For the seventeenth consecutive year, Seiko is celebrated as the official timekeeper to the World Athletics Championships and in anticipation of the 2022 event held in Oregon in July, the Japanese watch manufacturer presents the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics 2022 Limited Edition watch under reference SRQ041.
When we think of Seiko, we often think of their professional diving instruments or the legendary Hi-Beat and Spring Drive movements housed within their premium Grand Seiko series. But what many neglect is their history within sports timing. For more than half a century, Seiko have been supporting athletes with state-of-the-art timing devices. One of their most famous designs includes the 89ST series of manual stop watches equipped with heart-shaped cam mechanisms designed to measure 1/5th, 1/10th and 1/100th of a second. The legendary Seiko Crown Chronograph launched in 1964 also made history as Seiko’s and Japan’s first ever chronograph wristwatch. Then in 1969 they applied this revolutionary technology to the world’s first automatic chronograph equipped with a vertical clutch and column wheel mechanism. This watch became known as the Seiko Speedtimer and delivered unprecedented performance for the measurement of elapsed time.
The new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics 2022 Limited Edition takes much inspiration from its 1969 predecessor with a familiar stainless steel architecture with oversized piston-style pushers for the chronograph, a 42.5mm diameter and an imposing thickness of 15.1mm. The case also presents a contemporary super-hard coating, curved sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating, a 100 metre water resistant rating and a special see-through case back printed with the logo of the World Athletic Championships.
Seiko tributes the 2022 World Athletic Championships on the dial of the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Limited Edition with a unique sand-patterned grey centrepiece designed to evoke the texture of a running track. Accents of yellow are also carefully placed on the dial, a colour that has been used on all of Seiko’s timing and measurement equipment. Yellow can be found on the hand for the 30 minute elapsed counter at 9 o’clock and on the central chronograph seconds hand. The dial of the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics 2022 watch also opts for two matching grey grained subsidiary dials with white markings, applied hour markers and white Lumibrite inserts on the hour and minute hands.
Just like the Calibre 6139 used to power the original 1969 Speedtimer, the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics 2022 Limited Edition is powered by an innovative automatic chronograph movement with a vertical clutch and column-wheel mechanism. This time, the Calibre 8R46 provides the highest possible levels of precision and durability with a lightweight and strong escapement engineered using the brand’s MEMS technology. The movement is assembled entirely by hand and guarantees a frequency of 28,800vph and a power reserve of 45 hours.
Completing the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics 2022 watch is a three-link stainless steel bracelet and a classic folding buckle, but as a limited edition, you will also be gifted an additional black calfskin leather strap detailed with yellow stitching. The release is a limited edition of 400 pieces and will be available for delivery from June 2022.
If you’d like to learn more about the Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics 2022 Limited Edition and pre-order it in advance of release, you can do so on the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.
Specifications: Seiko Prospex Speedtimer World Athletics 2022 (SRQ041)
- Case Size: 42.5mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel with super-hard coating
- Bezel: Fixed
- Glass: Curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Exhibition with printed logo of World Athletic Championships
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Movement: Calibre 8R46 automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph with central seconds, 30 minute counter
- Power Reserve: 45 hours
- Jewels: 34
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: Grey grained with yellow accents, white Lumibrite hands and markers
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet and additional black calfskin leather
- RRP: £2,740
- Limited Edition: 400 pieces
