In recent years, Seiko has been coming out with a lot of “Special Edition” and “Limited Edition” watches. The “Save the Ocean” series are “Special Editions”, meaning they are not limited in numbers but are outside of the regular catalogue. There are four models available within the “Save the Ocean” collection: a chronograph (SSC695), a “Turtle” (SRPC91), a “Solar Tuna” (SNE518) and this “Samurai” (SRPC93) that I am reviewing today (my own watch). Of course, these are nicknames affectionately bestowed by Seiko watch fans and you will not find them in any official Seiko nomenclature.

The “Save the Ocean” collection is a collaboration with Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of famous French oceanographer and documentary filmmaker Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Apparently, Fabien Cousteau was involved in the design of the “Save the Ocean” dial, whose colours represent the gradual darkening divers experience as they dive to greater depths. The wave-like horizontal striations of the dial were inspired by the striations on the sides of the mouth of blue whales.

Blue Whales, the inspiration for the patterns on the Save the Ocean Dial.

Part of the proceeds of each sale will go towards the non-profit Fabien Cousteau Ocean Learning Center, although I couldn’t find out how much exactly and these watches sell at the same prices as the regular series, so Seiko is eating that cost. Still, you get a beautiful watch and some of the cost goes towards a very good cause. The Learning Centre works towards raising awareness of ways to preserve and protect the Earth’s Oceans and endangered marine life, which is an increasingly important subject in this day and age.

Oh, that Dial!

The dial of the Save the Ocean edition is where most of the action takes place. The design of this dial is simply superb and photos really don’t do it justice. It goes from a brilliant blue at the top to a very dark, almost black “midnight blue” at the bottom to mimic the change in light one experiences under water. The wave-like striations are not perfectly parallel or symmetrical as found on an Omega Seamaster but have a rather more organic pattern which integrates well with the logos and writing on the dial. The blue of the dial shimmers in the light with an almost metallic sheen. The colours of the bezel provide a similar variation of shades of blue.

That mesmerizing Save the Ocean dial…

The hour markers are rectangular except for the 3-6-9 ones that are more like trapezoids and the double marker at 12 O’clock. They are framed by an applied polished metal surround and filled with a generous layer of Seiko’s famous Lumibrite. The white date window at 3 O’clock integrates very well with the cut-off marker. Seiko lost an opportunity to create a very neat design cue here, as they could have easily kept the same applied frame as the 9 O’clock marker and placed the date window inside, which would have made it almost disappear and would have made the dial perfectly symmetrical.

Close up of the dial, hands and markers.

The Samurai handset is really good looking with a sword-like minute hand, a short but broad arrow for the hours and a thin seconds hand with a small lumed arrowhead placed at the mid-point of its length. Unusual for Seiko, the hands have a brushed finish. Overall, the dial is a stunner and a real attention getter.

Seiko’s excellent Lumibrite.

The Case

I elected to go for the Samurai version because I like the sharp and robust lines of the case. This watch is pretty substantial with a case diameter of 43.8mm and a thickness of 12.8mm. It definitely has a lot of wrist presence and it lets you know it’s there as on the stock bracelet it weighs in at 185 grams. However, because of it’s short 46mm lug-to-lug distance (which is normally found on 40mm watches), it wears surprisingly well and certainly doesn’t look out of place on my 18cm (7.25″) wrists. In fact, it wears just as well if not better as my Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro. The lug-width is a perfectly selected 22mm. So this is a robust but surprisingly compact 44mm watch head but it feels well balanced both on the supplied bracelets or on a NATO strap.

Short lug-to-lug for a 44mm watch (shorter than the 42mm watch on the right)!

I really like the bold angular lines of this case. The look is very unique and strangely, it feels just as appropriate for a serious diving/tool watch or for a night out on the town. To me, it looks more modern, robust and sophisticated than the SKX and “Turtle” cases.

The angular sides of the case with brushed surfaces and a polished area in the middle.

The knurled bezel and crown on this “Save the Ocean” edition are finished in gun-metal Ion Plating. This is a nice touch that really sets-off and accentuates the blue dial and further differentiates this watch from the regular Samurai. The screw-down crown is quite large and easy to grasp but it isn’t signed. The crown guards are just the right size and designed to be unobtrusive. The screw-down solid case-back features the traditional Seiko “Tsunami Wave” engraving. The short lugs are steeply angled and make this watch work very well with NATO-style straps. Most of the case is brushed except for the part opposite the crown which is polished, adding a touch of sophistication to the look. Weirdly, the inside of the lugs is not finished. It doesn’t matter too much as you only see it when changing straps, but still, it is a bit disappointing for a watch with a suggested retail price of $525. This robust case is pressure rated to 20ATM (200 meters or 660ft), more than adequate for regular diving or swimming activities. And as a Seiko Prospex (pro-specifications) watch it is, in fact, an ISO 6425 certified diver.

