Seiko Gives its Affordable Chronograph a Vintage Auto Overhaul

Seiko debuted the Speedtimer as its first automatic chronograph in 1969, and while the appearance has shifted toward a conventional tricompax dial, it remains loyal to that mid-century auto-racing aesthetic.

The newest trio to join the entry-level solar quartz Prospex Speedtimer collection features two pastel dials inspired by sports cars from the late 1980s and early 1990s, along with a creamy white take on the perennial favorite panda dial.

Seiko

The new chronos feel like a triple-sized follow-up to the Prospex Speedtimer ‘Motoring’ released exclusively in Europe back in October of last year. All three watches contain the same black subdials and elaborate on the vintage panda motif.

Which is to say that all three of these new sub-$1,000 watches look an awful lot like highly coveted Rolex Daytona models from the 1960s.

The most alluring of the new releases is the steel-bezeled reference SSC965, which looks like a Daytona reference 6239 with a faded mint-green paint job.

Seiko

The minty fresh reference SSC965 features the same steel bezel with an etched and lacquered tachymeter scale as last year’s Speedtimer ‘Motoring.’ The other two use the boilerplate black fixed tachymeter bezel found throughout the solar quartz Prospex Speedtimer collection.

Pastel pandas

At arm’s length, Seiko’s new pandas are unmistakably solar Speedtimers, possessing the tell-tale fencepost hour and minute hands with an arrow seconds hand, inverted pushers and a steel three-link bracelet.

They are powered by the Seiko Caliber V192 solar quartz movement, which holds a full charge for up to six months in the dark, and is accurate to within 15 seconds per month.

Seiko

The reference SSC961, which has an off-white dial, is one of the most on-the-nose panda releases since Seiko revived the Speedtimer under the Prospex umbrella, right behind the old pearly-white SSC813.

What makes it my favorite pure panda in Seiko’s affordable chrono lineup is the yellowed lume on the hands and cardinal hour markers. It leans into the vintage patina that retro-racing-watch fans drool over.

Seiko

Meanwhile, the most eye-catching watch in the ‘Youngtimer’ release is clearly the pink dial. For chronograph fans, the reference SSC963 will immediately evoke images of the viral Tudor Black Bay Chrono Pink.

Aside from the extra subdial, this is a pretty serviceable stand-in, considering it costs almost a tenth of the retail price — let’s not even get into the resale markup — and isn’t nearly impossible to buy, even for those who can afford it.

Availability and price

My gripes with the solar quartz version of Seiko’s Prospex Speedtimer are on record — I’ll die on the “no one needs the 24-hour subdial” hill — but I rarely have a bad thing to say about the looks of the approachable chronograph collection.

Seiko

There are well over a dozen very good-looking options for sale on Seiko’s website right now, and yet all three of the ‘Youngtimer’ references would still sit near the top in a ranking. They really nail the vintage look with their attention to detail.

Not to slam on the brakes, but there is one issue with the Prospex Speedtimer ‘Youngtimer’ collection, at least for Americans. For now, the trio is available exclusively in the European market, including the UK. All three are priced at £640, but if and when they do come Stateside, they will likely be priced at $725, like the balance of the solar quartz Prospex Speedtimer collection.

Seiko

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer ‘Youngtimer’

Specs

Case Size	39mm
Movement	Seiko Caliber V192 solar quartz
Water Resistance	100m

• $725 at Seiko

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