- Seiko commemorates the Datsun 240Z rally automotive with three restricted version timepieces.
- The brand new watches will probably be commemorated with wide-release non-Datsun branded fashions.
- Assortment options each mechanical and solar-powered pieced, on sale from September.
Assume automotive-related timepieces, and also you’ll most likely go to the likes of Tag Heuer, Rolex, Richard Mille, Oris, or anybody else that has had a latest affiliation with Method 1. However for one watchmaker, their ties to motorsport take a little bit of a distinct trajectory.
Seiko’s affiliation with motorsports goes far again. In actual fact, earlier than Tag went all-out on their Senna affiliation (one which stands to this present day), within the 80s and 90s, the Japanese watchmaker was worn by the Brazilian. However flip again the fingers of time even additional, and also you’ll spot the Seiko Speedtimer on the wrists of 1 Hans Schuller.
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Schuller was a navigator within the 1971 East African Safari Rally. Along with driver Edgar Herrmann, they emerged victorious in a Datsun 240Z. Within the 60s and 70s, the Safari Rally was a real take a look at of man and machine. Dominated by the likes of Porsche, Peugeot, and Ford, 1971 was the primary time Datsun tasted victory, incomes it followers internationally. So it’s good then, the Seiko remembers the function they performed within the historical past books.
Victory Commemorated
Seiko is launching a trio of Prospex Speedtimer restricted editions honoring the Datsun 240Z. The collaboration not solely revisits that historical past from the late ’60s and early ’70s however channels it into modern-day watchmaking with designs steeped in automotive cues.
It does so throughout a spread of mechanical and photo voltaic chronographs. First up is the SPB517 – a 39.5mm automated with Caliber 6R55 and a motorsport-inspired countdown bezel, produced in 2,500 items. Crimson accents and interval Datsun branding on the dial and caseback evoke the rally automotive’s livery.
You then get a 41.4mm solar-powered chronograph with a Caliber V192 motion. Often known as the SSC957, it provides a six-month energy reserve when totally charged. Restricted to 4,000 items, it’s the most accessible of the trio and features a caseback engraved with a bespoke 240Z illustration.
You then get a 42mm automated chronograph within the type of the SRQ057. It makes use of Seiko’s Caliber 8R48 with column wheel and vertical clutch, and is proscribed to 500 items. It contains a black tachymeter bezel and the script Datsun brand, paying homage to classic Speedtimer designs.
Satan Is In The Element
Design particulars are tailor-made for fanatics: engraved casebacks characteristic period-correct Datsun emblems, leather-based racing straps are sourced from Leather-based Working Group–licensed tanneries, and bezels reference unique Speedtimer codecs.
Seiko may also broaden the common Prospex Speedtimer vary with non-limited fashions sharing comparable case structure and classic styling, however with out the Datsun branding — a nod to collectors preferring subtlety over overt homage.
Pricing and Availability
The restricted editions will probably be obtainable globally from September 2025, completely by Seiko boutiques and choose retail companions.
The time-and-date SPB517 will set you again $1,150, with solely 2,500 on the market for the taking. The solar-powered SSC957 is available in at $1,000, capped at 4,000 items. And in case you’re feeling notably flush, the automated SRQ057 instructions $3,200 and a far rarer run of simply 500 items