A few weeks back, Seiko launched the limited edition ?Black Series?? Turtle (ref. SRPC49 ), a release accompanied by two other watches in the series: the Prospex Solar Diver (ref. SNE493) and the Prospex Solar Diver Chronograph (ref. SSC673). These three are currently available for pre-order. Following hot on the heels of that release is the ?Goldtone? Turtle (ref. SRPC44), a watch that is just as bold (if not more so) and one that is in stores today.Let’s start by looking at the ?Black Series,? which Seiko says 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. To contrast against this sea of black is a strong burst of color from the large orange minute hand, which offers great legibility. The large lumed indices are filled with Seiko’s LumiBrite in a paler orange tone?tying in nicely to the minute hand without drawing too much attention away or becoming garish.
As with the other recent Turtle reissues, 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’cloc...