Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph SSC995

Russell Sheldrake

From the thirteenth to twenty first of September the World Athletics Championship can be held in Tokyo, bringing a number of the finest athletes on the planet to Japan’s capital. To mark this event, Seiko has launched a restricted version model of its Speedtimer Photo voltaic Chronograph with a delicate lilac dial to match the video games’ official color. Let’s take a better take a look at this watch, which is designed to tackle each monitor and area occasions.

The dial

The official color of the World Athletics Championship is Edo Purple, a wealthy color that hyperlinks to Tokyo’s historic title, Edo, and was additionally chosen for the magnificence and status that folks all over the world have lengthy related to most shades of purple. Within the phrases of the video games’ organising physique, “the normal color “Edo Purple”, which originates from Edo (the outdated title for Tokyo), symbolises “Tokyo-ness” and “Tokyo’s distinctive championship”, which distinguish the championships from others.” And whereas we now have seen Seiko use wealthy purple colors on its dials earlier than, right here they went for a softer lilac tone that feels extra impressed and directed by Edo Purple, quite than choosing that actual shade.

The remainder of this dial is as we might anticipate from this retro-inspired line, with a panda configuration of its  triple register 3-6-9 sub-dials taking over a darkish, virtually black tone. It’s inside these registers the place the photo voltaic power is captured to assist energy this watch. The remainder of the dial furnishings is completed in black, together with the Seiko and Prospex ‘X’ brand, together with the centrally mounted palms and faceted hour markers. The palms, cardinal hour markers and sub-dials have all been lined in Lumibrite to assist visibility throughout these late-night races and coaching classes. This all comes collectively in a dial that creates a nice quantity of distinction that aids visibility with out distracting from the particular color that has been used.

The case

There are two case sizes contained in the Prospex Speedtimer household, and that is the marginally smaller 39mm model, actually a very good transfer for the Japanese market that has all the time most popular watches of a smaller dimension. Not a lot has modified for this restricted version after we examine it to the usual manufacturing. We’ve got a black, coated, chrome steel tachymeter bezel that’s angled permitting additional separation of the engraved numbers and markers.

There’s a round graining on prime of the lugs and case whereas the case band and underside of the lugs is extremely polished. Turning the watch over we now have a closed caseback with the particular engraving that not solely options the video games’ brand but additionally the restricted version variety of the watch you personal, so you understand the place within the run of 6,000 yours sits. A pleasant function on a watch with such a excessive restricted run, as this particular person numbering is one thing we’re solely used to seeing on watches with a lot shorter runs. The screwed in again and well-designed crown and pushers give this watch 100m of water resistance.

The motion

Inside this watch is the photo voltaic powered V192 motion. This chronograph calibre is cable of holding six months of energy at full cost, and as talked about above, this cost is gained via the three sub-dials. What’s attention-grabbing about this motion is that it doesn’t run the “commonplace” chronograph features. As you’d anticipate we now have the chronograph seconds hand centrally mounted with the 9 o’clock register performing because the working seconds, 6 o’clock being your 60 minute counter, together with having E and F markings for energy reserve, and three o’clock serving as a 24-hour (AM/PM) indicator. That remaining function will definitely come in useful for athletes travelling lengthy distances to the video games and feeling a bit discombobulated with the change in time zone and never figuring out if its morning or night. However, sadly, it doesn’t work as a second time zone indicator.

The motion is correct to inside ±15 seconds a day and in case you do ever depart it at the hours of darkness for lengthy sufficient, the seconds hand will start to leap in two second intervals to warn you that its low on energy. It may be charged by pure and synthetic gentle, so no want to fret if you’ll want to give it a fast enhance while staying inside.

The bracelet

This watch comes on a 3 hyperlink metal bracelet with extremely polished centre hyperlinks and brushed outer to match the end of the case. The top hyperlinks match properly into the case and every hyperlink is completely articulated, so it drapes properly over the wrist. The clasp is a three-fold development with an easy-to-use push button, which means you received’t be fumbling round to take this factor off simply earlier than you begin your race. Whereas some micro-adjust would have been nice right here, that’s all the time going to be a compromise when you think about this worth level and you might be already packing so many different options in right here.

The decision

Having an individually numbered restricted version that prices lower than €1,000 is all the time a pleasant factor to have. And because the run is kind of a big one, holding the non-watch branding to a minimal right here signifies that you open your self as much as a a lot bigger market, you aren’t solely going to attraction to those that love the World Athletics Championships. And given the delicate lilac tones of this dial and well-considered proportions I can see this being snapped up by quite a lot of totally different folks. It is a splendidly thought-about watch that ticks quite a lot of packing containers for me and it actually looks like a becoming companion for the upcoming video games.

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Photo voltaic Chronograph SSC995 pricing and availability

The brand new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Photo voltaic Chronograph SSC995 is restricted to six,000 items. Value: €770.