Hello good people of the internet! I’m excited to be bringing you the latest installment of my interview series, Collector’s Log: Vol 3, with one of my good friends in the watch community, Michael, known affectionately in the watch fam as “Mister Turtle Time” and as @misterturtletime on Instagram/TikTok. If you read the end of that sentence, and thought to yourself, “hmm, with a monicker like that, I bet this man loves a good Seiko Turtle,” then you’re deductive reasoning skills are up to par and I personally guarantee that you will experience at least one day of unoffensive driving conditions this week. Cheers :)
For watch people, the longer we’re into learning about and experiencing these silly things, the more difficult it can be to settle on one specific piece that just does everything that we want and need. MTT has no such issues, and is in fact just the opposite; he’s been Mister Turtle Time for just about as long as I’ve known him over the last couple of years, and when thinking of collectors to interview, I just had to have my question of Why Turtles? answered by the source.
So, MTT: Why Turtles?
“I love Turtles!”
Well folks, there you have it, and the man has spoken. Short, sweet, and to the point. Till next time!
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…okay I’m kidding, there was obviously more to the conversation.
“Just the way it wears, the case shape, big, but not too big (45mm), short lug-to-lug distance (47mm or so), the look, the history of it, everything. My first Turtle was the Save the Ocean, the SRPD21 if I’m right, and I loved everything about it.”
This is arguably my favorite Seiko Turtle. I love the wave dial, the Caribbean-esque blue hue, and the bezel with its blue/grey color combo. It’s a playful, fun look, but with the same specs and toughness as the more classic turtle references. If you’re not familiar with Seiko’s environmental and conservationist efforts that are aided by the sales of these watches, have a look here.
“About a year later, I got my SRPE93J1, which I’m currently wearing, and you know it was hard to get one in Europe at the time.”
For context, MTT is from Holland, and this brought up a piece of conversation about how where we’re located in the world really can influence which watches we see, are exposed to, have access to, and so on, with product distribution being so inconsistent around each continent. Look no further than Seiko as an example of both how interesting - and maddening - this can be, as I would venture to say that Seiko produces more regional/locational limited edition references and product runs than any other watch brand (more on this later). And when it comes to being able to secure some of these references without being in or around certain countries…well, best of luck to you and me both.
This is where the global friendships of the watch community can really come in clutch and helps us all to get our hands on some watches that, given location and shipping restrictions, we may not have been able to see before.
“You know Mark, from Long Island Watch? He responded, and wanted to do a collaboration on TikTok and Instagram, so that’s how I got my SRPE93J1! And ever since I got it, it hasn’t left my wrist…well, only if for a photo, but that’s it. I just love it.”
This is the quintessential classic Turtle look. The case, black dial, black bezel, on the black rubber strap. Really the total package when it comes to getting a complete, professional grade dive watch. And it’s JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) only, which is an added bonus for a turtle enthusiast.
Another JDM turtle in the collection that I’ve long loved to see in MTT’s posts is the SRP773J1: black dial, blue bezel, “Blueberry Turtle.”
…I honestly don’t think that’s a real nickname, so I’m going to pilot that here and now. Blueberry Turtle. It’s a thing now.
So, is that one still in the collection?
“No, no, and sadly, because I really regret selling that watch. Really regret it. I thought it was time to sell it when I received the SRPE93, but that was…stupid. I miss it badly! I may try to get one again in the future, who knows, but it’s sad to not have it anymore.”
Raise your hand if you’ve ever sold something thinking it wouldn’t matter and immediately have the “doh!!” feeling right after finalizing the sale.
*raises hand*
*raises other hand*
*senses the readers raising hands*
Yep, we’ve all been there. Our sympathies, MTT. May there be another Blueberry Turtle in your future!
Now, for the visually observant among you, the wristshot above is clearly showing a non-Turtle watch. MTT does dabble in some non-turtle timepieces, though these tend to be very specific pickups and carry their own unique backstories. And in true ocean-branded fashion, this 40mm piece from Zelos is dubbed the “Swordfish.” Bonus points to MTT for oceanographic consistency!
“It was a gift from Zelos! After I went viral on TikTok, they contacted me to see if I wanted to choose a watch to make some content with and experience. I had actually ordered the Aurora, and then when the package arrived, I opened it, made an unboxing video, and thought, what!!! So I was definitely not expecting it, and it wasn’t the typical type of watch that would have excited me, but as time went by, I started to appreciate it more, and I’ve really warmed up to it. It’s very light, it’s titanium, and the bracelet is well made with screw links, which was a first experience for me, having a bracelet with screw links, so that was a nice upgrade to have and pretty exciting. It’s still different than my usual taste, but I like it. I have a back-and-forth relationship with this one.”
At the time of our conversation, I was wearing a watch that was also full titanium - my Grand Seiko SBGA011, the OG Snowflake - and so I was curious what MTT thought of the user experience of titanium watches, especially since turtles, being in steel, present a much more solid weight and stature proposition.
