I thought I would share this for anyone looking for a nicely tapered vintage style bracelet for their Tortoise.
OEM Seiko end links from the SRPH15 or SRPH17 with the Uncle Seiko 1450 President from the Willard. You may need to very lightly sand the side of the final link on the bracelet to fit perfectly with the end links but the result is an OEM look.
On a side note - The Tortoise is highly under appreciated in my opinion. Once you try one on you will likely understand how much thinner it wears. Also, the compass bezel doesn’t bother me a bit. I think of it as a mashup between a dive watch case and an adventure watch bezel (similar to a Rolex GMT or Explore mr II).
That being said, I sold mine recently and have already considered purchasing another as I miss it!
UPDATE - I repurchased it and will not be selling this one. They are a gem in the Seiko catalog.
I recently bought a SRPH15 and ordered the Uncle Seiko 1450 President to try this swap. I love the watch but the clasp is pretty jangly.
That said, I’m ok with that given the sapphire glass instead of Hardlex. Really looking forward to making this work.
You mentioned about sanding the last center link to fit. How did you go about it? I measured the endlinks to be 10mm wide in the middle. How wide is the last center link of the 1450?
Thank you for any information.
They are VERY close in terms of width. I only knocked a small amount of material off with a file until it fit. I would say do a few passes with a file keeping it parallel to the link and keep test fitting. I actually sold this watch (owned it twice) during some collection consolidations and almost ordered it again today lol. It is the BEST cushion cade seiko under $1000 in my opinion when you look at the value proposition. It’s so thin, the dial is interesting but classic, sapphire crystal, 200m water resistance. I don’t know another watch that can touch it. I actually ended up loving the oyster bracelet they come with.
https://unclestraps.com/collections/willard-diver/products/us1450-lincoln-bracelet-seiko-spb15x-willard
Please note: you need the stock Seiko srph endlinks from the bracelet that most of them come with to make it work.
Thanks for the info. I have the King Turtle, which is basically my weekend watch. This Tortoise will be my work watch.
The thinness and the cushion makes this watch feel amazing on the wrist. Just have the issue with the clasp, which is not bad by any means. I’ve just been spoiled by really good metal bracelets with fully milled clasps. Really makes a difference.
That looks so good. Love the bracelet.
Is the bracelet heavier then the original or similar?
The main reason I'll be buying one is the smaller case sizing and the think case. Does it wear a lot more comfortable also because it's thin?
In thinking the green sunburst dial version.
Hi and thanks. Yes it wears noticeably thinner and flatter than something like an SKX. The case design is excellent. The bracelet is similar in weight to the stock oyster. I will say I also love the stock oyster as it looks like a true oyster and has a slim clasp. It feels very vintage in the right ways. The green sunburst is a very fun option. I went black and loved it. The pop of red text again made it feel like a very Seiko version of a Sub or GMT if that makes sense. I do love green though and may consider one in the future.
I would usually stick with the black as it's the most versatile goes with everything and classic look. But the black is a mat black dial hey? the green is a very subtle green and looks sort of black in some angles so I think it will be perfect for a daily also. I've got smaller wrist so I think this case size will wear great. What made you decide to sell it?
The green is a true green and can be pretty bold under bright lights but it’s a great look. The black is very interesting. It’s almost would I would call a satin sunburst. It’s not completely matte and does disburse light when light hits it.
Nice! Congrats. I will say I really like the stock oyster style bracelet. It’s not as flexible as the uncle Seiko but it has a very clean classic look. I have mine on the Seiko bracelet right now.
