Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Chronograph SRQ039J1 Blue Dial Palms-On

Seiko expands its Prospex Speedtimer chronograph sequence with a brand new blue panda-style dial with contrasting black sub-dials. Launched in 2021, the Prospex Speedtimer celebrates Seiko’s contribution to sports activities timing with a fusion of design particulars and mechanical options of stopwatches and wristwatch chronographs produced within the Nineteen Sixties. The case and dial, for instance, choose up on particular design options and the impeccable legibility of Seiko’s handheld stopwatches and its manual-winding Crown Chronograph 5179 wristwatch of 1964. Honouring the subtle computerized chronograph motion of Seiko’s legendary calibre 6139 of 1969, the Prospex Speedtimers are powered by the calibre 8R46 with a vertical clutch and column wheel. Right here’s the brand new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SRQ039J1.

The race in opposition to time

Though we have a tendency to recollect 1969 because the yr when America gained the house race and landed a person on the Moon, there was one other race between Swiss watch manufactures to develop the primary computerized chronograph motion. Whereas Zenith and the Heuer/Hamilton/Breitling coalition rushed to the end line, one other contender in Japan – Seiko – was additionally growing an computerized chronograph motion code-named 6139 with a column wheel and vertical clutch.

The 1/fifth second Seiko stopwatch from 1964, made for sports activities timing

The unique Seiko Speedtimer launched in 1969, with its computerized calibre 6139

Nevertheless, Seiko’s first wristwatch chronograph predated the 6139 by 5 years and was launched in 1964, simply in time for the 1964 Summer season Olympics. Marking the primary chronograph wristwatch produced in Japan, the calibre 5179 was developed by Toshihiko Ohki and produced at Seiko’s Seikosha manufacture in Suwa. Positioned contained in the 38mm Crown Chronograph of 1964, it was a monopusher chronograph with a excessive frequency of 5.5 Hz, readings of 1/5^th of a second and no sub-dials. As an alternative of sub-counters to document elapsed instances, the Crown Chronograph relied on a black rotating bezel with1-min increments.

In 2019, Seiko took a visit down reminiscence lane and paid tribute to its 1964 Crown Chronograph with the Presage Chronograph 55^th Anniversary mannequin and a chronograph to commemorate the Fiftieth-anniversary of its well-known 1969 calibre 6139 – the Prospex SRQ029. Simply two years later, it launched two Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronographs SRQ035 & SRQ037, to seize the look of its high-precision timing devices of the Nineteen Sixties. The SRQ035, a restricted version of 1,000 items, captured the stark minimalism of Seiko’s 1/5^th of a second handheld stopwatch of 1964 with its white dial and black markings and replicated the piston-style pushers of the 1964 Crown Chronograph wristwatch. Though the second mannequin, reference SRQ037, shares an identical case and an an identical motion to the abovementioned mannequin, the look is extra in step with the present Prospex assortment, similar to the blue SRQ039J1 mannequin launched in the present day.

Blue panda dial

The newest Speedtimer is cased in stainless-steel with a super-hard coating; it measures 42.5mm throughout, has a thickness of 15.1mm and is waterproof to 100 metres. Just like the 1964 Crown Chronograph, it options outsized pump chronograph pushers that give the watch its distinctive id.

The brand new blue dial color is vertically brushed and has utilized hour markers with double-faceted profiles and polished ending. In comparison with the SRQ037, you’ll discover that the indices are barely shorter, and the sharp-tipped hour and minute palms are blunter at their suggestions. On the internal black flange, the size not includes a tachymeter and is now a traditional 60-second precision monitor.

One other distinctive function is the elimination of the 1/4^th of a second monitor from the dial, which is now changed with white dots. The lume plots at the moment are white, as is the Lumibrite masking the central hour, minute and chronograph palms in addition to the small hand similar to the 30-minute counter on the left. Beady-eyed followers can even discover that the palms within the two black, barely recessed and snailed counters are much like the palms featured on the restricted version SRQ035. Matching the color of the 2 sub-dials, the date aperture on this SRQ039J1 additionally includes a black background.

Calibre 8R46

Contained in the case is in-house calibre 8R46, a motion derived from Seiko’s most superior 8R chronograph sequence. Maybe not probably the most engaging visually, for the reason that chronograph capabilities are positioned below the dial, the motion comes with a top-tier column wheel and vertical clutch structure. Beating at a frequency of 4Hz, it delivers an influence reserve of 45 hours. Along with the chronograph capabilities, it shows small seconds and date.

The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Chronograph SRQ039J1 comes with a 185mm-long blue crocodile leather-based bracelet with a triple folding clasp with push-button launch. The retail value is EUR 3,000.

For extra info, please go to Seikowatches.com.