Seiko’s Legendary Automatic Chronograph Looks More Like a Rolex Daytona Than Ever

Seiko’s Speedtimer has an impeccable pedigree. It was narrowly beaten by a cooperative of Swiss heavy-hitters as the first ever automatic chronograph movement in 1969.

Then, in 1973, it became one of the few automatic watches chosen by NASA to be worn in space.

Seiko

However, since being revived under the Prospex collection in 2021, Seiko has stubbornly refused to equip its marquee automatic chronograph with one critical feature—until now.

Seiko finally released an automatic chronograph with a tachymeter scale on an external fixed bezel. It sounds small, but it achieves a highly sought-after classic look established by watches like the Rolex Daytona and the Zenith Chronomaster Sport.

Seiko

The Speedtimer dial layout remains unchanged from predecessors like SRQ47 “Panda” and SRQ49 “Reverse Panda,” which is great because there was nothing wrong with the dial.

It is also powered by the same caliber 8R48 automatic movement with a column wheel, a vertical clutch and 45 hours of power reserve.

The tri-compax dial has a 30-minute counter at nine o’clock, a 12-hour counter at six o’clock and a small-seconds dial at three o’clock. A tiny date window is tucked between the hour markers at 4:30.

Let’s take this outside

The original Speedtimer reference 6169, released in 1969, had a “Pepsi” fixed bezel with a tachymeter scale. A year later, the subsequent reference 6168 (the smaller number came out second) moved the tachymeter scale inside the case onto the chapter ring.

Seiko

Seiko has stuck to the internal tachymeter scale for five years. Further frustrating fans of the classic fixed-bezel look, the solar-quartz-powered Speedtimer collection has had it all along.

There are some great-looking watches in the SSCxx solar-quartz collection, but most Seiko fans are irritated by the shoddy movement and nonsensical 24-hour sub-dial linked to the central hands.

Seiko

With the tachymeter scale now placed outside the dual-curved sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating, the chapter ring has a legible quarter-second scale.

By simultaneously tightening up the dial and spacing out the scales, the watch feels smaller, even though it retains the same 42mm steel case.

But wait, there’s more

Adding an external fixed bezel with a tachymeter scale is enough to please me and many other Seiko fans, but the Japanese watchmaking masters snuck in another update that makes this Speedtimer a bit more comfortable on the wrist.

Seiko

The Speedtimer bracelet, a particular style of steel bracelet first introduced to the collection in the 1970s and revived in 2023, has been refined to look sharper and feel more comfortable.

The brushed end and center links remain the same, but the polished connecting links have been consolidated from three on each side to one. This removed tiny spaces that were prone to catching arm hairs.

Availability and price

The new Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SRQ055 looks like the automatic chronograph fans like me have always wanted. It has that Daytona look that every brand in the stopwatch complication game is chasing in one way or another.

At $2,500, it is by no means affordable, but that is still a fraction of the price of a Daytona. Better still, it will be readily available when Seiko releases the upgraded Prospex Speedtimer in September 2025.

Dare I say it? The Seiko SRQ055 may be the new best Daytona alternative.

Seiko

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SRQ055

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Seiko caliber 8R48 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $2,500 at Seiko

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