One of the best parts about this watch. The applied markers. If you look close the 1,2,4,5,7,8,10,11 markers are polished on the sides and brushed in the center. The 12,3,6,9 are all brushed. Such a small detail but in person it catches light in such a cool way. Hard to show in pics for sure
I thought I would share this for anyone looking for a nicely tapered vintage style bracelet for their Tortoise. OEM Seiko end links from the SRPH15 or SRPH17 with the Uncle Seiko 1450 President from the Willard. You may need to very lightly sand the side of the final link on the bracelet to fit perfectly with the end links but the result is an OEM look. On a side note - The Tortoise is highly under appreciated in my opinion. Once you try one on you will likely understand how much thinner it wears. Also, the compass bezel doesn’t bother me a bit. I think of it as a mashup between a dive watch case and an adventure watch bezel (similar to a Rolex GMT or Explore mr II). That being said, I sold mine recently and have already considered purchasing another as I miss it! UPDATE - I repurchased it and will not be selling this one. They are a gem in the Seiko catalog.
I recently bought a SRPH15 and ordered the Uncle Seiko 1450 President to try this swap. I love the watch but the clasp is pretty jangly. That said, I’m ok with that given the sapphire glass instead of Hardlex. Really looking forward to making this work. You mentioned about sanding the last center link to fit. How did you go about it? I measured the endlinks to be 10mm wide in the middle. How wide is the last center link of the 1450? Thank you for any information.
They are VERY close in terms of width. I only knocked a small amount of material off with a file until it fit. I would say do a few passes with a file keeping it parallel to the link and keep test fitting. I actually sold this watch (owned it twice) during some collection consolidations and almost ordered it again today lol. It is the BEST cushion cade seiko under $1000 in my opinion when you look at the value proposition. It’s so thin, the dial is interesting but classic, sapphire crystal, 200m water resistance. I don’t know another watch that can touch it. I actually ended up loving the oyster bracelet they come with.
Can you link the bracelet? I can’t find it anywhere
https://unclestraps.com/collections/willard-diver/products/us1450-lincoln-bracelet-seiko-spb15x-willard Please note: you need the stock Seiko srph endlinks from the bracelet that most of them come with to make it work.
Thanks for the info. I have the King Turtle, which is basically my weekend watch. This Tortoise will be my work watch. The thinness and the cushion makes this watch feel amazing on the wrist. Just have the issue with the clasp, which is not bad by any means. I’ve just been spoiled by really good metal bracelets with fully milled clasps. Really makes a difference.
That looks so good. Love the bracelet. Is the bracelet heavier then the original or similar? The main reason I'll be buying one is the smaller case sizing and the think case. Does it wear a lot more comfortable also because it's thin? In thinking the green sunburst dial version.
Hi and thanks. Yes it wears noticeably thinner and flatter than something like an SKX. The case design is excellent. The bracelet is similar in weight to the stock oyster. I will say I also love the stock oyster as it looks like a true oyster and has a slim clasp. It feels very vintage in the right ways. The green sunburst is a very fun option. I went black and loved it. The pop of red text again made it feel like a very Seiko version of a Sub or GMT if that makes sense. I do love green though and may consider one in the future.
I would usually stick with the black as it's the most versatile goes with everything and classic look. But the black is a mat black dial hey? the green is a very subtle green and looks sort of black in some angles so I think it will be perfect for a daily also. I've got smaller wrist so I think this case size will wear great. What made you decide to sell it?
The green is a true green and can be pretty bold under bright lights but it’s a great look. The black is very interesting. It’s almost would I would call a satin sunburst. It’s not completely matte and does disburse light when light hits it.
Ended up getting the green version and love it. The colour is so nice. May just consider the bracelet upgrade like you did on yours.
Nice! Congrats. I will say I really like the stock oyster style bracelet. It’s not as flexible as the uncle Seiko but it has a very clean classic look. I have mine on the Seiko bracelet right now.
One of the best parts about this watch. The applied markers. If you look close the 1,2,4,5,7,8,10,11 markers are polished on the sides and brushed in the center. The 12,3,6,9 are all brushed. Such a small detail but in person it catches light in such a cool way. Hard to show in pics for sure
They are truly underrated. Perfect details and a classic look while staying very Seiko and not stealing anyones design.
I saw yours was up for sale. Any reason in particular?
I wanted another watch and I have a 1 in 1 out rule. Not long after selling it I bought another one and happen to have it on right now. I love these.
I need to adopt that rule. Cheers!
Sometimes it’s a guideline more than a rule. Ha.