Seiko Prospex SRPL81K Jaws 50th Anniversary

Jamie Weiss

Making a dive watch to commemorate a film that’s completed extra to place off folks from ocean swimming than every other is definitely darkly humorous. However that’s precisely what Seiko’s completed to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Jaws, the enduring thriller/horror movie that outlined the ‘blockbuster’ and made Steven Spielberg a family title. Seikos won’t have appeared within the film itself, however the Nineteen Seventies had been a golden age for Seiko dive watches, with the unique “Turtle” ref. 6306-7000/1 making its debut in 1976, only one yr after Jaws‘ premiere. Maybe that’s why Seiko’s taken the enduring fictional nice white shark and put it on the dial of a contemporary Turtle…

The case

As alluded to in my introduction, this Jaws restricted version – the SRPL81K, to be official about issues – takes the type of the Seiko ‘Turtle’, one of many Japanese model’s most recognisable dive watch case shapes, which was the progenitor of their most well-known dive watch, the SKX. In comparison with the ‘Tuna’ or the ‘Samurai’, it has a extra cushion-shaped case, however lacks the crown guards discovered on ‘Captain Willard’ fashions (one other Seiko design with a nickname taken from Hollywood).

A part of Seiko’s software watch-focused Prospex assortment, the SRPL81K displays a pretty big 45mm diameter with a 47.7mm lug-to-lug, and is 13.2mm thick. Its chunky, closely knurled bezel has a blue ceramic insert (not like classic Turtles), which sits atop a radially-brushed chrome steel case, contrasted by a refined underside and flanks. Like nearly all Seiko divers, you’ll discover a crown at 4 o’clock, on this occasion fairly a big one, which is barely recessed into the case.

The dial

The SRPL81K’s dial is its most original characteristic, boasting a silver-to-blue gradient impact with an embossed depiction of Jaws‘ principal character – the murderous shark – in addition to the blood-red Jaws brand just under the central pinion. Seiko have resisted the urge to be too tacky with this shark on the dial: it’s really fairly an understated depiction, with the reflectivity of the dial therapy obscuring it at some angles. In any other case, it’s normal Seiko dive watch honest right here: chunky, legible indices and arms stuffed with Lumibrite plus a day-date window at 3 o’clock magnified by a double cyclops lens.

The strap

The Seiko SRPL81K comes mounted on a sturdy darkish blue silicone strap with a single chrome steel keeper and outsized metal pin buckle. There’s a refined beaded texture on the underside of the strap, which is comparatively versatile and fairly comfy on the wrist. I do assume Seiko would possibly’ve missed a trick right here: they may’ve made it extra overtly a Jaws collab by, I don’t know, making a strap with an enormous ‘chunk’ taken out of it? Then once more, that may be too tacky, and I believe this collab’s subtlety is a part of its attraction.

The motion

Below the hood of the SRPL81K beats the in-house calibre 4R36, a workhorse motion with a 41-hour energy reserve and hacking seconds. The 4R36 is mainly a Seiko-only model of the NH36 that’s so ubiquitous within the microbrand area, with the primary distinction being that the 4R36 is made in Japan (the NH36 is made in a variety of nations). In any other case, it’s an unspectacular but sturdy recognized amount. One deal with on the caseback aspect, although: you’ll discover a laser-engraved rendering of Quint’s boat, the Orca, from Jaws – one more refined contact.

The decision

Seiko has all the time performed round in popular culture, whether or not that’s celebrating Bruce Lee’s legacy or tie-ins with anime like Naruto or video video games like Avenue Fighter… So, a retro dive look ahead to one of many largest movies of the 70s (and all time) isn’t a whole shock to the system. It’s barely uncommon in that Seikos by no means really appeared in Jaws, but it surely feels proper – I like that it’s not a very overt design, too. Do you actually wish to be occupied with shark assaults as you swim with a watch? Most likely not, however I’m certain this can attraction to many individuals’s sense of humour, in addition to followers of Jaws, in fact.

Seiko Prospex SRPL81K Jaws fiftieth Anniversary pricing and availability

The Seiko Prospex SRPL81K Jaws fiftieth Anniversary is a restricted version of 5,000 individually numbered items and is presently obtainable for pre-order, with deliveries scheduled for July/August 2025. Worth: A$1,200