Seiko Zimbe Turtle - SRPA19K

August 18, 2018

Released a couple of years ago, the Thailand-Market Seiko Zimbe Turtle is still captivating hearts of collectors and casual Seiko lovers worldwide.

Limited to 1299 pieces globally, most (if not all) of these watches have now homes to Seiko fanatics. That makes getting this piece really hard nowadays and carries a premium if one does come out in the open market.

Let's break it down and find out why this is such a hot commodity.

Look and Feel

With its unmistakable grey dial and silver bezel, the Zimbe Turtle oozes the casual sport diver vibes. Usual suspects in sport diver colors range from overall black, blue, and even green dials but Seiko did something right with their own mix of grey for the dial.

Compared to other modern Seiko Turtle models, a magnifier for the day/date has been added on the glass which I think is quite useful and cosmetically appealing. The orange "Limited Edition" stamped on the dial clearly indicates that this is a special piece (limited and numbered) and would be highly sought after in the future.

Case size is about 44.3mm and lug width is at 22mm which is the same for all Seiko Turtle models (original and reissue). What really attracts buyers for both vintage and modern turtles is its iconic cushion case which is timeless for both collectors and wearers of diver's watches.

Check out the complete list of Seiko Turtles (from past until present) to see the Seiko Turtle's lineage, history, and models.

The coveted "Limited Edition" stamped on the Seiko SRPA19K Zimbe

Limited and Numbered to 1299 only

Out of the box, it comes with 2 strap options, the Grey Silicone Rubber and the Stainless Steel Strap specially designed for the Zimbe Turtle (Matt Silver with Polished accents).

For Watch Daddy, using the Grey Silicone Rubber makes the watch standout more compared to the Stainless Steel. I found that a custom Grey Shark Skin leather strap works best in the looks department (see gallery on the right).

Movement

Inside you will find an old reliable friend in the 4R36 automatic movement. Nothing fancy there.

The additional feature of Hacking and Hand Winding will be useful to some users though compared to the classic 7S26/7S36 movements.

Pricing

When released, it was priced below $1000USD which I think is appropriate for any Limited Edition and Numbered Seiko Diver.

But due to the high-demand and lack of supply, prices for the Seiko Turtle Zimbe have since flew upwards of $1000 USD (with some pricing it double the suggested retail value). Which I feel is quite absurd.

The Seiko Zimbe SRPA19K beside its dad (Seiko 6309-7040)

Impact

The watch is a real looker and has been getting double-looks and compliments from both watch collectors (even WIS - Watch Idiot Savant) and those who know nothing at all when comes to watches.

If I do see another person wearing this, it tells me the following:

Serious Japanese watch collector
Definitely has some contacts in the Seiko collecting hobby so he/she can purchase this watch
Loves sporty and casual wear
Has some spending power to impress WIS (Watch Idiot Savant)
Likes to be unique