There Are Penguin Footprints On My Watch Dial

This watch is described as the – Seiko Prospex Baby Tuna Save The Ocean Antartica Special Edition SRPG59. That is a long title and consistent with a watch that brings a whole range of features including support for our oceans and that is where the penguin footprints come in.

Seiko Tuna case watches have a grand history of excellence in dive watch design. Originally created to satisfy the needs of professional divers, they have become accessible to a wider range of wearers through watches like this special edition.

Original Tunas were huge watches. Their protective shrouds added weight and bulk that were necessary for their ruggedness and up to 1000m depth rating, but for general wearing you needed a large wrist to support them. 

Some exceeded 50mm in diameter and while the lug to lug measurement (essentially the measurement that determines whether or not there will be overhang on your wrist) is manageable, their Tuna nomenclature (they look like a can of tuna on your wrist) is well earned. 

These watches were all about performance over comfort but their tool like qualities are irresistible to enthusiasts of watches. Thankfully Seiko have produced smaller “shrouded” watches in recent times and a wider range of wearers get to enjoy them.

So, what were my first impressions of the watch with penguin feet? The internet gives us wonderful access to every new watch design and I had feasted on photographs of this new release for many weeks before I made a purchase. I already owned a shrouded Seiko watch, the excellent SNE543J1 Solar powered watch from the Seiko Street Series. The SNE543J is a Tuna style watch of more manageable proportions and I love its urban style, but it has a plastic shroud (Seiko call it plastic) and I wanted the more toolish look of the original stainless steel construction.

And “toolishness” is delivered in spades with this latest stainless steel version. The Seiko SRPG59 is a hands-down tool watch with an unexpected shine. In fact there a couple of unexpected surprises in the design. The case has a brushed finish but it is certainly metallic, all the way from the substantial steel shroud to the bezel insert which I suspect is painted but looks ruggedly efficient with its contrasting black minute markers.

The shroud is cut-out from dial positions 12-3 and 6-9 to allow turning the bezel, and the top edge of that bezel cut-out is highly polished. I love that. Then there are the penguin feet on the dial. Those footmarks are prominent in almost every photo I have seem online. But I couldn’t see them on my watch at first. Then I turned the watch slightly against the light and those delightful shiny little decorations jumped out at me. The feet have an iridescent quality that adds substantially to the joy of looking at this dial.

And what a dial! Seiko do some great dials at all price points, and this icy blue Antartica version is a stand-out. Light blue in the centre, gradating to a darker blue at the hour and minute markers, and always giving you the impression you looking at an icy/oceanic environment. 

So, why the “Save The Ocean” terminology? Seiko have produced a number of watches in their Save The Ocean range. They pay tribute to things like ocean waves, whales, manta rays, sharks, and now penguins. Seiko are working with filmmaker Fabien Cousteau as an official Save the Ocean ambassador, and contribute a portion of sales to oceanic projects around the globe. In Australia the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre is a recipient of Seiko funding. Co-founder of the organisation, Jennie Gilbert, has a 90 percent success rate of returning turtles to the wild.

Back to initial impressions. I have had this watch for a week now and it ticks two very important boxes for me. Firstly readability. The white hour markers contrast nicely with the darker blue at the outer edges of the dial, and the polished hands (with substantial lume) stand out clearly. The prime function of a watch is to tell the time and this one performs that well.

The second important box for me is comfort and despite its rugged dive watch heritage this Baby Tuna has proved very wearable. It is a strap monster. The supplied silicone strap is incredibly light and comfortable, but I found it looked a little more urban than I wanted so I have swapped it out. A dark blue leather strap with cream stitching looked good but I finally settled on an inexpensive mesh strap that has matching fittings and a magnetic clasp that might be a little new age for this historical design but is infinitely adjustable, so you get a perfect fit. The watch with a mesh bracelet weighs just 108 grams.

This is a lovely watch. I love its “toolishness”. I love its “Save The Ocean” ethos. I love its readability and comfort. It might not be quite in the league of the original Tunas but the Seiko SRPG59 “penguin feet” is a very satisfying addition to my collection.