Earlier this year, famed Japanese watchmaker Seiko made waves with the launch of two vintage-inspired mechanical chronographs, each dubbed the Prospex Speedtimer. Inspired by Seiko?s ? and Japan?s ? first wrist-worn chronograph, the Crown Chronograph from 1964, the watches referenced a lesser known but significant piece of watchmaking history with an aesthetic that spoke directly to enthusiasts.

This month, Seiko showed that it wasn?t done with vintage callbacks in 2021 just yet, introducing another historically inspired timepiece called the Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph. The watch, which is made up of four colorways of the same base design, takes its inspiration from one of the most famous vintage chronographs around ? from Seiko or otherwise. That historic watch, known as the Speedtimer Ref. 6139, was the market?s first widely available automatic chronograph, unveiled in May 1969 ? which is notably earlier than the release of both Zenith?s El Primero and Heuer?s Caliber 11.
The new Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph is designed to channel that historic source material while also in line with the brand?s modern technological advancements and the distinctive styling of the Prospex collection. Available with either a white, gold, blue, or black dial ? each with plenty of appealing accents and contrasts ? the watch immediately has the look of a modern sports chronograph, purpose built for everyday wear. With a 39 mm by 13.3 mm steel case, the sizing is ...