Seiko calls this one the “Night Vision” – I call it the Seiko Lightsaber. Am I the only one that sees the minute hand in this manner?

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Looking at the thumbnail of the post, chances are that you’ve seen this one before, or may even be familiar with it. The Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph series was first launched around 2 years ago, and it was an instant hit amongst horological circles, with watch media crowning it as the “Seitona” – calling it Seiko’s budget version of the Rolex Daytona.

The lineup was launched with a limited edition automatic model, as well as 4 variants of the solar chronograph model, but has since expanded in light of its success. Just take a look at this impressive graphic:

The Speedtimer series draws inspiration from its namesake – the original Seiko Speedtimer which was first introduced in 1969 and was then the world’s first automatic chronograph with a column wheel and vertical clutch.

While I must say that the modern rendition doesn’t very much look like its historical counterpart, it’s still a nice bit of history and a pretty cool achievement. I don’t think its a bad thing that the present line up looks a lot more modern, and its refreshing to step away from the retro re-issues every now and then.

At first glance, I had a good impression of the Seiko Speedtimer and felt that it’d be a pretty good watch. An eye catching design, history, great proportions and a fuss free solar-quartz movement sounded very much like a winning formula to me. I just never got around to trying one, until I saw the SSC917P1 – otherwise known as the “Night Vision” Speedtimer.

The Case & Specifications

Case size measures at 43mm (44mm to the pushers), with a compact lug to lug of 45.5mm making this one a joy to wear for all wrists big or small. Lug width comes in at 20mm, giving you plenty of strap options.

The Speedtimer features a sapphire crystal, with a slightly raised and angled tachymeter bezel, bringing it to 14mm thick. It’s not the thinnest, but I don’t find it bulky or prohibitive, and if you wanted to you could probably slip it under a shirt cuff.

The case has undergone a black PVD treatment, along with its matching bracelet, and has a matte finish all around giving it a more understated look. I like that Seiko opted for a brushed finish, as I’ve heard that PVD can wear out over time and the matte finish will help to conceal scratches or scuffs inevitably accumulated over time. Chronograph pushers are located at 2 and 4 o’clock, with a grooved but unsigned crown located at 3.

The screwdown caseback is simple with nothing much to shout about, offering 10 bars of water resistance to the watch. The Speedtimer is part of the Prospex series, so you could technically take this for a dip in the pool without worries.

Being installed with a quartz movement, I personally felt that the watch had a certain weight to it and was heavier than expected. I wear it on a nato strap, but I haven’t been able to get a good fit (admittedly I probably need a different strap), and you do feel the weight when the watch shifts about.

The Dial

Looking at the dial of the Speedtimer, you can instantly see why Seiko called this particular variant the “Night Vision”. Against the dark grey dial, the greenish-blue indices and hands instantly jump out, creating an illusion of seemingly glowing in the dark. I find it interesting that the minute hand is much thinner than the hour hand, almost looking like a lightsaber of sorts reaching outwards to the printed minute track.

At first glance, the dial looks complicated as it seems like there’s a lot going in, but Seiko has done a great job with legibility. The indices and hands contrast nicely against the dark grey dial, and the applied hour markers actually feature an angled and polished surface which catches the light nicely. The finishing on the hour markers is a nice touch, and Seiko could probably have chosen not to include it at this price point, so plus points to Seiko!

A needle like chronograph hand stretches towards the tachymeter bezel, which is easy to read and completes the sporty, chronograph look. There’s a date window located at 4:30, which is a polarising choice for the watch community but hey – at least its black and colour matched.

There are sub-dials located at 3, 6 and 9, displaying a 24 hour indicator, chronograph minutes counter, and running seconds respectively. When the chronograph is not in operation, the sub-dial at 6 doubles up as a power reserve indicator, so you’ll always be kept informed as to the when the Night Vision ironically needs to go for a sun tanning session. Once the chronograph gets going, the hand automatically moves to the 60 position, and resets itself shortly after the chronograph is reset. You can also hit the pusher at 4 a second time once the chronograph has been reset, to send the sub-dial hand back to its power reserve position.

The sub-dial hands are slightly reflective, which improves their contrast against the dial but it’s still somewhat of a challenge to read the details given their smaller size. These sub-dials however, hide a secret underneath – it’s also where the Night Vision’s solar cells are, which you’ll notice when you observe the dial up close at certain angles. Quite a nifty trick if I must say so myself.

In the dark, the Night Vision thankfully lives up to its namesake, shining brightly with Seiko’s Lumibrite. I haven’t tested how long it lasts (and I usually don’t), but you can expect it to be behave as with most other Seiko pieces.

The Movement

The Night Vision is powered by Seiko’s V192 movement, which is a solar powered quartz movement. Personally, I’m a fan of quartz movements and they make great set and forget pieces. Accuracy is rated at +/- 15 seconds per month, and with it being solar powered it’s pretty much fuss free.

According to Seiko’s manual, a full charge can last about a 100 days, and charging times are as follows:

I’ve had a solar powered Seiko once, and ran into issues with the charging, but this one seems to be holding up fine. In fact, I have never seen the battery run below “F” (full) on the power reserve indicator before, and that’s with the Night Vision chilling in my room under indoor lighting most of the time. So despite the complicated, table above, the watch seems to pick up a charge rather easily, so I’m sure you’ll do fine.

Hitting the pushers, the chronograph hand moves in a smooth sweep. Upon reset, the hand sweeps clockwise back to the 12 o’ clock position. The pushers still have a bit of tactile feel to them, but are more typical of what you’d expect of a quartz chronograph and don’t feel as snappy as mechanical ones do.

The Strap

The Night Vision comes with a matching PVD bracelet, completing the dark look which I admit looks pretty darn cool. I find that when it comes to PVD bracelets, it tends to be a delicate balance – sometimes they end up looking a bit too (for lack of a better word) “overdone”. Bracelet quality itself feels alright, with a good weight to it. A brush-like finish is applied throughout, which should help with some scratches here and there.

Unfortunately, it only comes with 2 micro-adjustments, which may make it trickier to find a good fit for those between wrist sizes.

Styling

The Speedtimer Night Vision is somewhat of a strap monster, and pretty much goes with anything making it a very versatile piece. The same can probably be said of the other colourways. However, being mostly monochromatic (save for the neon indices), I prefer keeping it on darker straps and I feel the look is really completed with a black nato, which I prefer over the stock bracelet. It gives it a more urban/street look and just fits in much better with it being more of a sports watch than a dress piece.

The Price

As at the time of this writing, the Speedtimer Night Vision retails for approximately S$1034 – S$1055 (USD$785) in Singapore, before any discounts/deals. In comparison, the white dial version retails for S$910, so there’s a difference of about S$140. Personally, if you like the “night vision” look, I think the difference isn’t too bad, and should be worth it.

Having handled the watch, I do feel that it is worth its price, and you are getting a reliable timepiece with some serious looks and great functionality. If you hunt around for a deal, you should be able to find these between S$700-S$800, which makes much more sense.

Overall Thoughts

There are many different kinds of watches to be experienced. Some you fall in love with instantly, some just make good sense. To me, the Speedtimer Night Vision belongs to the latter category. It’s got everything you need in it to make a great watch, from proportions to functionality, versatility to design, Seiko really understood the brief on this one. Plus, it’s a hit amongst the watch community, and I do think its a solid proposition.

If like me, you find the panda dial variant to be a bit too over worn, or you’re simply looking for something different, I say give this one a go – you probably won’t regret it.

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