“This watch was purchased as a gift for my son. He owns a couple of SKX's and wanted an upgrade and a Pepsi bezel. This beauty fits the bill very nicely. I'm not particularly a fan of the turtle-style case but he loves it and that's the important thing. Seiko classic diver quality, reliability, style, and value are tough to beat”
“I love this piece - it's comfortable given it's heft and very masculine looking. I find myself admiring the turtle and finding excuses to use the bezel - the clicks feel and sound satisfying. The bracelet uses pins and collars which may be intimidating but is fairly easy and straightforward if you have the right tools (which are fairly inexpensive). Marc has an excellent video on youtube on how to handle resizing with this system. I will definitely purchase again from longislandwatch - waiting for the restock on the Seiko Flighty (thanks TGV) and the Squale Matic-Blue-Pol.”
“After years of hearing about the Seiko PADI Turtle in the watch-enthusiast community as a must have, and about Long Island Watch as a stand-out excellent business, I finally understand why.
Everything about the PADI Turtle screams classic quality diver. It is what it is: an affordable Prospex meant for real use in the field and partnered up with exactly that---as PADI has trained and certified countless people to dive. The ISO certification means rest assured it can hold its own, and Lumibrite is in my experience the gold standard of lume. Beyond that, there’s something subjectively beloved and indescribable about the Turtle itself, perhaps point in case its popularity among watch collectors and beyond.
It’s quite wearable for a 45mm case, due to the lug to lug being only around 47.5mm. On my 6.5 inch wrist, it’s not only reasonable but also comfortable. The stock bracelet with tedious pins rather than screws is a constructive critique I’d have of Seiko, and opted to put mine on the wonderful Strapcode Jubilee bracelet Long Island Watch also sells. It’s a perfect match, especially for the SKX look, and the quality is very solid and satisfying for the price.
While the Turtle is unquestionably worthy of the popular mods of sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel (which Long Island also offers in the Custom Watch section), and Seiko probably could have sprung for those to begin with for the price, to me the stock hardlex crystal and stainless steel bezel are also fitting. This is a rugged, tried-and-true reliable, bang it around and don't feel bad about it affordable classic diver.
The 4R36 movement is worth mention. Of course its hacking and hand-winding are expected perks in this day and age. But, while the factory accuracy specs are something like +45 / -35 seconds per day, out of the box mine is running a spectacular +3 to +5. Just check watch enthusiast forums to see that this isn’t unusual, as many report *far* better accuracy than spec—though there is no guarantee, which is a nod to the affordable price-point.
Marc and staff were prompt, helpful, and courteous with questions (and being a watch guy I always have some!), and definitely will continue to come to Long Island Watch as my first choice any time they have what I'm looking for. And if you want an even more affordable diver with largely better specs, check out their Islander line of watches too. Imho, both are heirs to the SKX throne.
Thanks so much!”
“This diver is huge and heavy. It looks cartoonish on a 6.5” wrist. It can be used as a hammer in a pinch. The case finish and the movement’s accuracy are not stellar but commensurate with the price. I think in time it will look better with a lot of battle scars on it. The bracelet is weak point. The pin and collar system is cheap. The collar goes in from the outside of the links and need to be pushed in with a pin from the outside. It is also quite loose and jingles on the wrist. It makes a nice beater or a work watch and there nothing wrong with this.”
