We’re gonna need a bigger watch: Seiko celebrates Jaws’ 50th anniversary with a limited-edition Prospex Turtle
Jamie WeissMaking a dive watch to commemorate a movie that’s done more to put off people from ocean swimming than any other is actually darkly humorous. But that’s exactly what Seiko’s done to mark the 50th anniversary of Jaws, the iconic thriller/horror film that defined the ‘blockbuster’ and made Steven Spielberg a household name. Seikos might not have appeared in the movie itself, but the 1970s were a golden age for Seiko dive watches, with the original “Turtle” ref. 6306-7000/1 making its debut in 1976, just one year after Jaws‘ premiere. Perhaps that’s why Seiko’s taken the iconic fictional great white shark and put it on the dial of a modern Turtle…
The case
As alluded to in my introduction, this Jaws limited edition – the SRPL81K, to be official about things – takes the form of the Seiko ‘Turtle’, one of the Japanese brand’s most recognisable dive watch case shapes, which was the progenitor of their most famous dive watch, the SKX. Compared to the ‘Tuna’ or the ‘Samurai’, it has a more cushion-shaped case, but lacks the crown guards found on ‘Captain Willard’ models (another Seiko design with a nickname taken from Hollywood).
Part of Seiko’s tool watch-focused Prospex collection, the SRPL81K exhibits a reasonably large 45mm diameter with a 47.7mm lug-to-lug, and is 13.2mm thick. Its chunky, heavily knurled bezel has a blue ceramic insert (unlike vintage Turtles), which sits atop a radially-brushed stainless steel case, contrasted by a polished underside and flanks. Like virtually all Seiko divers, you’ll find a crown at 4 o’clock, in this instance quite a large one, which is slightly recessed into the case.
The dial
The SRPL81K’s dial is its most unique feature, boasting a silver-to-blue gradient effect with an embossed depiction of Jaws‘ main character – the murderous shark – as well as the blood-red Jaws logo just below the central pinion. Seiko have resisted the urge to be too cheesy with this shark on the dial: it’s actually quite an understated depiction, with the reflectivity of the dial treatment obscuring it at some angles. Otherwise, it’s standard Seiko dive watch fair here: chunky, legible indices and hands filled 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 robust dark blue silicone strap with a single stainless steel keeper and oversized steel pin buckle. There’s a subtle beaded texture on the underside of the strap, which is relatively flexible and quite comfortable on the wrist. I do think Seiko might’ve missed a trick here: they could’ve made it more overtly a Jaws collab by, I don’t know, making a strap with a big ‘bite’ taken out of it? Then again, that could also be too cheesy, and I think this collab’s subtlety is part of its appeal.
The movement
Under the hood of the SRPL81K beats the in-house calibre 4R36, a workhorse movement with a 41-hour power reserve and hacking seconds. The 4R36 is basically a Seiko-only version of the NH36 that’s so ubiquitous in the microbrand space, with the main difference being that the 4R36 is made in Japan (the NH36 is made in a number of countries). Otherwise, it’s an unspectacular yet robust known quantity. One treat on the caseback side, though: you’ll find a laser-engraved rendering of Quint’s boat, the Orca, from Jaws – yet another subtle touch.
The verdict
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Seiko has always played around in pop culture, whether that’s celebrating Bruce Lee’s legacy or tie-ins with anime like Naruto or video games like Street Fighter… So, a retro dive watch for one of the biggest films of the 70s (and all time) isn’t a complete shock to the system. It is slightly unusual in that Seikos never actually appeared in Jaws, but it feels right – I like that it’s not a particularly overt design, too. Do you really want to be thinking about shark attacks as you swim with a watch? Probably not, but I’m sure this will appeal to many people’s sense of humour, as well as fans of Jaws, of course.
Seiko Prospex SRPL81K Jaws 50th Anniversary pricing and availability
The Seiko Prospex SRPL81K Jaws 50th Anniversary is a limited edition of 5,000 individually numbered pieces and is currently available for pre-order, with deliveries scheduled for July/August 2025. Price: A$1,200
| Brand | Seiko |
| Model | Prospex Sea Diver’s Watch Mechanical Jaws 50th Anniversary Limited Edition |
| Reference Number | SRPL81K |
| Case Dimensions | 45mm (D) x 13.2mm (T) x 47.7mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel, ceramic bezel insert |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal with magnifier |
| Dial | Silver-to-blue gradient with shark detail and Jaws logo |
| Lug Width | 22mm |
| Strap | Blue silicone strap, steel pin buckle |
| Movement | 4R36, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 41 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date, unidirectional diving bezel |
| Availability | Limited edition of 5,000 pieces |
| Price | A$1,200 |