Seiko’s Vibrant Yellow-Dialed Prospex Speedtimer Has A Pepsi-Style Bezel
Seiko’s latest Prospex Speedtimer pays homage to the famed Seiko “Pogue” Chronograph worn by NASA’s Col. William Pogue on the 1970s Skylab 4 mission.
Following in the footsteps of an iconic watch design can sometimes prove a tricky path to take, but Seiko appears up to the challenge with a vivid new timepiece in a nod to a legend of outer space.
The revamped Seiko Prospex Speedtimer SSC947 pays homage to the famed Seiko “Pogue” Chronograph, a watch notably worn by NASA’s Col. William Pogue on the 1970s Skylab 4 mission. The latest and greatest reboot brings the style forward into modern times, boasting a durable and sleek stainless steel build and a nicely sized 41.4mm case.
The “Pogue” Chronograph has an illustrious and impressive history in its own right, sometimes now fetching thousands of dollars in resale value on the secondary watch market. As vintage and luxury watch retailer Analog: Shift notes. “Astronaut Colonel William Pogue made history when he snuck his personal Seiko 6139-6002 chronograph onto the Skylab 4 mission as part of his personal kit in 1973.” The watch reseller also notes that the Japanese-made timepiece was prized for a laundry list of features, including “brightly colored dials, internal rotating bezels, and day/date functionality along with an automatic chronograph movement.”
Seiko previously put the pedal to the metal with its sporty, triple-chronograph, auto-inspired Prospex Speedtimer released earlier this year. That watch came in a trio of offerings, each streamlined and subtly stylish in its own right, and the new Prospex Speedtimer stands out much more vividly and stylishly. The watch’s inner specs are even more impressive: It runs on a caliber V192 solar movement, which boasts an astonishing power reserve of six months when fully charged.
The two tone “Pepsi” bezel color scheme stands out in vibrant fashion against a deep orange-yellow dial, further complemented by contrasting indices and three chronograph sub-dials. Ahead of its August release, the handsome watch could surely sell quickly: It’s priced agreeably at $700 (the original Pogue Chronograph fetched a whopping $71.50 in the early 1970s). For an homage to a classic that’s been updated with modern flair, it’s a more than reasonable price to pay.
