The apparel of the 1970s continues to creep its way back into the watch world, with Seiko being the latest brand to dip into the decade’s smorgasbord of cool for inspiration. The evidence can be found in their two latest releases, the Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph (ref. SQR047) and the 100th Anniversary Limited Edition (ref. SQR049), which both take inspiration from the 1972 “Panda” Speedtimer, ref. 6138-8020.
From the orange-tipped chronograph hands to the stacked, 12 o’clock positioning of the Seiko and Prospex logos, both new watches grasp a hold of the Japanese brand’s classic appeal and give it a modern twist. Fans of vintage Seikos will instantly recognize the SQR047, as it holds a number of similarities to the collector favorite 6138-8020.
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Like the much-loved watch that came before, the SQR047 features a silver-white “panda” dial with blue-grey subdials, and in better news, it’s set to become a regular production release-so maybe there’s no need to try to dig through the secondary market trying to find a “real” one anymore. The 100th Anniversary SQR049, meanwhile, reverses this color scheme and will be limited to just 1,000 pieces.
Outside of the flipped color schemes, the two watches feature the same specs. Both have stainless steel cases and come with a redesigned nine-link bracelet, which has a three-fold clasp and push-button release-an extra perk to the SQR049 is it comes with an additional leather strap. Each measures 42mm in diameter with a 14.6mm thickness–slightly thinner than the 1972 watch-has a 4:30 date window, and is water resistant up to 10 meters.
Both watches are powered by Seiko’s automatic caliber 8R48 movement. This in-house movement includes a column wheel and vertical clutch, operates at 4 Hz, and offers a 45-hour power reserve.
The watches are set to hit shelves this month with the SQR047 priced at $2,500 and the SQR049 at $2,700.
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This story was originally published December 22, 2023, 12:01 PM.
source: star-telegram
