Introducing the Seiko “Land Tortoise,” a Diver with a Compass Bezel

When Seiko introduced a new line of Alpinists earlier this year without compass bezels, lots of enthusiasts who strongly associate that extremely niche feature were likely disappointed to lose it. Even if it’s not particularly useful on a day to day basis (for most of us), it has a certain charm to it, and appeals to folks who might simply want something different from your run of the mill dive bezel. Well, compass bezel fanatics rejoice, as Seiko has introduced a line of watches they’ve dubbed the “Land Tortoise” (yes, that’s an official Seiko sanctioned nickname) with a diving profile and a bezel fit for all of your orienteering needs. 

The Land Tortoise line consists of four new watches in stainless steel. The SRPG17 has a black dial with gilt accents, the SRPG13 has a taupe dial with a green and gray bi-color bezel, and the SRPG15 has a classic blue dial with a blue and gray bezel. There’s also the SRPG18, which has a rose gold coating and feels a bit blingy for a watch dubbed the Land Tortoise, but maybe that’s just me. 

The case profile strongly resembles other recent Seiko divers, with a pronounced cushion case. The “Tortoise” designation here is a clear play on the Seiko “Turtle” watches that have become go-to enthusiast favorites in the last few years as they’ve been been reintroduced in a seemingly endless stream of color variants and limited editions. These appear to be a bit sleeker than the 45mm Turtle cases, coming in at 42.4mm, so they offer a small but likely meaningful step-down in size for those that prefer a more compact watch. The handset appears at least partially borrowed from the Monster line, so this one feels like a mix and match of Seiko hits of the past, which isn’t generally something we have any issue with at all. More options are almost always a good thing. 

These watches run on the Seiko 4R35 caliber, and the uncoated steel variants are priced at $525 (the gold version will cost you an extra $25). The Land Tortoises are all Prospex branded watches and carry a full 200 meters of water resistance, so while they might not be suitable for diving given the lack of a timing bezel, they can certainly withstand a significant plunge. We look forward to getting our hands on these at some point in the future, so we can get a sense of their build quality and fit on the wrist. Seiko