So it’s January 2018 and Seiko introduce 3 limited edition black diving watches. The other two, are nice, but the Black (or Ninja) Turtle is the one to have.

The Seiko Black Turtle or to give it its full name:

Seiko Prospex Limited Edition Turtle Black Series SRPC49K1.

Whilst that’s all a bit of a mouthful, it’s a lot of watch. And they sold out worldwide in a matter of days of coming to market.

The Prospex name is synonymous with performance, durability, and athleticism, and this distinctive diving watch displays this in abundance. Aggressive, legible and handsome, the black dial, tan “Lumibrite” hour markers, white hour & orange minute hand (also in Lumibrite, naturally) keep from messing up the aesthetic of the original pieces these emulate.

Delivering in the water, the watch gives 200m of water-resistance, a classic 5 minute marker bezel, day and date display, all shown on a very easy-to-read display.The dial design has just one objective, maximum legibility.

The new colour is inspired by the world of night diving. The defining characteristic of this iteration of the popular automatic Seiko diver is the “hard black” coating given to the Turtle case, bezel and crown. It may not be the most necessary or expected update, and the shape of the case—which is so crucial to the overall appearance—is slightly less pronounced when PVD or DLC coated, but it really adds an extra dimension to create a great watch in its own way.

The movement inside is Seiko’s 4r36 caliber, that beats at 21,600 bph and has a power reserve of 41 hours. The day/date is displayed at three o’clock. The Turtle’s case diameter in excess of 44mm does put it slightly on the larger side, though due to the cushion case shape and the reasonable lug-to-lug distance (48mm) makes it much more comfortable than you might think for a big watch. Having the Crown at 4 o’clock also limits this digging into the back of your hand.

The Black Series Turtle also offers a unidirectional bezel, screw down crown and 200m of water resistance. It comes shipped on a black silicone strap that matches the stealthy case finish well and means the watch is perfectly ready for water. The normally black bezel of the Turtle is given a grey finish for the 0-20 minute markings, adding a nice relief from the mass of black.

The combination of all of these elements would be attractive enough in any watch but Seiko’s level of fit and finish takes things to another level. For example,there’s absolutely no play in the bezel or crown, the anti-reflective coating is excellent.

So, it’s brand new, never been worn. It’s comfortable, versatile and a great looking watch so in a word or two; another absolute Seiko steal! Furthermore, the design catches the eye and looks exceptionally good around the office or out and about.

We bought this watch directly from Japan. It has never been worn and comes with the box, hang tags, manual and Guarantee. It looks a million bucks, luckily it doesn’t cost anything like that!