Inspired by Seiko’s heritage, the new Speedtimer mechanical chronographs are born into the Prospex collection.
Seiko’s very first timepiece in the world of chronographs was the Speedtimer. The Seiko 6139 (for international buyers) or “Speedtimer” for the domestic Japanese market was released in 1972. Since then, it has been a core timepiece in Seiko’s collection of watches, with it getting updated to suit modern standards throughout the years.
In 2021, a new Speedtimer series was introduced into the Prospex collection to update the Speedtimer model and honour Seiko’s rich and continuing tradition of sports timing. Seiko recently unveiled the latest design for the Speedtimer, along with a limited edition 100-year Seiko anniversary celebratory piece.
The new design carries many of the design elements from the original Speedtimer in 1972. The flowing case design, multi-row bracelet, and highly legible panda-style dial with an orange-tipped chronograph seconds hand are all design cues referenced from the original piece. Both the new releases come in a 42mm stainless steel case, along with a multi-row (9-link) stainless steel bracelet made of fine links, allowing flexible movement for a more comfortable fit on the wrist.
The two models come in an iconic dial design, either panda design or reverse panda. The reverse panda (white with blue counters) is the standard new Speedtimer Chronograph, while the grey/blue dial with silver counters (panda) is reserved for the limited edition Seiko Brand 100th Anniversary. The silver dial design uses vertical hairline techniques, adding depth to the dial instead of a simple colour finish. The chronograph seconds hand has also been specifically designed to curve down ever so slightly so that the tip of the hand extends right to the tachymeter scale on the dial.
The dial carries a 3-6-9 sub-counter layout, with it measuring seconds, 12 hours and 30 minutes, respectively. As the bezel doesn’t carry the tachymeter scale, it is pushed into the outer part of the dial, which also features the second railroad track. I feel that this layout and the addition of the tri-sub counter layout can make the dial appear crowded. This, however, doesn’t mean the dial is not easy to read.
Quite the opposite, with the counters being easily legible and hour indices standing out due to the contrast against the background colours (especially the limited edition Seiko 100th anniversary timepiece). What I also really like is the date window placement. Sitting between the 4 and 5 o’clock hour indices, the date indicator feels like it’s done just right, facing vertically and in the same direction as the sub-counters.
Seiko has fitted the brand’s in-house Calibre 8R48 automatic movement. The brand states in regards to this movement that “the chronograph movement’s vertical clutch and column wheel ensure the precision and reliability that are the hallmarks of the 8R movement series. Caliber 8R48 is constructed with robustness and maintainability in mind. Its escapement is lightweight and strong thanks to the use of MEMS technology, which enhances stability and precision. “ The movement can operate at a high frequency of 4Hz (28,800 VpH), which ensures a high level of accuracy whilst also delivering a decent power-reserve of 45 hours.
This new pair of Speedtimer Chronographs do the “Speedtimer” collection justice. However, two main talking points need to be addressed. Firstly is the thickness of the watch. It is 14.6mm thick, which is quite large by most modern chronograph standards. The upside is that the bracelet design is flexible, allowing for a comfortable wrist fit.
Secondly is the pricing of the watches. Sitting at $3,900 AUD for the base non-limited Speedtimer, one may find this is priced highly. However, it needs to be considered that Seiko’s pricing for a lot of its pieces has gone up competitively with the rest of the market. At this price, however, you get a well-crafted chronograph with history, good wrist presence, and one of Seiko’s best modern movements.
Reference: SRQ047 (Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph), SRQ049 (Seiko Brand 100th Anniversary Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph Limited Edition)
Specification
- Case: 42mm, 14.6mm thick,
- Case: Stainless steel with super-hard coating
- Dial: Silver dial with blue sub-counters or gr/blue dial with silver counters.
- Crystal: Dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface
- Caseback: Closed case back with “SEIKO” engraving
- Water resistance: 100 m (10 BAR)
- Movement: Caliber 8R48, Automatic Chronograph with column wheel and vertical clutch systems
- Movement Frequency: 4Hz / 28, 800 VpH
- Movement Power reserve: 45 hours
- Bracelet: Multi-row (9-link) stainless steel bracelet. The limited edition SRQ049 gets an additional black leather strap as well.