The Screw-down case-back with the engraved Tsunami Wave.

As is the case with most Seiko divers south of $1500, the crystal is Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex. Again, this is a bit disappointing as there are $100 watches out there with sapphire crystals but in reality, this shouldn’t be a big deal. Regular mineral glass rates a 5 Mohs on the hardness scale, while Hardlex rates an 8 and sapphire rates a 9. Diamond is the only thing harder than sapphire and tops the scale at 10 Mohs. So Hardlex, while softer than sapphire, is really pretty darn hard and less susceptible to shattering than Sapphire but it does show finger smudges like crazy. Having said that, I bought my watch slightly used and it was modified with a flat and anti-reflection coated sapphire crystal. The coated sapphire makes the blue dial pop even more. Be careful doing that though, as it needs to be done by a professional to ensure water resistance and it should be pressure tested after the change. I would personally recommend you stick to the Hardlex and if you ever get scratches then have it changed to a sapphire.

The gun-metal bezel and crown.

The heavily knurled 120-clicks unidirectional dive bezel is easy to grasp and the action is smooth and precise (and mine lines-up correctly, a frequent complaint lately with Seikos). The only issue I have is that the bezel is too easy to turn and I have to readjust it pretty much every day. If I were to actually dive with it that would be a concern. I never heard anyone complain about this so maybe it is just my sample and it might be related to the removal of the bezel to install the sapphire crystal.

The Bracelet

This model comes with the stock Seiko bracelet which is really not bad at all. It features solid links and end-links, and a stamped but substantial and very functional clasp. The triple-fold double-locking clasp features a diver’s extension and 4 positions of micro-adjustment.

The sturdy stock bracelet.

Unfortunately, it uses a pin and collar system to secure the links and not the preferred screws that you find on premium bracelets. This isn’t a big deal as you will probably size the bracelet only once and if you are nervous about it, any watch shop can do it for you. Like most Seiko Diver enthusiasts, I may very well switch to a high-quality Strapcode Miltat bracelet in the future, but I will wait until this one gets scratched up a bit.

The excellent Crafter Blue Ultimate Dive Strap

I also bought a superb Crafter Blue Ultimate Diver Strap. It fits the lugs and case perfectly and the blue/black colour combination looks absolutely fantastic and a great complement to the Save the Ocean dial and bezel. I highly recommend this premium strap. It really hugs the wrist and the quality is superb. I have also experimented with various NATO-style straps on my watch and they work very well. The only issue with the NATOs is that the unfinished insides of the lugs are visible, but they are not very obvious.

The Movement

The Samurai comes equipped with Seiko’s 4R35 automatic movement which is known to be a reliable workhorse. It ticks at 21,600 bph, has 41 hours of power reserve and provides both manual winding and stop-second (hacking) functions. Winding and date/time setting are both smooth and precise. This movement is the same as the commercially available and very popular NH35 used by many micro-brands. It is rated at a rather scary +45 to -35 seconds per day, but in reality, most of them perform much better than that, often less than 10 seconds off per day. Mine is running at -9 secs/day right now. I might try to regulate it to be slightly fast in the near future. So overall, nothing to write home about but a solid and decent performing automatic movement that is appropriate for an affordable tool watch.

Conclusion

This is my first Seiko diver but it won’t be the last. I never quite understood the cult-like following these Seiko divers enjoy in the market but now I get it and I have caught the Seiko Diver bug (in fact, I already bought a Solar Tuna which I will review next week). While these watches are not without flaws and quirks, they have a certain almost inexplicable charm to them. I was first attracted to this Samurai because of its stunning blue dial, but I’m staying because of this hard to pinpoint Seiko charm. The combination of robustness, chunky but very wearable and comfortable case, the incredible lume, and the unique styling have won me over and the Samurai has supplanted my C60 Trident Pro as my daily wearer. The Samurai Save the Ocean is also a real head turner and conversation starter. Some of my co-workers, who have never commented on any of my 15 other watches, have exclaimed something along the lines of: “wow, that’s a really awesome looking watch!” It’s definitely a keeper and deserves a Highly Recommended.

Specifications:

Model: Seiko SRPC93 “Save the Ocean” (Samurai)

Case Diameter: 43.8mm

Case Thickness: 12.8 mm

Weight: 185 grams (on bracelet)

Lug-to-lug distance: 46mm

Lug width: 22mm

Strap: Stainless steel solid links bracelet

Water Resistance: 20 ATM (200m or 660 feet)

Movement: Seiko 4r35 Automatic

Accuracy: -9 sec/day (this particular watch)

You can currently find this watch on Amazon for less than $300 and if you buy it through the following link I get a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support.

Seiko Prospex SRPC93 SAVE THE OCEAN Samurai Diving Mens Watch

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