How can Seiko turn just one hundred years old in 2024? The payoff “Since 1881” might be somewhat confusing to most people; yet, please note that the first watch bearing the Seiko name appeared in 1924, just a few years after the wristwatch spread, by the end of the First World War.
What has just begun is a milestone year that Seiko aims to celebrate with a combination of newly designed products and mechanical prowess, highlighting innovations patented by the Japanese watchmaking industry and spread across the globe after that.
Among the complications earning Seiko the badge of product innovator in the industry is the self-winding mechanical chronograph, whose relevance stood out thanks to the 61 Speedtimer’s fiftieth anniversary and the column wheel mechanism with a vertical clutch.
The design
First, Let’s talk about design, mainly the product’s silhouette, as this term translates to Italian, i.e. the new Seiko Speedtimer Chronograph’s lines and traits. The brand tops the list of watch brands which place the “Voice of Customer” as a priority.
Since the launch of the two-counter Speedtimer in 2021, Seiko marketing has listened to enthusiasts and industry gurus and unveiled two mechanical three-register chronographs fostering a renewal process, as exemplified by the latest Prospex diving watches.
The new design template unleashes an unprecedented and more mainstream three-counter layout, which fits into a highly competitive product category where the product quality to the listed price is the winning factor.
Case and bracelet
Hands-on, you immediately recognize the traits found on a Speedtimer Solar while offering a smaller size than a two-counter Speedtimer.
The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph welcomes a case and a bracelet whose design stands inside and outside the Prospex category at first sight.
The new model, pictured here in its limited edition SRQ049J1 livery, offers sleek proportions; while a three-register layout is widely appreciated, the result is less conservative than it appears and proves once again how the experience goes past expectations.
A rare combination of Prospex and King Seiko
The squared lugs remind the SPB and SJE’s ones, but they’re smooth and softly curved as it is the case’s side. It measures smaller than any SRQ039J1’s 15.1 mm and aims to improve the product’s comfort along with a new integrated bracelet whose smaller mesh reminds us of a King Seiko’s.
Making a good bracelet is a not-to-be-missed target, and Seiko designers nailed it with increasingly original, very comfortable and easy-to-set new bracelet designs.
The new Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph is exquisitely machined, and – steel being steel – Seiko’s case and bracelet offer top-notch build quality and shine like no other in the benchmark.
The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph Limited Edition SRQ049J1 measures 42.0 mm across and 14.6 mm in thickness (a relevant 0.5 mm less than its bi-complex sibling) while offering a 49 5 mm lug-to-lug distance. It weighs, according to Seiko, 183.0 grams.
The Mechanical Chrono Speedtimer is aesthetically proportioned.
Mentioned above, the specs align with the segment’s standards and complement a timepiece showcasing a refined aesthetic and functional balance between case and bracelet.
The bracelet’s lightweight construction has allowed the watch to stay in the low 200-gram area. What we’ll improve, instead, regards wordings and namings.
As an example, we’d love the Seiko logo applied to the screw-down crown (the case is waterproof up to 100 metres), and a different displacement of the logos would be the cherry on the cake to a great design since it works in this “reverse panda” option as it does in the panda option, too.
The Seiko Speedtimer’s calibre 8R48
A chronograph is as valuable as it is mechanically up to the task. Period. Also, the column wheel with a vertical clutch is more attractive when executed by the brand that initially patented such a device.
Most people need to be aware of Seiko’s leadership in chronograph making, but we’ll nonetheless believe it’s our job to highlight who came first in the business. For example, most watch lovers still consider the titanium wristwatch a Swiss-made patent.
SPRON and MEMS
The 8R48 movement is equipped and manufactured according to Seiko’s proprietary technologies and adopts a different approach to the Swiss-made competitors whose silicon hairspring is their industry’s pillar. Seiko adopts SPRON, i.e. nickel-cobalt alloy developed by the Metal Materials Laboratory of Tohoku University in conjunction with Seiko Instruments Inc.
Silicon involves a service model based on replacement rather than repair (and adjustment), and since we lack data and tests to run a comparison, it’s hard to establish which is best for a customer. However, we point out that most vertically integrated and independent manufacturers (e.g. Rolex) adopt Seiko’s product philosophy.
Seiko adopts MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology, originally adopted in the semiconductors industry, to precisely machine parts of the movement, like the watch’s beating heart parts.
Despite looking like a too-nitty-gritty topic, Japanese savoir-faire and long-established reliability stand out here.
Triggering the Chrono is as smooth as it gets, and you won’t notice, up close, any jump of the long sweeping second’s hand. The 8R48 is a top-quality mechanical movement yet a bit too thick; here is where Seiko technicians should apply their “kaizen” moving forward.
Basic specifications of the Seiko Speedtimer
The Seiko 8R48 calibre runs at 4 Hz. It guarantees a +25 and -15 seconds per day accuracy, and at least 45 hours of power reserve, according to Seiko.
Final thoughts
The new Speedtimer Chronograph and other commemorative collections revealed so far prove how the brand’s design is undergoing a consistent upgrade. Seiko keeps improving, and these new Speedtimers are well-conceived and offer superior attention to detail. We’re sure they’ll attract a wider audience than ever before.
We see it as the perfect base for a 100% Japanese “collab watch”, and we can’t avoid mentioning “Team Ikuzawa” as a potential partner. They delivered a collaboration watch already, but Seiko is a perfect match, too.
The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph Limited Edition SRQ049J1 sells for 2,900 Eurosand is limited to 1000 pieces. As an option, you can get the standard non-limited Seiko option for 2,700 Euros. For more information, please visit the official Seiko website. For further information please visit the official Seiko website.
(Photo credit: Horbiter®)
Giovanni Di Biase @Horbiter®
In this article:
Chronograph
Complication that helps the wearer to measure time intervals without affecting the watch's standard time-telling function.
Case
It encases the mechanical movement and is crafted in one or more parts. It can also be a single piece, as with some professional diving watches, or made of unconventional…
Crown
Placed on the case side, it winds the mainspring. When pulled out, it also sets the time and the date. A screw-down crown increases water resistance and protects the movement…
Power Reserve
A mechanical watch feature displays, on the dial or the case back, the remaining power in a watch movement, showing the length of time until the timepiece must be rewound.
Calibre
A calibre is the type of watch movement encased in an assigned timepiece. Its name is usually associated with the manufacturer's name and a standard code, e.g., ETA 2824.
