Seiko Speedtimer SSC813 – $506.25 w/ VIP ($675)
Note: Link above goes to Macy’s since they’re one of the few authorized dealers who will put this particular model on sale every once in a while. The one we bought through Macy’s for this review actually shipped direct from Seiko. YMMV of course.
- model: SSC813
- size: 39mm case diameter, 45.5mm lug-to-lug, 13.3mm thick, 20mm lug width
- movement: Made in Japan V192 solar quartz-chronograph
- water resistance: 100m
- crystal: Sapphire
- etc: 60-min chrono sub dial doubles as a power reserve indicator. LumiBrite on hands and index(es).
- also worth noting: just one micro-adjustment position/”extra” set of micro adjustment holes in the clasp. Kind of odd it’s not more than that.
A Paul-“ish” Panda at a comparatively pleasant price.
Panda Dial. Check.
Paul (Newman) like-looks? Yeah, it’s in the ballpark.
Price? …Feels a little high for a quartz watch, but mechanical chronographs usually cost at least a grand or more. And this Speedtimer from Seiko’s upgraded “Prospex” line feels so well built and looks so good that many are going to be okay spending what it takes to get their hands on one.
Simple case geometry. Nothing fussy.
There’s enough going on with the dial and tachymeter on the bezel.
The Seiko Prospex Solar Speedtimer might cost more than what many of us are used to paying for quartz, but if you like how a mechanical or automatic watch feels (read: more substantial)… then this quartz surprisingly gets that job done. No it’s not a “mecha quartz” so the pushers don’t have the snappy feel of a mechanical chronograph, but it does have the heft and finishing quality of a watch made for those who’ve been bitten by the horology bug.
Excellent finishing, bracelet, and clasp…
but only one extra set of “micro adjusting” holes.
The case, the dial, and the bracelet (with one small detailed exception) are all well thought out and feel really good. Very nice. Expensive. Everything about the materials and manufacturing of this watch is a solid step up from the more affordable Seiko 5-Sports line. Especially the bracelet. It feels extraordinarily solid and well machined. No weird edges, rickety movements, etc. It also feels great on the wrist. The top and undersides are brushed, while the sides of the links are polished. The double push button clasp operates definitively and is smaller in comparison to other, chunkier clasps. The one drawback is that there’s only one extra set of micro-adjusting holes. So getting a perfect fit might be out of reach for some. With on-the-fly micro adjusting clasps proliferating across most of the price spectrum, it’d be nice to see one of those here, but really that’s the only drawback on this watch as a whole.
And some might want to wear it on a leather strap to really replicate the Newman look:
Shown here on an aftermarket (really nice) strap from Christopher Ward.
Aesthetics are certainly retro inspired but it also has a sharp, modern look to it as well. It’s not a costume piece. The indices are applied onto a thankfully not hyper-stark dial. The lumibrite filled hands also offer some creamy balance, as does the deep-dark-midnight-navy (almost black, most will see them as black) sunken subdials. That has to be the solar bits that soak up the power from the light around us. And speaking of those sub dials, the slightly smaller subdial at 6 o’clock doubles as both a 60 min chronograph timer and power reserve indicator:
Sunken sub dials with solar panels behind them.
60-minute chronograph dial at 6 o’clock doubles as a power reserve gauge (Full – Empty) when desired.
Start the chronograph, stop the chronograph, reset the chronograph… and hit the reset button AGAIN to see how much juice is left in the V192 movement’s battery.
Pretty neat, right? Not that you’ll need to fuel it up under sunny skies all that often. When fully charged, the Speedtimer can run at +/- 15 seconds per month for six months if tossed in a shoebox, forgotten in a closet, or left under a hibernating yeti.
Tachymeter around the bezel. Checkered-flag color scheme.
It’s a racing chrono all right.
Not that any of that would happen, as it looks good enough that most will find lots of reasons and occasions to wear it.
The case size is a more heritage leaning 39mm in diameter, but it wears larger than a true retro piece. Its 13.3mm thickness and very slightly domed crystal deliver some wrist presence without being bulbous. And the 20mm lug width means it won’t be hard finding leather straps if you so choose.
It looks great. It feels excellent. It’s the type of quartz watch that even devout mechanical and automatic watch fans can enjoy. Especially as we head into the sunnier, breezier, open-road months of summer. It’s even water resistant to 100m. So…
Pack a lunch. Stomp on the pedal(s). Go for a dip. Seiko’s Solar Speedtimer feels ready for it all.