“It’s all brushed, so it’s really great if you want to go under the radar, but I could see how someone would look at titanium and think, maybe, if it’s a little bit boring. It’s light, it’s not beefy, it’s an easy wear, but it takes some getting used to.”
This is where my age - I mean, years of lived earth experience and accumulated wisdom - started to show, as we dove (pun absolutely intended) into the world of TikTok. Now, I don’t have a TikTok account, and I’m not sure I’ll ever make one, but I can 100% appreciate how cool it is to know someone who has actually experienced going viral multiple times. Peep MTT over on the Tok here.
“It started with just doing some wristrolls after I got the Save the Ocean Turtle, reaching a few hundred people at a time, and then I posted that video of the Casio Royale, and it blew up, and that was it. I went viral.”
You know you’ve made it on the internet when someone has attempted to pirate and copy your work, and that’s actually happened to MTT more than a few times.
“It was so weird! It wasn’t just the Casio Royale video either - so many videos, pictures even, people just taking it like it was their own. Most are removed pretty quickly, which is a good thing, but it’s sad to think that it has to happen in the first place. It’s sad, but it happens, and at least it’s always fixed.”
One thing that TikTok, and social media in general, has done to benefit the watch community is that it’s now easier than ever to see all of the wild and crazy Seiko references that may never have left their domestic markets in the past. Think of Thailand, as an example, with Seiko Monster limited editions that are just incredible to see. With that in mind, what does MTT think of the limited side of Seiko?
“Seiko’s just fking awesome, man! So many types, so many options, and so many ways to find something that everyone will love. That said, I would not pay over retail for something limited, especially not a Monster…”
It was at this moment when a quick search on Chrono24 made each of our jaws drop. There was, at the time of our interview, a Seiko Monster SKZ203K1 listed for *gulp* OVER TEN THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS. $10,245 to be exact.
“F—no way man! TEN THOUSAND! I wish I had one, but not for that!”
While the limited edition market is one that will continue to yield some incredible references, we’re all in agreement that there’s value, and then there’s silliness. Let’s all stay away from the silliness, shall we?
Looking to the longer term, MTT has his sights set on making watches a bit more of a central part of his life:
“My goal is to go to watchmaking school, to learn, and someday I would really love to have a shop, to specialize in Japanese watches. I prefer them to Swiss watches, and while everyone here maybe prefers Swiss watches, to me, I would love to work more directly with Japanese watches and, hopefully, brands.”
That sent us down a little bit of a rabbit hole with regards to parent companies - and Swatch Group in particular - and how these umbrella groups can. have a significant impact on the brands that live under their influence.
“I have a Certina, yeah? It’s a chronograph. It was the last gift from my grandma, before she passed away, and it was my first mechanical watch. I’d gone to my local store, asked some questions, and liked the look, so I chose it to be that gift. I will always keep this watch because of the sentiment and emotional value, and the connection to my grandma, but for the watch itself, I’ve struggled to connect with it. Much of that was from after I did my research, and discovered the movement wasn’t quite made of parts that would reflect better value. And this is something that we see in many brands, when there’s an increased production at an affordable price point, where the emphasis is no longer on quality. We won’t see these movements lasting 20, 30, 40, 50 years or more. They’re meant to be thrown away. This is what bothers me, how disposable things have become.”
“Maybe that’s why I love Seiko so much - affordable, but there are so many options, like the Turtle, that are made to last for years and years.”
This brings us to another watch that MTT had around for a bit: the Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT.
“You know, I saw the watch, Christopher Ward pops up, and I thought, well, just email them, and they sent me the watch to try out…but I had to send it back. I love the look, and it’s well made, but I’ll be honest, I just missed wearing a Turtle. I can’t keep them off my wrist, no matter how hard I try. But Christopher Ward is a good brand with some good options, nice people and accessible. Otherwise, I’m just always wearing a Turtle, unless I need to go for something a little slimmer, maybe a more formal profile for an interview or something like that, so I’ll throw on my first Seiko, a Seiko 5, my SNKL41. Really hard to catch it and to photograph with the white dial! But I love this one too.”
So, what does the Turtle future hold for MTT?
“I would love to go deeper into the vintage Turtle market, something with history, with some wear but still in good condition, something to show where the modern Turtles came from. Maybe something in the 6309 era, where the design language really came through and was quite an innovation for its day. Someday, I would love to go to Japan, to Tokyo, and go vintage watch hunting; I would really enjoy that! I need to work for a bit, to save up, but I will go. Someday, definitely, someday.”
As always, wherever you are, and wherever you’re going, many thanks for stopping by.
It was great to find out more about Mr Turtle, great read great article
Really like this series that you're doing, fun to read about what drives people in what they decide to collect 👍🏼👍🏼