A Review of the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SRQ043 Watch
Wednesday - 21 September 2022
Surprisingly, the Speedtimer watch by Seiko has been absent for a large proportion of the Japanese brand’s history, even though Seiko created one of the world’s first automatic chronographs back in the 1960s. But the Seiko Speedtimer made a proper comeback last year and we were all pretty happy about that. After all, the Speedtimer is thought to have been the first automatic chronograph to be sold to the general public, despite only being released to a Japanese audience for its first few months. To mark the return of the Seiko Speedtimer, now belonging to the company’s popular Prospex watch collection, the brand equipped it with an in-house movement with a vertical clutch and a column wheel. These components provide an overall better and smoother performance and remove the shudder often experienced with the seconds hand. Now it's time for a new model to be welcomed into the line. This time, the Seiko Speedtimer Chronograph watch looks more like the original 1969 Speedtimer than ever, with an eye-catching blue and red colourway that couldn’t be sportier if it tried.
Perhaps the fact that automatic chronographs have been so rare throughout Seiko’s catalogue (there have been many quartz-powered chronographs!) will make this new release one of the most desirable of the company’s 2022 launches. The brand has notably lacked a line dedicated to these wristwatches for many years and so it just might be that Seiko’s fan base has been longing for a range of timepieces that nod to the success of the automatic chronograph in a faithful way.
Last year Seiko – amongst other models – released an automatic Speedtimer with prominent push pieces and a clean white dial that was based on a hand-held stopwatch from 1964. Now, as an accurate adaptation of the brand’s inaugural Speedtimer watch of 1969, the brand releases the new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Chronograph SRQ043. The model follows in the footsteps of last year’s release, with a round-shaped case (as opposed to a cushion-shaped case) crafted from stainless steel. The case is strengthened with a “Super Hard” scratch-resistant coating on its surface. The new model is also 42.5mm in diameter and measures a case depth of 15.1mm. New to the design is an internal black tachymeter scale for measuring speed based on distance, which now appears underneath the watch’s double domed scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass front.
The new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SRQ043 watch
The new Seiko Speedtimer SRQ043 watch presents the time in a blue and red dial that makes for a resolutely sporty-looking wristwatch. The dial is executed in a deep blue hue and is punctuated by red accents seen in the central chronograph seconds hand and the 30-minute sub-counter at 9 o’clock. Balancing this feature is a small seconds sub-counter at 3 o’clock and both scales are filled with a white colour with crisp black numerals. To assist the rest of the stainless steel case with a 100-meter water-resistant rating, the watch features a closed caseback. The hour track represented in applied baton markers, together with the central hour and minute hands, has received a generous application of Lumibrite to assist with timekeeping in dark conditions. Other features of the Seiko Speedtimer watch’s dial include a date window at 6 o’clock and the iconic Seiko lettering applied to the display at 12 o’clock. Attention to detail can be admired in many aspects of the new Speedtimer watch, including the central red chronograph seconds hand, which curves towards its base, enabling it to stretch right out to the tachymeter scale
markings.
Last year, Seiko’s Speedtimer Chronograph watches were powered by the Caliber 8R46, the same as this new 2022 release. The reliable workhorse runs at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 45-hour power reserve. As mentioned, this is a column wheel movement with a vertical clutch that proves a great value proposition considering this is also an in-house developed movement.
The new Seiko Speedtimer Chronograph watch is completed on a stainless steel three-link bracelet that has been specially manufactured for this series. The thickness and weight of the case have both been beautifully balanced to ensure stability and comfort on the wrist and the watch also comes with an additional black leather strap inside its presentation box for switching up the style of the timepiece depending on the occasion.
If you’d like more information on this sporty blue and red chronograph, which will join Seiko’s current Prospex collection, you can check out the spec details here or call and speak to a member of our sales team at Jura Watches on 01335 453453
