Hands-On: The Seiko Prospex Jaws 50th Anniversary LE

May 03, 2021

Heres a watch that pays homage not to a shark but?the shark. And thats why we re gonna need a bigger boat. I was too young to see the now-iconic Steven Spielberg movie Jaws when it came out five decades ago, but when I did a few years after its initial release, it scared me. Although there are no great white sharks in the North Sea, taking a dip felt risky for many years to come. I got over it. Once I grew older, I watched the movie many times, and it even made it into my top 10 favorite movies ever - the actors are phenomenal, and so are their very quotable lines. So, I saw and survived the movie. I even read Peter Benchleys 1974 novel, but do I dare put a Seiko Prospex Jaws 50th Anniversary Limited Edition on my wrist?A word of reassurance for those with a phobia of sharks living in Europe and Africa: the Seiko Prospex Jaws 50th Anniversary Limited Edition (SRPL81 / US$795) will only be available in Japan, the United States, Australia, and Taiwan, and it is limited to 5,000 examples. In other words, you re not all that likely to come across one. The one watch that washed up on Fratello HQs shores is an anomaly. It did, however, give me the rare opportunity to face an old fear and try to overcome it.Hands-on with the Seiko Prospex Jaws 50th Anniversary Limited Edition SRPL81The Prospex Jaws 50th Anniversary Limited Edition is a fascinating watch for several reasons. First, Seiko decided to use the famous Turtle as the base for this homage watch. Second, great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) feed on turtles. But sometimes a turtle doesnt go down too well. Theres a record of a great white shark trying to devour a turtle, but the hard-shelled creature got stuck in its throat, choking the shark to death. I m not sure if Seiko s designers thought of this incident when they paired the Jaws-themed dial with a 45 47.7 13.2mm steel case, but with the King Turtles respect-demanding proportions, youre not going to need a bigger watch.The Prospex Jaws 50th Anniversary Limited Edition is an XL watch you wont wear daily. Thats not necessarily because of the size; Seikos large King Turtle wears smaller than it is. But with a special dial like this, you pick your moments to wear something larger than life on your wrist, even if the blue silicone strap is very comfortable. And a supersized shark deserves a supersized watch as a homage anyway.A frightening dialWhen I think of Jaws, I think of the book cover and movie poster. It shows a naked woman swimming in the ocean, blissfully unaware of the gigantic shark thats rising from the deep with its mouth open, showing monstrously large and sharp teeth, ready to devour her. The dial of the LE Prospex SRPL81 is inspired by that image, but it differs ever so slightly. The silver-to-blue gradient dial does show a lot of similarity with Roger Kastels famous film poster, but you wont find the swimming lady anywhere. The shark only reveals itself from certain angles, hiding in the embossed water pattern. Death from the deep strikes unexpectedly, remember.The details are on point. The red Jaws wording you see below the three central hands is in the movie posters typography. The case back shows Orca, the (not big enough) fishing boat from the film, plus the ginormous shark s laser-etched menacing dorsal fin. Another detail is each watch s unique edition number engraved on the screw-in back of the 200m-water-resistant steel case.An accomplished diverThis might be a homage watch, but its also an accomplished diver with plenty of lume, an ISO 6425-compliant marker beside the day/date window, and a magnifier on top of the sapphire crystal. Inside the case beats the 3.5Hz automatic caliber 4R36, offering manual winding, hacking seconds, quick-set day and date indicators, and a 41-hour power reserve. The box tells you youre not dealing with any ordinary King Turtle. When you open the blue box, you will find the SRPL81 sitting on a watch pillow printed with the movie poster - theres the swimming lady! This watch could be a must-buy if youre a movie buff and/or a Seiko Turtle collector. Despite its impressive dimensions, the watch wears very well and is also a fun summer piece. It wont be your first Turtle, and it wont be your last, I suspect.Now, tell me, does the Seiko Prospex Jaws 50th Anniversary Limited Edition SRPL81 bring back fears from the past? Would you wear this well-executed movie homage and sing Farewell and adieu to you fair Spanish ladies… all day?Watch specifications Brand Seiko Model Prospex Jaws 50th Anniversary Limited EditionReference SRPL81Dial Silver-to-blue gradient with embossed water pattern, applied luminous indexes, day/date window, and blue rehautCase Material Stainless steel with blue ceramic bezel insertCase Dimensions 45mm (diameter) 47.7mm (lug-to-lug) 13.2mm (thickness)Crystal Sapphire with underside antireflective coating and day/date magnifierCase Back Stainless steel, screw-in, with Jaws-themed engravings Movement Seiko 4R36: automatic with manual winding and hacking, 21,600vph frequency, 41-hour power reserve, 24 jewelsWater Resistance 200 metersStrap Blue silicone (22mm width) with stainless steel keeper and pin buckleFunctions Time (hours, minutes, seconds), day, date, and 60-minute dive bezelPrice US$795 Special Note(s) Limited to 5,000 pieces for sale in the United States, Japan, Australia, and Taiwan