Welcome to another edition of Japanese Nostalgic Chronograph. Hot off the heels of the Initial D 30th anniversary collaboration, Seiko has released three watches honoring the rallying successes of the Datsun 240Z. The trio are part of Seiko’s Speedtimer series, which was launched in 1969, the same year as Nissan’s famed S30 chassis, and have always been designed for timekeeping in motorsports and athletics.
From Seiko’s own press release:
The 1960s were an important decade for Seiko, which made advances in the measurement of elapsed time by taking part in various international sporting competitions, supporting athletes who required reliable and accurate timing to the nearest one-hundredth of a second. The Speedtimer was the world’s first automatic chronograph equipped with both a vertical clutch and a column wheel, two features that greatly enhanced the measurement of elapsed time.
It’s no coincidence that Japan began to truly emerge as the industrial and cultural equal of the west around this time, developing competitive cars like the Z and watches and being the first country in Asia to host the Olympic Games.
In 1971 the S30 Z, branded as a Datsun 240Z, brought Nissan its second victory in the East African Safari Rally (the first was in 1970 with a 510 Bluebird). It was one of the toughest races in the world, stretching 3,850 miles across the unpaved natural terrain of the continent.
The victory, led by the Oppama Works division, proved that Nissan was a force to be reckoned with by beating Peugeots, Fords, BMWs, Lancias, Porsches, and other well-established marques. Nissan would win the Safari Rally seven times in total. As it happens, the cars were adorned with prominent Seiko sponsorship, alongside noted automotive brands like NGK and Dunlop.
The three watches take inspiration from the Safari Rally 240Z. They are finished in black and red, like the iconic livery of the winning Z. The numbers on the watch also pay homage to the font used on the 240Z’s instrument cluster.
The SPB517 features the vintage red, blue and white Datsun logo on the watch face. The logo is engraved onto the back. The watch is held in place with a leather strap that’s black on one side, red on the reverse and is perforated in a sporty pattern reminiscent of an old bucket seat. The SPB517 is powered by Seiko’s Caliber 6R55 and has a countdown timer function. It is limited to 2500 pieces and will retail at $1,150.
The SRQ057 has the cursive Datsun logo on the watch face, and the period correct Datsun logo engraved on the back of its black case. The outer bezel features a tachymeter scale that can be used for measuring speeds from 50 to 60 kph, a tribute to the original Speedtimer from 1969. Powered by the mechanical chronograph Caliber 8R48, it has a 30-minute counter at the nine o’clock position and a 12-hour counter at the six o’clock position. It is limited to 500 pieces and will retail at $3,200.
The SSC957 has “Datsun” in block letters on the watch face and depicts an original engraving of the rally car on the back illustrated specifically for this watch, along with the watch’s production number. It uses a metal bracelet and is powered by Seiko’s solar V192 movement, it features a 60-minute chronograph function and a 24-hour sub-dial. According to Seiko, it can function for up to six months without exposure to light. It is limited to 4000 pieces and will retail at $1,000.
As it happens the Datsun watch are timed to coincide with the launch of three new designs in the Speedtimer series. The SPB513 and SPB515 are regular production counterparts to the Datsun SPB517 and will retail at $995. The SRQ055 is a counterpart to the SRQ057, but with metal bracelets and will retail at $2,500. All styles will go on sale in September 2025.
Images courtesy of Seiko; Nissan.
Oh, that’s cool! I just happen to be traveling to Japan in September so I might have to snag one of these if I can. Although I prefer Casio, as a Nissan fan its hard to pass these up.