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Old 15 April 2020, 03:38 AM   #1
T-Bro
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Frankenstein Kermit Turtle

Quarantine cabin fever really kicking in. In early March, I sent the Seiko service center people my SLA033 and a SRP779 to be repaired. Love the SLA033 and it is being repaired under warranty. the SRP had a blank warranty card and I agreed to pay $176 for the repair, as I bought it on eBay for around $275.

Have always been fascinated with personalizing gear (old Penn reels, Newell’s, Landcruisers, Nautilus fly reels, etc.). Mix and match parts and colors to make them different than what else is out there. Never really got into this with the watch habit, other than to change bands.

Having been obsessed with Seiko divers since I received my first in the late ‘70s, I thought it would be cool to make a Frankenwatch that combines my two favorite watches, the Kermit and the Turtle. Have flirted with buying a kermit for a long time, but have found the 40mm size is too small for my 7.75” wrists. Gave my 5 digit Pepsi GMT to my wife and only own one Rolex now, the SD50. Still, the look of the Kermit is very appealing. Never really liked the Hulk, so I passed when I had an opportunity to buy tHe Sumo with green dial and bezel.

However, I started to think it would be fun to mod the SRP779 and change it’s colors from the Pepsi to something more original. I came across the DLW website and ordered a coin edge bezel, green ceramic bezel insert, MM hands in silver with a red tip seconds hand, an engraved crown, and a double domed sapphire crystal. Hoping that when I get it put together, I will have something that is unique and offers a Kermit feel in a 45mm package.

If anyone has already done this, I would love to see the result before I go through the effort. As a backup, also ordered a silver seconds hand in the lightning bolt style with a yellow tip, which I thought would look good against the black dial and green bezel insert.

Still thinking about what band as well. The Seadweller 43mm is the only watch I wear on a bracelet and most other watches I own are one rubber straps or MN straps. the strap code bracelets look kind of cool, but I am thinking maybe a tropic strap would be a good way to reference the turtle heritage of the mod?

Thanks for listening to my rambling mind.

Best,
Todd
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Old 23 July 2020, 05:52 AM   #2
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After a 4 month wait at the Mahwah service center, due to watch arriving 3 days before COVID closed it, just got modded watch back from watchmaker in Denver. I present my first modded Seiko, an homage to the Kermit with a lightning bolt second hand. Went with green ceramic bezel insert, coin edge bezel, MM hands, engraved stem, and double domed sapphire crystal from DLW. I like it and fun to have something unique.

Also put in a photo of the watch that has been on my wrist for the last 3 months, the SLA 033 on a MN strap. Both great watches.
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Old 23 July 2020, 06:19 AM   #3
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A green turtle! Looks great!
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Old 23 July 2020, 06:56 AM   #4
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Very Cool!

I know you love the Turtle but you can always check out the new Sumo SPBJ1031. Maybe it's big enough for you.

I have this one and absolutely love the green. Picture courtesy of Monochrome Watches.

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Old 23 July 2020, 07:13 AM   #5
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Looks awesome!
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Old 23 July 2020, 09:20 AM   #6
T-Bro
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That is a great looking watch and I did see it when it came out. The issue is that it looks like the HULK, not the Kermit. I tried to see if I could get the Sumo with a black face and then add the green dial, but they looked at me like I had two heads. I could have probably worse it harder, but I already had a SRP779 with a bad movement that was just sitting in the drawer. I also think it would have been about a push to buy the Sumo and add the green bezel, versus getting the Turtle serviced, buying the modding parts, and then having it assembled. Plus it looks like nothing else I have seen.
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Old 23 July 2020, 12:24 PM   #7
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Congrats, T-Bro!

The stock Turtles are great and an amazing value but like you I really love making them unique. I've tried to give mine a vintage vibe w/ modern components. Including the lightning bolt second hand.
dP
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Old 23 July 2020, 12:55 PM   #8
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Old 23 July 2020, 11:38 PM   #9
T-Bro
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Thought I would put the watch on a bracelet to keep the Kermit homage truer to the original, but only like my SD43 on metal, as all my other watches are on MN straps, rubber, or leather. Think this looks OK and balances the turtle elements against the Rolex?

Any other ideas to consider? I have some isofranes I could try. Lume is great and I like the slightly yellower glow from the hands against the pips.
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Old 23 July 2020, 11:52 PM   #10
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That looks great... now I need to buy more Turtles to mod, because i want to keep my SRP777 stock, yet after seeing this I want to mod one with a coin edge bezel and lightning bolt, as well as domed sapphire. Why oh why did I have to click this thread?
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Old 24 July 2020, 04:12 AM   #11
T-Bro
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Those are easy upgrades and still keep the cost reasonable. At least part of these should have been Seiko upgrades to the King Turtle. The sapphire crystal is way better and a little tweak like a lightning bolt will make it stand out in a sea of generic turtles. I think the black is a killer classic diver look. Never liked the bezel on the SRP line.
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Old 24 July 2020, 11:47 AM   #12
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The watch turned out to be great, very nice.
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Old 24 July 2020, 01:32 PM   #13
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I have several seiko divers, and the turtle, in my collection. I have changed all of them to the OEM seiko rubber bracelet. Even the mighty Marine Master 300 looks better in rubber.

I put the SKX on a Yobokies super engineer bracelet. But eventually changed it back to rubber. I don’t know about the others, I still feel that OEM rubber on a Seiko is unbeatable. I have toyed with the idea of an Isofrane at one point, but after several visits to try to “pair” it with one of my Seiko Divers, I went back to the original.


By the way, your Kermit turtle looks badass...


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Old 24 July 2020, 03:31 PM   #14
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Great mod, it looks awesome!

Now you’ve given me the idea to mod my STO Turtle. I want to put a ceramic lumed bezel insert on it and maybe a lightening bolt hand like yours. Thanks for the inspiration... I’ll send you the bill
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Old 8 August 2020, 02:55 AM   #15
T-Bro
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Put it on a bonetto cinturini tropic strap and I like it a little better than the traditional Seiko dive strap that wraps around my 7.75” wrist.
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