Seiko Brings Back Its Legendary ‘Pogue’ Space Watch

The first automatic chronograph in space finally gets a new version … but there’s a problem.

Published July 5, 2024

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Seiko has no shortage of iconic models in its expansive back catalog. From the old-school 62MAS diver to the iconic SKX007 to the adventurous Alpinist, many Seiko models rank among the most iconic watches ever made.

The one that arguably ranks above them all is the 6139 Speedtimer chronograph. Launched in 1969, it was one of the first automatic chronographs to market, debuting the same year as Zenith’s lauded El Primero.

But it wasn’t until 1973 when the watch reached true icon status when NASA astronaut Col. William Pogue wore his personal 6139 on the Skylab 4 mission, making it the first automatic chronograph watch to be worn in space.

seiko pogue — The quirky original Seiko Pogue ranks among the most iconic chronographs ever made.

Since then, the version worn by the colonel with the yellow dial and red-and-blue “Pepsi” bezel has gone by the unofficial moniker of the “Pogue” and ranks as one of the most collectible and beloved vintage Seikos ever made.

Now, Seiko has brought back the Pogue Speedtimer, but in a way that is likely to anger as many enthusiasts as it will excite.

Seiko Prospex ‘Pogue’ Solar Chronograph 1969 Re-interpretation

$700 at Seiko

A Pogue by any other name?

The new Seiko chronograph is pretty clear about its inspiration. Not only is it a chronograph with a yellow dial and an aluminum Pepsi tachymeter bezel with the first quarter of the bezel in red and the remainder in blue, but it’s also named after Col. Pogue — something the original watch can’t even claim.

A member of Seiko’s premium Prospex line, the brand has dubbed the new chronograph the Prospex ‘Pogue’ Solar Chronograph 1969 Re-interpretation (ref. SSC947), again, making it very clear that this is meant to be a modern version of the Pogue.

So what’s the issue?

Well, it’s right there in the name. Solar. The original Pogue was a then-state-of-the-art automatic chronograph featuring a column wheel and a vertical cluth. As the first automatic chronograph in space, one can pretty easily argue that the watch’s movement was the main reason for its iconic status and not its creative use of all three primary colors.

seiko chronograph watch on wrist — The new Pogue does a nice job of translating the original’s unique color scheme to a modern watch.

But this reissue ignores the movement aspect of the original Pogue in favor of a purely aesthetic recreation, as it uses the same solar-powered Cal. V192 chronograph movement found in other references of the Rolex Daytona-esque Seiko Speedtimer collection.

But even aesthetically, this watch fails to replicate the look of the Pogue because the Pogue didn’t look like a traditional chronograph. It had just a single yellow sub-register at six-clock to track chronograph minutes, and it had a day-date window at three o’clock.

The new version uses a tri-compax layout with blue subdials and shoehorns in a date window at 4:30. In other words, it looks just like any other modern Seiko Solar Speedtimer in the larger 41mm case size, with only the colors to suggest this has anything to do with the Pogue (the chronograph seconds hand and chronograph minutes hand are both in red to match the original ’70s watch).

seiko chronograph watch against a colorful background — Is a solar-powered Pogue still a Pogue?

What to make of the new Pogue

I think that in a vacuum, this is a cool release from Seiko. The Pogue colorway remains a unique and attractive option for a chronograph, and it looks stunning in this more traditional dial layout.

But my issue is this: Why call it a Pogue? If it’s not an automatic chronograph, and if it features a completely different dial design, then is it really emulating the most iconic Seiko chronograph ever made? Or is it simply a cynical paint job intended to increase solar chronograph sales?

I do think the Seiko Solar Speedtimer is a great watch, and this version certainly looks good, but I personally think the Pogue branding represents a missed opportunity.

Hopefully we’ll see a modern automatic reissue of the Pogue down the line. For now, this release will have to do. It’s available starting this August and is priced at $700.

Seiko Prospex ‘Pogue’ Solar Chronograph 1969 Re-interpretation

A reimagining of the first-ever automatic chronograph worn in outer space, Seiko’s modern “Pogue” copies the original’s yellow-red-and-blue color scheme but swaps out its automatic movement for a solar-powered one.