ombré effects if conditions allow it.

The classier and sleeker "Turtle" is powered by the workhorse Caliber 6R35 that beats at about 21,600 vibrations per hour and a power reserve of 70 hours. This should be more than enough for those overseas trips and long rigorous excursions expected of someone who knows their watches.

With the rise of slimmer silhouette watches being in the meta right now, the "Slim Turtle" could be the game changer we need for a piece that retains the ruggedness and heritage in a form factor that could get more guys into dive watches. You can pick up a "Slim Turtle" for about P52,000, which is a bargain compared to the beefier divers in the coveted Prospex collection.

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Seiko’s Legendary Dive Watch Gets A Refresh