This Seiko 5 Sports ‘Turtle’ Automatic SRPB23K1 watch features a Seiko caliber 4R36, 24 jewel automatic (self-winding and hand winding) movement. The radiant charcoal-grey dial has a 60-minute marked chapter ring and a day-date window at 3:00. The watch has highly luminous hands and markers treated with Lumibrite for low light visibility. It has a 44mm cushion case (or Turtle-Style) and the watch includes an exhibition window case back so you can view the automatic movement. The bezel is black PVD coated stainless steel. Comes on a black nylon strap with stainless steel keepers and buckle.
A whopping 100 meter water resistance makes Seiko 5 Sports ‘Turtle’ Automatic SRPB23K1 viable for a good swim in the sun. He overall impression is that of a more elegant, more relaxed diver when compared to the brutalist – though still very likable – front of the Samurai. Lume should be excellent on both pieces, as they come with Seiko’s Lumi-ohmygoditstoobright-Brite luminescent material applied on the hands and indices. Ticking under the dial is the Seiko Caliber 4R36 that has the same basic specs as the 4R35, with 3Hz operating frequency, power reserve of at least 41 hours, automatic winding, oh, and both watches come with an anti-magnetic rating of 4,800 A/m – to give you a better idea, a Rolex Milgauss is rated to 1,000 Gauss resistance which is equal to about 79,577 A/m. In other words, there is some resistance to magnetism in these affordable Seiko’s.
All that having been said, these Seiko 5 Sports ‘Turtle’ Automatic SRPB23K1 pieces will certainly see no hardship finding loving homes, because they come at highly affordable prices and with distinct, cool, likable and wearable looks. I just hope that sometime during the next thousand years Seiko Watches will see about engineering a stronger mainspring and a higher operating frequency into its more affordable watches, like these.
Bottom line: A watch with a tough look without ant fussiness with both self-winding and hand winding mechanisms. A great Japanese masterpiece which keeps its promise to be sturdy and steady like a turtle. Nothing can hold this limited edition piece back from grabbing it.