Seiko is off to the races with a limited, lilac Speedtimer Solar for the World Athletics Championships
Russell SheldrakeFrom the 13th to 21st of September, the World Athletics Championship will be held in Tokyo, bringing some of the best athletes in the world to Japan’s capital. To mark this occasion, Seiko has released a limited edition version of its Speedtimer Solar Chronograph with a soft lilac dial to match the games’ official colour. Let’s take a closer look at this watch, which is designed to take on both track and field events.
The dial
The official colour of the World Athletics Championship is Edo Purple, a rich colour that links to Tokyo’s historic name, Edo, and was also chosen for the elegance and prestige that people around the world have long associated with most shades of purple. In the words of the games’ organising body, “the traditional colour ‘Edo Purple’, which originates from Edo (the old name for Tokyo), symbolises ‘Tokyo-ness’ and ‘Tokyo’s unique championship’, which distinguish the championships from others.” And while we have seen Seiko use rich purple colours on its dials before, here they went for a softer lilac tone that feels more inspired and directed by Edo Purple, rather than opting for that exact shade.
The rest of this dial is as we would expect from this retro-inspired line, with a panda configuration of its triple register 3-6-9 sub-dials taking on a dark, almost black tone. It is inside these registers where the solar energy is captured to help power this watch. The rest of the dial furniture is finished in black, including the Seiko and Prospex ‘X’ logo, along with the hands and faceted hour markers. The hands, cardinal hour markers and sub-dials have all been covered in Lumibrite to aid visibility during those late-night races and training sessions. This all comes together in a dial that creates a pleasant amount of contrast that aids visibility without distracting from the special colour that has been used.
The case
There are two case sizes inside the Prospex Speedtimer family, and this is the slightly smaller 39mm version – certainly a good move for the Japanese market that has always preferred watches of a smaller size. Not much has changed for this limited edition when we compare it to the standard production. We have a black-coated, stainless steel tachymeter bezel that is angled, allowing further separation of the engraved numbers and markers.
There is a circular graining on top of the lugs and case, while the case band and underside of the lugs is polished. Turning the watch over, we have a closed caseback with the special engraving that not only features the games’ logo, but also the limited edition number of the watch you own, so you know where in the run of 6,000 yours sits. A nice feature on a watch with such a high limited run, as this individual numbering is something we are only used to seeing on watches with much shorter runs. The screw-down back and well-designed crown and pushers give this watch 100 metres of water resistance.
The movement
Inside this watch is the solar-powered Seiko V192. This chronograph calibre is cable of holding six months of power at full charge, and as mentioned above, charges through the three sub-dials. What is interesting about this movement is that it doesn’t run the “standard” chronograph functions. As you would expect, we have the chronograph seconds hand centrally mounted with the 9 o’clock register acting as the running seconds, 6 o’clock being your 60-minute counter (along with having E and F markings for power reserve), and 3 o’clock serving as a 24-hour indicator. That final feature will certainly come in handy for athletes travelling long distances to the games, and feeling a bit discombobulated with the change in time zone and not knowing if its morning or evening. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work as a second time zone indicator.
The movement is accurate to within 15 seconds a day, and if you do ever leave it in the dark for long enough, the seconds hand will begin to jump in two second intervals to warn you that it’s low on power. It can be charged by natural and artificial light, so no need to worry if you need to give it a quick boost whilst staying inside.
The bracelet
This watch comes on a three-link steel bracelet with highly polished centre links and brushed outer ones to match the finish of the case. The end-links are a good match for the case design, and each individual link articulates perfectly to drape nicely over the wrist. With its three-fold construction and an easy-to-use push button, you won’t be fumbling around with the clasp to take this thing off just before you start your race. Granted, more than two holes of micro-adjust would’ve been great, especially at this price point.
The verdict
Having an individually numbered limited edition that costs less than €1,000 is always a nice thing to have. And as the run is quite a large one, keeping the non-watch branding to a minimum means that you open yourself up to a much larger market – you are not only going to appeal to those who love athletics. Given the soft lilac tones and well-considered proportions, I can see this being snapped up by a lot of different people. This is watch ticks a lot of boxes for me, and it certainly feels like a fitting companion for the upcoming competition.
Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph SSC995 pricing and availability
The new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph SSC995 is limited to 6,000 pieces. Price: A$1,200, €770, US$775
| Brand | Seiko |
| Model | Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph SSC995 |
| Case Dimensions | 39mm (D) x 13.3mm (T) x 45.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Edo purple |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Stainless steel three link, three-fold clasp |
| Movement | Seiko V192, solar quartz |
| Power Reserve | 6 months |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, 24-hour indicator, power reserve |
| Availability | Limited to 6,000, available August 2025 |
| Price | A$1,200 €770 US$775 |