This Seiko LE won’t make you a better athlete, but it will pay tribute to those who compete

A watch commemorating the 2022 World Championships in Athletics and Seiko’s rich chronograph history.

I just finished my trip to Eugene, Oregon, where I had the chance to see the sights and sounds of the World Athletics Championships (WAC) at the University of Oregon’s Hayward Field. Do you think this is an intense viewing event like a 4×4 relay race on TV? Seeing it with your own eyes is another matter entirely. Not only am I there, but I also have a very special Seiko chronograph on my wrist.

The new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph World Athletics Championships Oregon22 limited edition was announced in March and released last month: the SRQ041 (yes, that’s really the name) is a watch that looks like the brand’s chronograph heritage, Also respect it and WAC.

Looking at the field, it’s hard to miss Seiko’s affiliation as the official timekeeper. Like the omega red you see everywhere at the Olympics, it’s a blooming Seiko yellow. After learning about the technology behind its timekeeping work, it’s clear that the brand takes this very seriously. Now, about 50 years ago, the stopwatch or chronograph was the primary mechanism for timing such events. Seiko’s history in this field is legendary – the original Speedtimer, released in 1969, was one of the first automatic chronographs on the market.

The SRQ041 takes the form factor (along with the Solar Quartz model) of the brand’s reborn Speedtimer line earlier this year. The watch’s signature feature is the long, antenna-like pusher that stands tall on the 42.5mm-wide case. Made of stainless steel, the case has a rather angular shape with lugs that, when viewed from the side, resemble the legs of a fictional spaceship that has landed on a distant planet.

Back on Earth, that case is quite tall at 15.1mm and houses an automatic chronograph 8R46 column wheel with vertical clutch movement – just like the 6139 caliber did in the original ’69 Speedtimer. Interacting with those tall movers creates a lighthearted and enjoyable timekeeping experience. In my own life, I can’t really think of many use cases where a chronograph complication would come in handy (I prefer diving bezels), but you better believe I’m standing in the open with this watch on did some on the track.

I timed myself to walk from the starting block to about 30 feet from the starting block. I timed myself and hung out in the stands. I calculated how long I could hold my breath (to the nearest minute) in the Oregon sun. I calculated the time I could accelerate from the start zone to about 30 feet from the start zone. Fascinating stuff, that’s to say I found the SRQ041’s user experience to be simple and accurate.copy watches

From a purely visual standpoint, what impresses me most about this watch is the dial. Seiko has really upped its game in this department recently (I recall last year’s Ginza cobblestone street climber). This one has a black dial that, from a distance, looks like your standard fare black dial. Look closely – or really put it in direct sunlight – and you’ll see a distinct pattern of textures, similar to the material of the track itself. on the nose? Maybe, but just as cool.

The dial would be rather rudimentary without flourishes like the sloping internal chronograph readout and chrono seconds hand on the flange, the nine o’clock sub-dial, and the yellow scream on the 60-second marker. The addition of yellow is far from random. This is a clear reference to the yellow-on-yellow-on-yellow pattern on all Seiko chronographs at the event. I personally find the yellow to be very clear on the black dial.

This model comes with a steel bracelet and strap – I used a leather strap, which was a little stiff at first – it was hard to find a center to match the deploying clasp – but it broke after only a day or so. Flip the watch over to reveal an exhibition caseback with a commemorative print of the World Championships in Athletics. best copy watch

It’s similar in style to the regular production Prospex Speedtimer, only it’s more special (and limited). We often mock this LE with such an obvious event branding. At the end of the day, we had no idea it would one day be a collectible. This is the first time the WAC has been held in the United States. Does this fact make this watch even more special in the future? who said.

All I can say is that the design, from the dial to the color selection, is very well done. For my taste and wrist, this watch may be a little big and a little tall (including the putter), but I still enjoyed my time with this piece. Seiko’s chronograph history is very important to watchmaking, and this SRQ041 really celebrates that idea. Plus, it got me the closest I could get to the World Championships in Athletics.

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Mechanical Chronograph World Athletics Championships Oregon22 Limited Edition: SRQ041. Housing Dimensions: 42.5mm x 15.1mm. Calibre 8R46, automatic chronograph movement, 4Hz, 45-hour power reserve, 34 jewels. 100m waterproof.