Seiko presents three new limited edition Prospex Speedtimers inspired by the Datsun 240Z, a Japanese sports car that enjoyed great success in the late 1960s and 1970s.
The 1960s represented a very important period in the history of Seikomarked by major advances in sports timekeeping, thanks to participation in numerous international competitions. In these events, the athletes' skill required reliable and precise measuring instruments capable of recording time to the hundredth of a second. In 1969, for example, Seiko presented the Speedtimer, the world's first automatic chronograph equipped with both a column wheel and a vertical clutch: two fundamental innovations that radically improved the measurement of chronometric times.
The same year also saw the debut of the Datsun 240Z, a sports car destined to conquer the world market, with particular success in Japan and North America. With the aim of demonstrating its high performance, the 240Z began competing in international rallies. Sharing the same spirit of challenge and determination, Seiko joined Datsun in motorsport in the early 1970s.
In 1971, the Datsun 240Z number 11, decorated with the Seiko logo, tackled and conquered the extreme conditions of the East African Safari Rally, covering 6,200 kilometres to victory. This race is still considered one of the toughest in the world. Today, as a testimony to the pioneering spirit that united Seiko and the Datsun 240Z in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Japanese manufacturer presents three new limited editions of the Prospex Speedtimer collection.
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer and Datsun 240Z: three limited editions
The three new models, two mechanical self-winding and one quartz with solar winding, are produced in limited series of 500, 2,500 and 4,000 pieces respectively.
Each of the three new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer chronographs therefore pays homage to the legendary Datsun 240Z, with shades that recall the car's red and black livery and dials that reinterpret three different historical versions of the Datsun logo in a watchmaking key. The model with Ref. SPB517J1 (limited edition of 2,500 pieces), a solotempo with a 39.5 mm steel case water-resistant to 20 atmospheres, is driven by the automatic mechanical calibre 6R55 (21,600 vibrations per hour, 72-hour power reserve) and is distinguished by the Datsun logo with a red circle and blue rectangle on the dial.
The Prospex Speedtimer with Ref. SRQ057J1, an automatic chronograph powered by Calibre 8R48 (28,800 vibrations per hour, 45-hour power reserve, column wheel, vertical clutch) and offered in a limited edition of 500 pieces, features the name Datsun in cursive handwriting, evoking the dynamic and distinctive style of racing cars of the era. Thanks to the use of MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) technology for the regulator components, the gauge ensures lightness, stability and precision. Its 42 mm blackened steel case is water-resistant to 10 atmospheres.
Lastly, the chronograph with Ref. SSC957P1 (limited edition of 4,000 pieces), equipped with a V192 calibre solar winding chronograph movement, offers a more decisive aesthetic, with the Datsun name at 12 o'clock in capital letters 'block'. The 41.4 mm steel case is water-resistant to 10 atmospheres. Two of the three models feature engraved historical Datsun logos on the case back: Ref. SPB517J1 adopts the logo used at the time, while the SRQ057J1 displays an emblem inspired by that of the rally car. The caseback of the SSC957, on the other hand, is decorated with an original illustration of the Datsun 240Z, created especially for this watch.
All three models are equipped with anti-reflective sapphire glass. Finally, the two automatic watches adopt a leather strap (sourced from tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group, of which Seiko is a member), while the quartz chronograph is combined with a steel bracelet. These three new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Datsun 240Z Limited Edition are available at all Seiko Boutiques, selected authorised dealers around the world and on the company's official e-commerce, at this link.
Prices: Ref. SPB517J1, 1250 euros (automatic solotempo, limited edition of 2,500 pieces); Ref. SRQ057J1, 3,500 euros (automatic chronograph, limited edition of 500 pieces); Ref. SSC957P1, 990 euros (quartz chronograph with solar winding, limited edition of 4,000 pieces).
